Sheriff Mike Tregre announced 11 senior patrol officers graduated August 7, 2020 from the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Field Training Officers 2020-002 class. These newly certified FTOs will now help new patrol deputies navigate their way through the first few months of the job.
New Field Training Officers are Kenneth Cureau, Edward Webb, Demond Memminger, Justin Green, Kristina Liscano, Scott Lacy, Brian McGregor, Gant Charles, Ira Marsalis, Shannon Petty and Nathaniel Cooper.
“These senior officers were chosen to teach new deputies the right way to do the job,” Sheriff Tregre said. “It’s now part of their responsibilities … to help new officers be the best they can possibly be.”
Field training is essential for teaching recruits how to apply police academy instruction with real world situations, Sheriff Tregre said.
The SJSO’s program, Recruit Officer Performance Evaluation Standard or ROPES, is designed to provide experienced officers with the knowledge and skills necessary to properly and effectively train new deputies in the field. Sgt. Michael Pugh and Sgt. Daniel Materne were instructors for the 40-hour certification class.
For four months, the FTOs will work with new patrol deputies, offering them instruction, supervision, guidance and experience to increase proficiency of tasks and to develop professionalism, good judgment, efficiency, and good habits of conduct and appearance. The FTOs will rate recruits in several areas during a daily evaluation.
Sheriff Tregre said he is committed to providing the best training possible to ensure new officers are ready to protect and serve their community in a professional and ethical manner. The hiring and training of quality recruits is a top priority, he said.
The FTO class is part of SJSO’s continuing education program