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LAPLACE — Sheriff Mike Tregre announced five senior patrol officers graduated July 1, 2022 from the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Field Training Officers 2022-001 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 Mario Cole, Devin Billiot, Stephen Hughes, Christopher Toups and Byron Stelly.

“These senior officers were selected to lead new deputies, to show them the right way to do the job,” Sheriff Tregre said.

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. Captain Lisa Dorris and Lt. 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.