In rural Louisiana rookie police officers with little to no training are patrolling the streets

Some police officers in Louisiana, particularly in rural and poorly-funded areas, have a gun and a badge but lack the necessary training for carrying either one, Maya Lau reports for the Shreveport Times. The reason is a state law "allowing full-time officers to serve a year before finishing academy and obtaining their Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) certification." (Times photo by Jim Hudelson)

"Officers working part-time (39 hours a week or fewer) are not required to attend police academy, which typically lasts around 16 weeks, even if they work under such an arrangement for years on end," Lau writes. "And some departments simply violate the law, never sending full-time officers to academy for years, according to a prominent police trainer."

While state numbers are difficult to attain, in the most recent class at the Caddo Sheriff's Regional Academy—which serves 10 parishes and 110 state agencies—27 of the 40 cadets had already been working as law enforcement officers, Lau writes. Capt. Kenny Sanders, director of the academy, "says every class includes at least a few who have already been working as officers. Some pipe up and admit they've served as full-time officers who have somehow gone undetected for several years without going to an academy."

Some departments defend the one year waiting period, saying it ends up being a waste of money if rookies don't pan out as an officer, Lau writes. Lt. Melvin Ashley, patrol supervisor and training officer, "said rookies are accompanied and taught on-the-job by veteran officers, who then determine when the new employee is ready to patrol alone. There's no minimum amount of time for that training, he said. When responding to a call, new officers are met by experienced officers and also must receive firearms training." Other departments have similar routines.

"But Anthony Radosti, vice president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, a New Orleans-based watchdog group, says small departments are still exposing themselves to serious liability issues by putting uncertified officers on the street even if they're accompanied by a veteran," Lau writes. "Rookie officers are 'there to observe, learn and follow proper instructions. If he winds up in a foot chase, he could be separated from the other officer, and he could be called on to make decisions that a trained officer should be making,' said Radosti." He told Lau, "If an explosive situation occurs, he may be put in a situation he's not trained to handle. It only takes one incident to make all the money you've basically saved by holding off the training go down the drain." (Read more)