Seven Southern officers graduate from Police Basic Academy

The Southern' University Police Department employs seven of the 22 students who recently graduated from the Louisiana State Police Basic Academy. SU Police Chief Michael Morris was the keynote speaker for the March 20 graduation ceremony.

Nine agencies were represented, but Southern officers made up nearly a third of this class. "This is the largest number of officers we have had to graduate," Morris said. "We usually graduate two or three officers."

Morris said he is pleased with the educational diversity of the new officers, several of whom are college students. One will be attending law school and another will be pursuing a master's degree in criminal justice around their work schedule.

"Some of the new people were hired specifically as dormitory officers," he said. "They are full-fledged, 100 percent officers but they will work the dormitory areas at Southern at all times."

Morris said there are slots available for more officers since the department lost six officers this year. Most of them were hired by other law enforcement agencies in the Baton Rouge area.

Training at the 10-week state police basic academy began on January 15. Some of the training included defensive tactics, firearms training, orientation to criminal justice, civil disturbance training, traffic services, field sobriety testing, collision investigations and traffic services.