[Editor’s note: This is the third in a five-part series on careers in law enforcement in Acadiana. Click here for part one]

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) —News 10 is dedicating this week to learning all about starting a career in law enforcement. 

Attending the police academy is the next step to being on patrol. 

Once cadets have proven themselves and their work ethic, the opportunity to progress from corrections presents itself. Going to the public safety complex to begin the academy and learn the skills needed to hit the road. 

"We try to give them a basic familiarization with anything and everything that can happen out there,” Cpt. Sam Brown, the training director, said. 

The police academy held at the Lafayette Sheriff's Public Safety Complex equips officers from agencies across the state with the necessary skills needed to be effective in their duties as patrol and security officers, while also learning new skills to bring back to corrections if needed. 

“Everything from physical fitness, basic investigation,” Brown said. 

"Enhanced patrol rifle training which trains them to shoot in difficult positions and under difficult circumstances. Taser certification. Courtroom testimony,” Sheriff Mark Garber added. 

“It's a culmination of everything you're going to see out there,” Brown continued. 

In the day News 10 visited the facility, we saw firsthand as officers and deputies were shown the process of fingerprinting at a crime scene, perfected their defense and takedown techniques to apprehend a suspect, and toured the replica jail cell used to train the corrections emergency response team to deal with difficult offenders.

However, Brown said the most important tool trainees will learn through the academy is the importance of communication. 

"We're asked to be a teacher, a counselor, an attorney, a civil expert. People just want to be heard, they want a solution to their problems, and a lot of that is just the basis of talking to somebody and finding out what the true problem is and being able to work through it."

Completion and graduation from the academy officially gives an officer their post certification, allowing them to carry their firearm and serve on patrol. 

However your education is never done, with state mandated certifications needed to be maintained every year, Brown said the life of an officer is one that continues to grow and evolve.

"It's hard to be a master of everything, but we try to give everybody a familiarization and basic knowledge of everything,” Brown said. “The culture of law enforcement is always changing, and if you don't change with it then it doesn't help you in the future. But it never stops, it's an entire career of trying to learn and trying to be better."

Now that officers have gained their post certification, the next step is taking to the streets and starting the journey of being on patrol. 

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