Sixteen officers from six area law enforcement agencies learned real-life survivability skills needed for today’s officer in a class this week at the North Louisiana Criminal Justice Academy of the Bossier Sheriff’s Office.
The Pat McCarthy’s Street Crimes seminar was taught by John Sebeck, a 34-year law enforcement veteran and retired Chicago Police Department detective. He discussed first responder hostage negotiating, surviving police ambushes, deadly force encounters and realistic interview tactics. Sebeck also talked about the importance of homeland security, gang and drug investigations, street smart intelligence gathering, interrogation tactics and search procedures.
“This training covers all aspects of police work,” said Sebeck. “The class is aimed at renewing what officers already know and avoiding complacency when doing their jobs. It is rough being a police officer because there are so few officers on the street, and as a consequence, it puts those officers at risk.”
Deputy Ryan Rhodes, an eight-year veteran with the Bossier Sheriff’s Office, realizes that criminals are trying to outsmart law enforcement. As a patrol deputy, he values the importance of improving his skills to stay a step ahead.
“To here real-world interview techniques from an experienced officer will allow me to be much more proficient in gathering information from street level interviews.”
Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington emphasized the need for constant improvement of law enforcement officers.
“We cannot get complacent. Continued training for law enforcement is paramount not only for the safety of the officer but the safety of the communities in which they serve.”
The North Louisiana Criminal Justice Academy holds training seminars throughout the year for law enforcement agencies and certain classes for the public, such as women’s self-defense and concealed handgun classes. If you are interested in finding out more about the classes offered, visit www.nlcja.com or call 318-965-3525.
