Northeast Louisiana, Police, Academy, Delta - KNOE 8 News; KNOE-TV; KNOE.com |

MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The only police academy in Northeast Louisiana opened Monday at Delta Community College, after the future of the academy was unclear.

Newly hired Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Deputy, Kevin Rushing, is studying at Delta Community College. He's looks forward to hitting the beat full time in another ten to twelve weeks. Since he's doing his training close to home, he can already spend some time on patrol. He and other trainees worried the academy would not survive.

Rushing says, "I thought that we were going to have to do that anyway because this academy wasn't around for a little bit."

Rushing was worried attending an out of town academy would hurt family time. He says, "with a one year old at home it would have been pretty tough."

The academy's future was in jeopardy because the location was crumbling, and there was little cash. That's when the North Delta Law Enforcement Planning Board teamed up with Delta to give the academy a new home.

Director of Workforce Development, Bob Hammack, says "beginning with this class, Delta will host those academies."

Everyone attending the academy is a commissioned police officer. Hammack says, "they are required within a year of getting their commission to go to the academy."

Police will learn everything in this academy from the legal aspects, to how to handle violent situations on the streets.

Hammack says, "it includes the firearms training any and every skill that a policeman would have to have to do his job. It will all be covered in these four hundred plus hours training."

Rushing says, "it saves our lives. Without this we wouldn't have the training we need to protect everyone else, including ourselves."

That's peace of mind close to home for Kevin Rushing, and 66 agencies around Northeast Louisiana who will use this academy.

Delta is the only community college in the state to operate a police academy.