Graduation Day
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
They marched into the Yambilee Building military style, shouting cadences in tight formations with uniforms that were tucked, offset by their gleaming shoes and polished belt buckles.
The 15 Opelousas Police Department Junior Police Academy summer cadet graduates won’t patrol the city anytime soon, but as Police Chief Graig LeBlanc told them on Wednesday, he and other officers in charge of the program saw improvements especially in the youths overall personal accountability and discipline.
Some of the 15 cadet graduates who were honored with medals, certificates and awards, added that they were also thankful for a chance to participate in the six weeks of training as a way of improving personal lifestyles.
Jerriah Comeaux, an 11-year-old attending St. Landry Charter School, thinks that she and the other cadets underwent early life changing experiences by participating in the program.
“I think overall the program went well for all of us. We learned how to act and accept accountability for what we do,” Comeaux said.
Creswell Middle School 11-year-old Devin Reed said he participated in the program two years ago. He didn’t mind coming back for another summer of cadet training, Reed said.
“I think the thing I got out of this most of all was the discipline,” said Reed.
LeBlanc said at least one of the cadets has expressed a penchant for law enforcement. The young man, said LeBlanc, wants to become a SWAT team sniper, while another intends to become a lawyer,
The cadets even had four squad leaders. They were by Police Sgt. Herman Peterson and retired military sergeants Darrell Minix and Donald Palmer.
OPD Lt. Phyllis Tyler, the departmental community engagement coordinator, ran the program.
LeBlanc, one of several guest speakers, said the cadet program is designed “to help youths learn more about their community and teach values that make strong officers and more importantly strong persons.”
District 40 State Representative Dustin Miller told the audience that Opelousas needs more youth leaders like the ones who qualified to graduate on Wednesday. .
Miller said it was apparent that the graduating class had learned teamwork, discipline and leadership.
Former OPD Officer Bruce Alsandor, the current president of Opelousas Rotary After Dark, said cadet academy experience was evidently worth the effort.
“When you people step up to lead, something special happens. For Opelousas, (Wednesday) is a win,” Alsandor said.
