PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A need has arisen over the last few decades for Law Enforcement courses and programs that offer the opportunity to enhance and sharpen skills in the areas of investigations, patrol, leadership, survival, and many others. The law enforcement arena has evolved into a complex world of civil liability, comprehensive laws, and highly motivated criminals.  Leadership development has become a vital part of law enforcement across the State of Louisiana.  Training courses incorporate realistic and practical approaches from experienced instructors.  The Louisiana State Police has developed an Active School Shooter Program to train law enforcement on how to respond to the increasing number of violent acts at schools and public venues.  Along with the active shooter program, Troopers around the state make routine visits to schools to build relationships with the administration and gain knowledge of the basic layout of the school. The Louisiana Trooper Foundation supports training programs for the State Police, as well as, other Louisiana Law Enforcement Agencies through tuition and financial assistance.  One of the programs is the Northwestern University School of Staff and Command which is a ten week accredited course.

DIRECT AID TO TROOPERS IN NEED

The Louisiana Gulf Coast communities have been devastated by numerous tropical systems since 1999.  Louisiana State Troopers are deployed to areas impacted by tropical storms, hurricanes and other disasters to ensure the safety of our citizens and facilitate the recovery process.  Many times our personnel return to their homes to find they too have been impacted.  Severe storms like Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Isaac and the recent widespread flooding of 2016 took their toll on our citizens including our first responders.  In each instance, Louisiana State Troopers responded without hesitation.  The Louisiana Trooper Foundation has been able to assist troopers with financial assistance for displaced families and damaged homes due to the generous support from the communities we serve.

Direct Aid to Louisiana State Troopers

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Louisiana State Police believes that troopers should be a part of their communities, not apart from them. The mission of the Louisiana State Police is to ensure the safety and security of the people in the state through enforcement, education, and other essential public safety services.  In each Troop area of the state, the Louisiana State Police have programs that partner with local entities to assist our youth, communities, and schools.

The Louisiana State Police has developed partnerships with business, industry, and the Louisiana Trooper Foundation to maintain yearly summer youth programs.  The Louisiana State Police conducts “Skills for Life Camps” for boys and girls who will be completing either the 6th, 7th, or 8th grade each year.  The week long camps are free to the public and teach a variety of skills in a fun environment.  The purpose of the camps is to positively impact the lives of middle school students in the State of Louisiana.

During the week-long skills camps across the state, students participate in:

  • Fire and Water Safety
  • Team Building
  • Leadership Development
  • Bicycle Safety

The “Sudden Impact” program and Mock crashes are designed to prevent fatalities and injuries from driving impaired, distracted, and/or unrestrained. Sudden Impact is an evidence-based program that increases awareness to prevent the number of fatalities and injuries related to motor vehicle crashes.

motorcycle safety, louisiana troopers foundation

The program employs a multi-disciplinary approach to educate and offer alternatives to risk-taking behaviors that often result in death or injury. The program provides testimony to the ramifications of driving while impaired from a medical, law enforcement, and victim perspective. The 7-hour program is designed for high school sophomores. This places the teens in an unfamiliar environment while providing education on laws, decisions, communication and impairment. Troopers and trauma prevention specialists and nurses talk to teens about the importance of seat belt use, the dangers of texting and driving, and the dangers of impaired driving.

Students involved act out a fatal crash scene scenario in front of their peers, allowing the student body to see first-hand the devastating consequences of impaired and distracted driving. Parents of the student actors will also be playing parts in these scenarios. The mock crash is meant to emphasize the dangers and consequences associated with impaired and distracted driving, the importance of proper seatbelt use, and the emotional suffering families endure when a fatal crash occurs in reality.

Louisiana State police and our partners in safety strive to reduce the number of underage DWI’s and serious injury and fatal crashes while promoting the importance of sound decision making and behavior.

Public Safety Expos have also been developed in Troop areas across the state. The Louisiana State Police has partnered with other public safety agencies in an effort to promote public safety education and enhance relations with the communities we serve by hosting Annual Public Safety Expos. These free events included seat belt safety (full-size roll-over demos) and participation from local law enforcement and medical responders. The Louisiana Trooper’s Foundation and Century Link Security Systems were instrumental in providing resources and funding so this event could be offered free to the public.

The Special Olympics is supported by the law enforcement agencies in the State of Louisiana. Every year, the Louisiana Trooper Foundation and Louisiana State Police support Special Olympics-Louisiana in the “Law Enforcement Torch Run” and “Polar Plunge.”  During the Polar Plunge, Troopers will be “Freezin’ for a Reason” in a “Polar Plunge” and in May each year the Torch for the “Law Enforcement Torch Run” travels across the state to help raise money to support Special Olympics programs. State Troopers along with local law enforcement and first responder agencies were on-hand at these events to support the families and participants of this year’s plunge.

GRANT A WISH

The Louisiana Trooper Foundation works directly with the Louisiana Troopers Association on programs like “Grant-A-Wish”.  The Grant-A-Wish program provides funding and resources for children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses across Louisiana.