Before the caps and gowns could be donned at tonight's Citizens Academy graduation, one last lesson was in order for the cadets of the St. John Sheriff's Office 2025-7 Citizens Academy. According to a social media post by the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office, the final class offered an up-close view into the inner workings of the department's Financial/Cyber Crimes Unit and the Civil Division. Moreover, the cadets were given the chance to engage directly with the Training Simulator—a tool offering real-time decision-making scenarios.
During this final session, the cadets learned key tactics to combat identity theft, phone scams, and financial fraud. Detective Lt. Michael Shard took the lead, underscoring the importance of never responding to unverified requests for sensitive information. "The most important thing to remember," Lt. Shard said, "is to never reply to messages including email, a phone call, or a text message, asking for personal or financial information to anyone unless you initiated the call and the other party is trusted," as mentioned on the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office Facebook post. He and Detective Sgt. Denis James detailed the tricks and tools of scammers, which encompass deceptive devices like skimmers disguised as ATM keypads that are used to clandestinely capture personal data.
Chief Civil Deputy Jeffrey Clement, in charge of the business side of the house, delineated the responsibilities of the Finance Division. "The major function of the Finance Division is to safeguard the assets of the Sheriff's Office through good internal controls and proper accounting," he explained on St John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office, noting that the division juggles the Sheriff's Office budget and the payroll for hundreds of employees. But the academy wasn't all talk and PowerPoint; cadets too got their feet wet in the reality of law enforcement through simulations that tested their judgment and composure.
Participants faced challenging scenarios in the Training Simulator, including a traffic stop, a domestic dispute, and a disturbance at a bar where they were tasked to try and to de-escalate tensions. Despite the novelty, the cadets weren't spared the gravity of the experience. "I froze. I just froze," one participant admitted post-simulation, revealing the difficulty of real-time decision-making. Each mock engagement opened a dialogue on the spectrum of force options available to officers, from verbal commands to tasers, pepper spray, or a firearm. Captain Chip Wale, the training commander, reflected on the process: "Officers have to make a quick, split-second decision whether or not to employ force and just what force to employ," he said. "They have to think fast and act fast," as per the St John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office.
