Community policing was the focus in LaPlace yesterday as St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre hosted Colonel Robert P. Hodges, Superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, for a Citizens Academy Town Hall meeting. The event, held at the Lloyd B. Johnson Training Center, aimed to continue communication with Citizens Academy graduates and discuss law enforcement partnerships and public safety.
According to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office's Facebook post, the Citizens Academy educates residents on the operations of departments such as patrol, SWAT, corrections, detectives, 911 communications, and human resources. Sheriff Tregre stated that the goal of the initiative is to keep graduates informed and engaged through town halls featuring updates from local and state officials.
The meeting also addressed recent security concerns, including the New Year’s Day terrorism incident in the French Quarter. Col. Hodges emphasized the coordination between local and state agencies during such emergencies and thanked the community for assisting law enforcement, citing anonymous tips through Crimestoppers that helped locate escapees from the Orleans Parish jail in May.
The session included an interactive Q&A segment where Col. Hodges responded to questions from attendees. He was joined by the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer from Troop B, which covers St. John Parish, highlighting cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the region.
