St. John Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre last month led a small group of Citizens Academy graduates on a tour of the new Lloyd B. Johnson Law Enforcement Training Center, being built at 947 Cambridge Drive in LaPlace.
The new training facility, which is being named in honor of Johnson who served as St. John Parish Sheriff for 20 years, will enhance safety, address professional training needs, offer community education and benefit the entire community and local economy. Building a quality training facility that serves law enforcement and the community is critical to public safety, Sheriff Tregre said. Officers who are well trained are better prepared to act decisively and correctly, which results in greater productivity and effectiveness, he said.“This will give our deputies the opportunity to network and train with state and federal officers for a better, safer parish, state and country,” he said.
The projected community impact of the new facility includes many benefits such as reduction of blight, increased interaction between citizens and law enforcement, boosting police presence, and the ability to offer women’s self defense classes, crime prevention programs, hunter education, public range dates, and concealed carry classes, said Lt. Chip Wale, who is overseeing the project with Lt. Blane Rome Jr. of the Training Division.
Chief Civil Deputy Jeff Clement said the project, consisting of two phases, is expected to cost about $10 million and will be paid for by the department’s current revenue with no additional cost to taxpayers. Construction should be complete by the summer of 2021. More tours are being planned.