The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Law Enforcement Academy today, Jan. 4, graduated its 32nd class of cadets into the ranks of LDWF Enforcement Division agents at a ceremony in Baton Rouge.
After six months of training at the academy, 12 newly commissioned agents are ready to begin enforcing hunting, fishing and boating regulations that govern the use of the state's natural resources.
LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet was the keynote speaker at the ceremony. “Your qualifications are impressive and your commitment to complete the training speaks for itself,” said LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet in his address to the first class of cadets to start and complete training under his administration. “I congratulate you all on becoming part of a great team – a family – whose goal is to protect and serve the people, visitors, and the fish and wildlife resources of Louisiana.”
Col. Sammy Martin, head of the LDWF Enforcement Division, presented certificates and recited the Oath of Office making the cadet’s transition to commissioned agents official. “Congrats are in order as we welcome these 12 new graduates into the ranks of agents,” said Col. Martin. “Completing six months of training gives us and them the confidence they will be able to take the next step as agents in what we hope are long and successful careers with the Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division.”
The 12 new agents are:
Michael Blanchard, of Breaux Bridge, assigned to Southern Strike Force
Cole Cupit, of Vidalia, assigned to Concordia Parish
Raymond Davis, of Jena, assigned to Catahoula Parish
Nicholas Firmin, of Ville Platte, assigned to East Baton Rouge Parish
Jeremy Foret, of Morgan City, assigned to St. Mary Parish
Kevin Hawkins, of Gadsden, Ala., assigned to Assumption Parish
Christopher Hebert, of Prairieville, assigned to Southern Strike Force
Adriel Herrera, of El Paso, Texas, assigned to Allen Parish
Dalton Herrington, of Minden, assigned to Bossier Parish
Nelson Kennerson, of Carencro, assigned to Iberville Parish
Suni Nelson, of Lafayette, assigned to Winn Parish
Emily Sexton, of Shongaloo, assigned to Northern Strike Force
During the graduation ceremony, Firmin received the firearms award given for the best marksman in the class. Nelson received the physical training award for being the most fit. Nelson received the academic award for having the highest grades. Nelson also won the overall award, which is a cumulative score from the firearms, academic and physical training categories.
Montoucet also greeted the family of Immanuel Washington. Washington died during cadet training last year.
“I have to make a presentation that no one in my position ever wants to make,” he said to Washington’s wife, family and the audience. “An unexpected death is never easy to explain and at the age of 38, it is even harder to accept.”
He presented Washington’s wife, Lakesha, with a plaque honoring her husband. The department also engraved Washington’s name on LDWF enforcement’s Fallen Agents Monument.
At the academy, cadets train to enforce the state's recreational boating laws, the state and federal wildlife and fisheries laws and general law enforcement work on the state's many wildlife management areas. The academy also covers general law enforcement training equal to that of other state law enforcement officers.
The graduating agents fill vacancies in LDWF’s Enforcement Division and will be assigned to a field-training officer for their first six months of duty. Now part of the agency’s commissioned officer staff, the agents will join the ranks of those patrolling land and water to primarily detect game, fish and boating law violations. These duties require travel into Louisiana's forests, swamps, fields, streams, bayous, lakes, marshlands, the Gulf of Mexico and on the state roadway system.