Police officers here in Opelousas attended a two-hour long training on Tuesday with the topic being “Civil rights and how it pertains to the law”.

Corey Leger, Public Information Officer for the Opelousas Police Department says, “The civil rights class will help us in our daily investigations, dealing with the public and how to approach civilians and how to treat everybody with respect.”

Leger says officers from the city marshal’s office, Port Barre police, and the district attorney’s office attended. He says the training is part of Police Chief Donald Thompson’s efforts to improve the department. The class was taught by the supervisory senior resident agent of the FBI, Donald Bostic. Bostic supervises the Lafayette and Lake Charles offices where he specializes in terrorism, crimes against children, and civil rights.

Bostic says, “The goal of this training is to emphasize and refresh them on what they were already taught during basic training about civil rights.”

He mentions the main purpose of the training is to get officers up to date on understanding the law and how it relates to civil rights.

Another training will be held on Thursday for any officers who were unable to attend Tuesday’s