LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)- Whether it’s the most recent information on a crime in Lafayette, or the Lafayette Police Department’s latest accomplishment, Corporal Bridgette Dugas currently serves as the public information officer for LPD.

She moved from Lake Charles to Lafayette for college, but wasn’t originally thinking about becoming a police officer.

“I initially started studying finances. That’s the direction I thought it was headed, but then I changed to criminal justice and that’s when I fell in love with law enforcement,” explains Dugas.

She says fear initially held her back from pursuing her dream. 

“I just never thought I had the courage to do it. I was afraid, honestly,” she said.
Dugas took the first step in overcoming that fear by becoming a police dispatcher, but soon after, she found that she wanted more.

“I’m sitting there dispatching officers to calls and I’m like ‘no I can handle this, I can do this.’ It took a lot of courage. I had to tell myself ‘you can do anything.’ So that’s when I took the steps to become a police officer and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Now, Dugas says she hopes to be an example for any young girl in Acadiana wanting to do the same.

“I just want to remain a good role model for all the little girls out there to be able to see that police officers come in different forms and women is one of them,” she said.

“I want them to know that they can do anything and just keep pushing forward and of course make an impact. If you’re going to do anything, make an impact. A positive impact.”