SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Traffic stop safety was the current topic at the Caddo Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy.

The training involved a combination of classroom studies and real-life scenarios.

Cadets practiced communication skills to keep drivers as calm as possible during a traffic stop. The cadets also saw firsthand how their own bodies react to stress.

“We as instructors and role players, when the cadets actually come up and conduct the traffic stop, we can notice things like their breathing getting faster, their respiration is getting a little faster,” explained Corporal Trey Keene, Caddo Parish Regional Training Academy instructor. “It lets them experience what their body does under stress and not just listen to us tell them what usually happens.”

This is part of the 14-week training program cadets complete to become P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standards and Training) certified deputies.