Peace officers update crisis prevention training
ETPOA meets first time in Jasper
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

Newsboy photo/ Sharon Kerr KIDS IN A CANDY SHOP couldn't be happier than peace officers who had the chance to see all the latest gear, gadgets, clothes and communications equipment available for the pursuit of justice.The 56th annual ETPOA training conference was hosted by Jasper this year, June 24 -26, which explains all those official vehicles cruisng around town this week.

For the first time in 56 years, the city of Jasper hosted the East Texas Peace Officers Association (ETPOA) annual training conference and awards banquet this week.

The conference brought approximately 200 officers from all agencies of the law to Jasper for three days of training, meetings and networking.

Jasper Police Department (JPD) Sgt. Charles "Jeff" Coulter is the outgoing president for ETPOA.

There was no one facility in Jasper big enough to hold the conference, so Coulter said they spread out the activities - training classes at Jasper High School, an awards banquet at the Wesley Center, other activities and meals all over Jasper, plus they occupied a "major slug" of the hotel rooms available in Jasper.

ETPOA brings together peace officers from many disciplines to give them state-required training.

Jefferson County Sheriff Mitch Wood said he has more than 400 employees, and that gives him the luxury of being able to do in-house training sessions, except for one thing.

"Meetings like this are invaluable for the contacts you make, the associations with other agencies and officers all over this part of the state," Wood said.

ETPOA encompasses an area that is difficult to define, according to Coulter, but basically "you can imagine a line that is I-45, and it's everything (in Texas) east of that."

Instructors and speakers came from local, state and federal agencies including the U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, county sheriffs' offices, police departments and detention officers.

Training sessions took place in the JHS auditorium and surrounding classrooms.

One class that attendees said was very beneficial was the crisis intervention training, which included dealing with people who are depressed, suicidal or in hostage situations. Sgt. Roy Mobley of the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office taught the class. In addition to nine years with the NCSO, he spent six years as a paramedic and keeps his EMS instructor certification up to date.

Retired Jasper County Judge Joe Folk said that while he is enjoying retirement, he also believes in keeping up to date on training. In his years of public service, Folk has worked for the school system, was a sheriff and retired last year from the judge's office.

"This class just confirmed what I've always known," Folk said. "You treat people like you want to be treated."

Officers had a chance to try out FATS, the firearms training simulator, and see the latest in equipment from handcuffs to spy scopes from vendors who set up in the auditorium lobby. One vendor touted his teflon-coated black cargo pants that won't fade and are resistant to stains, "in case you get bodily fluids on them they roll right off."

Several classes were geared to those who run jails or transport prisoners and included training in escape prevention and inmates' rights. These classes were taught by Lt. Marlin Suell, Smith County Sheriff's Office, who has served as a bailiff, a criminal investigator and a member of the DEA Task Force.

Lt. David Franklin of the Texas Department of Public Safety taught terrorism prevention. Franklin is assistant commander of the DPW SWAT team and a USMC veteran with combat service in Iraq.

Bonnie Armstrong, a president of the Shaken Baby Alliance based in Ft. Worth, taught officers how to recognize child abuse and the shaken-baby syndrome.

Nacogdoches County Sheriff Thomas Kerss said the three days of training serves the dual purpose of getting officers the continuing education required by the state, but the real benefit is the relationships that are established during the conference.

"Meeting people in other agencies, I can't tell you how helpful that is in working crimes from one jurisdiction to another," Kerss said.

The awards banquet held Tuesday night at the Wesley Center recognized several Jasper officers:

Rookie of the year is JPD Officer Jerry Droddy.

Narcotics officer of the year is JPD Sgt. Mike Poindexter.

Telecommunicator of the year is JPD dispatcher Janie Warrington.

Other ETPOA officers given special recognition included Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith, leadership award; Nacogdoches Sheriff's officers Libby Capel and Rosemary White, award of excellence; and Jefferson County patrolman Ed Martin, outstanding peace officer of the year.

ETPOA honored several others, awarded scholarships, and held a special memorial for fallen officers, including Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu, slain by a hit and run driver in April.