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Laquedra Parks has a big smile and a determined personality. Her determination is what helped her make it through the Southern Desert Regional Police Academy. She graduated on June 23 and will begin serving as a court marshal on June 27. Laquedra left her desk job as a receptionist for the District Court to go through 23 weeks of tough police academy training. A graduation video showed the trainees getting tased, fighting, running and other grueling training to prepare them for the job. There was a lot of talk about integrity during the graduation. The academy commander Lt. Walt Dennison summed it up well; he said, “If someone does not have integrity, they do not belong in the field of law enforcement.”
Graduation was a proud moment for Laquedra. Her already big smile was a little brighter as District Court Chief Judge David Barker pinned the official badge on her uniform.
The courts are some of the most frequented facilities in Southern Nevada. Thousands pass through the courthouse doors each day and the marshals who protect the gates and courtrooms are responsible for the safety of all those who enter. It takes high caliber individuals to meet this challenge and complete the training to be a court marshal.
District Court has a Police Academy Recruitment Program. Military veterans are encouraged to apply and may be eligible to receive help to cover the costs for the Criminal Justice Academy P.O.S.T. certification. The court is working with the Nevada Partners, Las Vegas Urban League, the Nevada Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation and the College of Southern Nevada to sponsor military veterans for the Criminal Justice Academy P.O.S.T. certification. The Police Academy Recruitment Program gives veterans who have successfully completed their service a good career path. It is also to help the court fill the many marshal vacancies with the high-caliber individuals needed to fill those important jobs. Weeks of Criminal Justice Academy P.O.S.T. certification training will ready the veterans for a potential career keeping citizens who visit the court safe. Joseph Ortega and Gustavo Molina are successful graduates of the program and now serve to protect the courthouse. Veterans who are interested in the program can email RamosS@clarkcountycourts.us.
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