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Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu
)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
3/06/2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES-The Louisiana Community Policing Institute has expanding its mission and taking on a new name. The newly created Gulf States Regional Community Policing Institute (GSRCPI) will provide training to law enforcement agencies, government employees and citizens in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, according to director Daphne Levenson. The Institute is located at Northwestern State University.
"The Gulf States Regional Community Policing Institute will be a valuable resource for those in law enforcement, government and for citizens," said Levenson. "We will be able to network resources in three states and provide training and information less expensively. Our training will be very valuable for small agencies that have limited or no budget for training."
Over the past five years, LCPI has provided training to more than 11,000 participants in Louisiana. New courses on homeland defense and protecting children from Internet predators will be added to existing training on domestic violence, ethics and other areas, Levenson said. The training is provided at no cost or low cost.
"We are looking to expand our offerings," said Levenson. "Many of our courses are open to individuals outside law enforcement such as business owners or government employees. The training can be valuable for them."
The Gulf States Regional Community Policing Institute works with NSU's criminal justice program. The Institute will also work through the Alabama Crime Prevention Clearinghouse at Auburn University in Montgomery and Developing Resources for Education in America (DREAM) in Jackson, Miss., a non-profit organization specializing in substance abuse training.
The GSRPCI is one of 31 regional community policing institutes funded through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). For more information on the Institute or upcoming training programs, call (888)283-0966 or go to www.lcpi.org. A new Web site will soon be available at www.gsrcpi.org.