CROWLEY - To say that Officer David Melancon may have set a standard for all new officers at the Crowley Police Department is an understatement. In fact, it may be downright unfair to expect future officers joining Crowley Police Chief K.P. Gibson’s squad to match what Melancon achieved during his training at the Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy in Lafayette.

Melancon, who was formerly a military policeman in the U.S. Marine Corps, was awarded with the following honors:

- Top Cadet (overall best performance)

- Most Physically Fit (for having the highest score in physical training)

- Top Gun (for having the highest score in the firearms range)

- Big Dog (for receiving 100 percent in all aspects in physical fitness training)

And he also served as his class’ Chaplin.

“He smoked it,” said an obviously proud Chief Gibson. “It’s an honor to have one of our guys go through the academy and achieve what David did.”

Melancon, who was hired in January prior to his training, is also quite a humble man.

“I’m just appreciate the opportunity to be back in law enforcement,” said the Rayne native who finished his training Friday night. “It’s also very nice to be back in the area where I grew up. ”

While criminals may not be as appreciative of Melancon’s presence on the city’s streets, the citizens of Crowley can feel somewhat safer now that the Crowley Police Department’s latest weapon is on patrol.