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Band of Excellence Summer Camp a Great Opportunity
For Young Musicians to Improve Their Skills

Three years have passed since we created the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Band of Excellence to offer opportunities for talented young people to fully develop their musical skills, to learn self-discipline and set goals for themselves including college and professional careers.

I could not be more pleased. And, I could not be more appreciative of the many individuals and businesses that have donated more than $300,000 to help cover the costs of instruments and uniforms. The real winners, however, have been the young people who have fallen in love with the opportunity to develop both their musical talents and their personalities. Last year, 11 members of the Band of Excellence won university scholarships for their musical talents. This year, we are hopeful that we will do just as well or even better.

The Band of Excellence grew out of my belief that there are literally thousands of musically talented boys and girls in Jefferson Parish who could be outstanding musicians but never develop their talents because of the high costs of musical instruments and music lessons. The Band of Excellence is not intended to replace high school music programs. We are a supplement to those high school programs, providing the kind of resources, practice time and excellent instruction that enables young musicians to achieve their full potential.

That we are on the right track could be seen at the recent Tipitina’s Instruments A’Comin Outdoor Festival where the Band of Excellence performed superbly and – in my admittedly biased opinion – comparably to the wonderful, legendary St. Augustine High School Marching 100.

Now, we are embarking on our summer camp which runs from June 11 to June 29. It provides musically talented kids a chance to work with three great musicians – our Band Director Hezikiah Brinson, Jr.; our Assistant Band Director John Summers and Special Guest Instructor Nathan Haymer of Southern University.

What pleases me the most about the Band of Excellence is that I see these young people improving as musicians and as people. They are developing self-discipline, setting goals for themselves and aspiring to winning spots in university marching bands. We’re making real progress and we’re just getting started.

Thank You, VFW Post 2131 Women’s Auxiliary
For Recognizing Our Exceptional JPSO Men and Women

I am more grateful than I can say to the members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2131 Women’s Auxiliary for recognizing the incredible work over a two-year period by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office that solved the murder of four persons and sent the four killers to prison for a long time.

The VFW members were right to single out JPSO Detective Gary Barteet for his incredible dedication, determination, focus and tenacity during the investigation that led to the arrests of the four killers, including Dominique Davis who we believe was the main shooter. Among his victims was a 23-month-old child. It is just my opinion but I believe that Detective Barteet was so outraged that anyone would deliberately and maliciously kill a baby that he drove himself and his colleagues until the four killers were in custody, tried and convicted.

But, Detective Barteet would be the first to tell you that this investigation was a team effort with many heroes. For example, the case might not have been solved within two years but for the efforts of a JPSO Crime Scene technician who lifted a legible finger print off a door knob, a very difficult task that requires tremendous skill, determination and patience. We are also grateful to our colleagues, the U.S. Marshals, who were the ones that located Dominique Davis in Atlanta where he had fled from our pursuit.

I agree with Detective Barteet when he said that he was accepting the VFW Women’s Auxiliary award on behalf of all the men and women who worked so hard to break this case open and put the killers behind bars, where they belong.

I place special importance on the award of the VFW Women’s Auxiliary because I believe it reflects the tremendous support the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office receives from the community that we serve. We are extremely fortunate in Jefferson Parish to have the support of the voters who recently renewed a tax that helps make it possible for the JPSO to be one of the best-trained, best-equipped and most technologically advanced police forces in our region and in our nation.

But there is no substitute for the human guts and determination that motivate professional police officers like Detective Barteet and his colleagues. They are fully deserving of the generous praise accorded them by the members of the VFW John McDonogh Post 2131 Ladies Auxiliary. Thank you very much.

Jefferson Parish’s CASA Program Honors Sheriff Normand

The CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Program of Jefferson Parish has named Sheriff Newell Normand as its Outstanding Community Professional.

CASA of Jefferson Parish is one of the nation’s most outstanding programs to assist children who have been emotionally, sexually or physically abused and/or neglected to find permanent placements in good homes. More than 91 percent of the children appointed to the CASA program in 2011 were permanently placed in “forever” homes. CASA is headed by Executive Director Cynthia Chauvin. CASA volunteers, who in 2011 numbered 185, are named and supervised by Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court judges.

Sheriff Normand was honored at recent CASA ceremonies that also honored volunteer Ronald Dixon for his outstanding work in helping an abused child find a good home with his mother who has turned her life around. Dixon is a retired postal worker.

Of Sheriff Normand, Chauvin said, “We are honoring Sheriff Normand in part because of his tremendous support of CASA and because the JPSO has taken the lead in making the protection of children and families one of our community’s top priorities in Jefferson.”

Also on hand was Jefferson Parish President John Young who presented certificates of recognition to Sheriff Normand and Dixon.

“The goal of CASA and the Juvenile Court of Jefferson Parish is to remove children from the foster home system and find them permanent placements in homes where they will be encouraged, where they will learn self-discipline and advance to a productive adulthood,” said Chauvin. “It truly takes a village to accomplish this but we have such a village here in Jefferson Parish where we have seen children who have been terribly abused in effect find second lives that give them another, better chance to escape victim-hood and grow up to be adults who can be proud of all they have accomplished.”

Anyone seeking more information about becoming a CASA volunteer can call 263-0330 or check out the CASA website at www.jpic.org/casa.

Working Closely with Emergency Medical Technicians
Benefits JPSO and The Entire Community

As you know if you have read this column in the past, I am strong and fervent believer in repetitive training. If no one has told you what you’re supposed to do in an emergency or some specific circumstance, how are you to know? And if they have told you the proper course for you to follow, then you need to practice what you’re supposed to do in a setting that closely resembles what you would have to face in a real situation.

So when I heard that Luke Strack, a 21-year veteran Jefferson Parish Emergency Medical Technician, had recommended that the JPSO Training Academy develop a special course for EMT’s to help them better understand the importance of crime scenes and the proper protocol to be followed when responding to a call involving mental illness, I was delighted. That was an excellent idea and we could not have put the challenge into better hands than those of Major Kerry Najolia, Commander of the JPSO Training Academy and an experienced police officer who in his career has been on hundreds of calls in coordination with Jefferson Parish EMT’s.

Major Najolia has supplemented the Training Academy faculty with some outstanding guest lecturers for the EMT’s, including JPSO Colonel Tim Scanlan, Crime Lab Commander; JPSO Captain Dennis Thornton, Homicide Division Commander, and JPSO Deputy C.J. Destor, 4th District Patrol Division.

As Luke Strack has pointed out, on eighty percent of all calls for Jefferson Parish EMT’s, the JPSO is there also. Whether it is a vehicular accident, a crime scene, a call to transport a mentally ill person to medical facilities or an industrial accident, EMT’s and JPSO officers will be there, side by side, working together. The way to maximize our relationship is to better understand what each of us is trying to do in any given circumstance. I agree with Major Najolia and Mr. Strack that EMT’s and the JPSO officers need to think of each other as teammates. We need to think alike and act as one. That is the purpose of the new training program for EMT’s and I look for it to expand and bring us closer together in the years ahead.

CASA Volunteers Help Children Find The Right Path

I am really sorry that the Jefferson Parish CASA program does not receive more positive publicity. While there are many things wrong in the world that should cause all of us to be concerned, there are also many good things that we would all join in applauding if we knew more about them.

A good example of this is the Jefferson Parish CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program. The work that the CASA volunteers are asked to do is, on the surface, lacking in promise of a happy ending. CASA volunteers are asked to work with foster children, many of whom have been physically or sexually abused or neglected. In many instances, the birth parents of these children are in jail or have disappeared. As a law enforcement professional, I can tell you that traumatized children who have been shunted from one foster home to another are usually candidates for awful lives. They are likely, on average, to end up homeless or in jail, or both.

Yet, in spite of the odds, and because of the work of the CASA volunteers, 91 percent of the children assigned to CASA end up in safe, permanent homes with positive placements. In that case, there is an excellent chance that the child will graduate high school, go on to college or the armed services and overcome their tough start in life to lead a productive and commendable adulthood.

As Cynthia Chauvin, the outstanding Executive Director of the Jefferson Parish CASA program, reminds us, “Children are incredibly resilient. Given the right kind of positive, encouraging support, they can overcome even the most traumatic beginnings and remake their lives into something that is uplifting and wonderful.”

She also reminds us that being a CASA volunteer is not for everyone. The work can be very intense and emotional. When I asked Ms. Chauvin what the most important thing is for a CASA volunteer, she replied, “Heart. You’ve got to have the right kind of heart.”

CASA volunteers undergo extensive training before being assigned to a foster child. So far, Ms. Chauvin and her staff have done an excellent job of selecting and training CASA volunteers. Their record of helping guide traumatized foster children to 91 percent positive permanent placements is just remarkable. If you feel that you have the right kind of experience and qualifications to be a CASA volunteer, I hope you will call 263-0330 to get more information. You may also want to check out the web site of the CASA program, www.jpic.org/casa. The CASA volunteers of Jefferson Parish literally save the lives of the foster children assigned to them. That is a great thing.

Why Does Crimestoppers Get So Much Support?
Because It’s A Program That Gets Results

For those of us who have been supporters of Crimestoppers for many years, the recent 2012 Annual Luncheon was a celebration and a triumph.

More than 800 business leaders from throughout the metro area came out for the occasion and brought with them the financial support that Crimestoppers needs to fund its programs that have produced anonymous tips that over the years have led to solving more than 12,000 major crimes. The annual luncheon raised more than $200,000, the second most successful luncheon in Crimestoppers history.

Crimestoppers cannot succeed without the support of the business community. But the business community cannot be successful without the successful work of Crimestoppers and the law enforcement agencies that serve the metro area. At the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, we have a great relationship both with Crimestoppers and the business community. The three of us are tied together by a shared determination that criminals aren’t going to run free in the streets of Jefferson Parish. And, they don’t.

JPSO Lieutenant Bruce Harrison, who is the JPSO liaison to Crimestoppers, says, “It’s just amazing how often Crimestoppers receives tips that lead to the arrests of persons who have committed crimes and also to alert us to plans for the commission of crimes, especially in regard to drug deals that have been planned but not yet carried out.”

That, of course, is why it is so important for Crimestoppers to raise funds. It would be nice if anonymous tipsters called Crimestoppers without any thought of reward. While that does sometimes happen, the fact is that most people who supply law enforcement with tips do so for the reward they will receive if their information leads to arrests and indictments. In other words, money is the fuel that feeds Crimestoppers. I want to join my friend, Darlene Cusanza, Executive Director of Crimestoppers in congratulating and her luncheon co-chairs, Bill Hines, David Kerstein and Merritt Lane II, for the superb job they did in bringing together so many business leaders in support of Crimestoppers. Also an important part of the team is Cynthia Molyneux, who served as committee chair.

Our great success in 2012 does not mean that we have won the fight against crime. It is a battle that goes on year after year. But, thanks in considerable measure to Crimestoppers, the forces of law enforcement are continuing to make the streets of our metro area safer in 2012. We are all grateful to the efforts of Crimestoppers, Ms. Cusanza, her staff and her great volunteers.

There’s A Clear Link Between Driving While Intoxicated
And Traffic Accidents, Fatalities and Injuries

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office and the Traffic Court judges are in agreement on an important point – driving while intoxicated is very likely to lead to a traffic accident with a strong possibility of a fatality or an injury with a virtual certainty of property damage.

The Sheriff’s Office, the DA’s Office and the Traffic Court judges are working together to get intoxicated drivers off the streets.

We were disappointed last year that there were 10 traffic fatalities in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, up from four fatalities in 2010. In half of last year’s traffic fatalities in Jefferson, the use of alcohol was a major factor leading to a crash that resulted in death.

This year, the JPSO Traffic Enforcement Division is again stressing our drive against DWIs. We will set up DWI Checkpoints at least twice a month on the East and West Banks. We will also send out JPSO patrol cars with specific instructions to look for drivers whose erratic behavior causes the officers to think there is a strong likelihood that this is a case of driving while intoxicated.

What can you do to help make Jefferson Parish’s streets safer? Obviously, please don’t drink and drive. Even one drink can affect your reflexes and response time. If you are going to drink, bring along a designated driver or call a taxicab. If you see a friend of yours who has been drinking getting ready to get behind the wheel of their vehicle, please intervene and offer to call a taxi for them.

The other thing that we would ask you do is to drive defensively. Please drive within the speed limits, come to a complete stop at stop signs and don’t run red lights. When driving in traffic, don’t veer from lane to lane. It’s better to be five minutes late than waiting for an ambulance.

So far, in 2012, we have had one traffic fatality in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. Please do your part to prevent traffic accidents, fatalities and injuries. Don’t drink and drive. Drive defensively. If we can all do those two things, our streets will be a lot safer.

JPSO Crime Lab Deserving of Recent Accolades

The recent ceremony where officials of the accrediting agencies that rate the nation’s Crime Labs presented the highest possible ratings to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab was extremely satisfying on several different levels.

The honors that were accorded us brought back memories of the hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of hours that were spent planning every inch of our new Crime Lab building and its facilities. We knew that we wanted to build and maintain the finest Crime Lab in our region and one of the best in the nation. But these things don’t just happen. You have to spend the time on thousands of details. And, even when you’re going for the very top of the heap, there are still budgets to be considered. The challenge isn’t to see how much money you can spend. The challenge is to spend the money that is available wisely to get the maximum return for the investment.

Then, there is the matter of staffing. Perhaps because of the popularity of television shows like “CSI” and “Law and Order,” there is tremendous interest on the part of some of America’s brightest students in careers in the forensic sciences. We were almost overwhelmed by the flood of applications, many of whom had both bachelors and master’s degrees and had graduated with honors. You always want to hire the very best and many of the decisions were close ones, which always leaves you wondering if you made the right choice.

So, how do you know if you made good decisions? Well, one indicator came recently when the JPSO Crime Lab received the highest accreditation ranking, an honor shared by only 57 Crime Labs across the nation. Another indicator comes in the form of the validation that we earn when Jefferson Parish juries use our forensic research as one of the basics for guilty verdicts that affirm the work of our Patrol Division, our Detective Bureau and our Crime Lab.

I’m just sorry you couldn’t join us to share in the good feelings of the 55 people who work in our Crime Lab Building when the accreditation papers were presented to us. And, of course, I’m sorry that you can’t be with us in the courthouse when the juries come in with guilty verdicts that affirm our hard work. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that we are building a great team at the JPSO that includes all of our officers and our Crime Lab workers. You can see it in the way that our colleagues around the country regard us and in the way that Jefferson Parish juries respond to our work. Our success does not make us smug. We just keep working harder.

Crimestoppers Is Law Enforcement’s Best Friend

We all live in a world of constantly changing information technology and networks where communication becomes faster and ever faster.

Those of us who were born before cell phones, i-phones and androids often find ourselves wondering how we got along in a world of land-line phones and pay phones. If Clark Kent needed a phone booth to change into Superman, he would be hard pressed today to find a suitable phone booth.

I was pleased recently to find that our friends and allies at Crimestoppers, keeping in step with the times, have expanded their technology so they can now take tips via i-phones and androids. It was not surprising to hear that the volume of tips that Crimestoppers is receiving has increased since the announcement of their new technology was made.

As a veteran of more than 30 years in law enforcement, I have long believed that one of the keys to solving crimes and reducing crimes is an information link between the public and law enforcement agencies. My experience is that almost invariably, when a major crime is committed, there is a witness or an informant who has information that would assist in the investigation. The fact is that Crimestoppers has, through information conveyed to it by members of the public, helped law enforcement solve 12,000 major crimes in our metro area, including hundreds of murders.

The most important assurance that Crimestoppers can give the public is that all tips are anonymous. Crimestoppers does not need to know your name, your address, your phone number or your Social Security number. All that Crimestoppers seeks of you is information that will lead to the arrest and indictment of guilty persons. For that, Crimestoppers will give you a cash award and the thanks of the community for your good deed.

I am very proud of the great working relationship between Crimestoppers and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Darlene Cusanza does a superb job as Executive Director of Crimestoppers. We are also fortunate in having an excellent JPSO liaison officer with Crimestoppers in Lieutenant Bruce Harrison.

On Tuesday, March 20, Crimestoppers will hold their annual luncheon at the Downtown Hilton Hotel. I hope you can be there. I hope also that you will give your financial support to Crimestoppers. It is a great organization that does a wonderful job in the constant fight against crime.

An Impressive Recruit Class
For The JPSO Young Marines

I had the pleasure of meeting the members and their parents of the recruit class beginning training with the JPSO Young Marines and I’m very impressed by the enthusiasm of the kids and their parents.

I was impressed that so many of the adults were aware that the Young Marines emphasize a rejection of the drug culture and teach self-discipline, focus, organization, respect for others and goal-setting. One of the impressive Young Marines who is a drill instructor teaching the new recruits is JPSO Young Marines Corporal Michael Brisco. He joined the Young Marines as an 11-year-old and is now a four-year veteran who is smart, articulate and a great role model for younger boys and girls who might well wish to grow up to be just like Michael.

He is a student at the Thomas Jefferson High School in Gretna. Michael gives much of the credit for his development, as a Young Marine, as a son and as a teenager to his experiences with the Young Marine program. As is true of almost every child who has been through the Young Marine program, Michael has seen his grades improve over the last four years, he has increased focus for his school work and plans to go to college and graduate.

As with any successful organization there are many people who deserve credit for the Young Marines program. Among these are JPSO Sergeant Bill Jones; his assistant, JPSO Deputy Tammy Howard, and JPSO Captain Alex Norman who has overall responsibility for the Young Marine program. They are also assisted by a team of volunteers, some of whom are members of the JPSO and others who are parents of current or previous Young Marines.

In a sense, this program presented by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, is a gift to the community. We are glad to do it. The Young Marines have positively transformed the lives of hundreds of Jefferson Parish boys and girls. In 18 years, less than one percent of the Young Marines have gotten in trouble with the law. I am sure that the current JPSO Young Marines recruit class will forge an outstanding record in the highest traditions of the JPSO Young Marines.

A Wonderful Day To Be King of Argus

On Mardi Gras day, my cup runneth over with glad tidings. I never even dreamed that one day I would reign as the King of a great krewe like Argus on Fat Tuesday at a parade enjoyed by almost one million spectators.

Of course, you can imagine my pride in seeing my daughter, Sarah, escorted by her brother, Taylor, serve in the Argus court. And, I’m sure, the greatest pride was felt by my wife, Shawn, on seeing her husband and children in the spotlight on a picture-perfect day.

However, it was in my capacity as Sheriff of Jefferson Parish that I got a special thrill from the role of three JPSO marching units in the Argus parade. Leading the parade was the JPSO Honor Guard. Of course, they have been famous in Jefferson Parish for decades. The Honor Guard presents the national, state and parish colors on hundreds of special occasions and they are always a great source of pride for me.

In the parade, immediately behind the Honor Guard was the JPSO Young Marines Honor Guard. The Young Marines, established in Jefferson in 1995, have been teaching self-discipline, excellence, respect for others and a no-tolerance toward drugs policy to young people for almost 20 years. What especially pleases me is that virtually every boy and girl who has joined the JPSO Young Marines has improved their school grades. Less than one percent of all the Young Marines in the last 18 years have gotten into trouble with the law. That is an incredible record.

And, not least in any way, behind the JPSO Young Marines came the JPSO Band of Excellence. I began the Band of Excellence because I think that music, properly taught, has the capacity to promote self-discipline, goal-setting and ambition. I have been elated to see more than 100 middle school and high school students take on the challenge of excelling at music in the Band of Excellence. You cannot imagine how proud I was of the Band of Excellence on Mardi Gras day, knowing that, like the Young Marines, virtually every band member has improved his or her grades since joining the organization.

My family and I will be forever grateful to the Krewe of Argus for the opportunity to be in the spotlight on this special day. I am also grateful to the men and women of the JPSO who flawlessly, as usual, provided the security on the parade route that assured Jefferson Parish’s family-oriented Mardi Gras was at its very best in 2012.

A Great Example of Outstanding Police Work
Is Honored by American Legion Post 175

As Sheriff of Jefferson Parish, I can tell you that not a day goes by without outstanding examples of great police work and personal bravery by members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office team. Very often, these acts of dedication and commitment receive no publicity. They are not featured in headlines or the six o’clock news. Usually, the only ones aware of these special acts are the members of the public who are benefited and the JPSO colleagues of the officers who put their lives on the line.

That is why I am especially pleased that a respected, admired organization like American Legion Post 175 of Metairie each year specifically honors some of our most outstanding police officers.

Along with their colleagues, I am very proud of the way that JPSO Deputy Lee Hardy, JPSO Deputy Micah Blange and JPSO Deputy Paul Theriot responded to an emergency call involving a knife-wielding assailant threatening a mother and her two children.

At the JPSO, we take very seriously our five-minute response time to emergency calls. In this instance, there were three JPSO deputies at the scene of the emergency within one minute and two more JPSO deputies on their heels a minute later. Even by our high standards, that is an incredible response.

Secondly, the way that these three officers came up with a plan as they ran down the hallway is a wonderful example of police teamwork. Third, it’s one thing to have a plan but it’s another to execute it perfectly while under stress. These three officers came up with a plan on the run and implemented it as though they had been rehearsing it for a week. That, to me, is a combination of great training, bravery, dedication to the job and a commitment to save the threatened lives of a mother and two children at great risk to themselves.

We are all grateful to the members of American Legion Post 175. When a respected, admired organization like the American Legion honors the JPSO and our officers, that’s like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. We appreciate the American Legion telling this story to the community. It seems to me there are two benefits of the American Legion awards. One benefit is to let our community know that the JPSO has never been better at our jobs than we are today. Another benefit is to tell the criminals that Jefferson Parish is very dangerous territory for them. Thanks again, American Legion Post 175.

JPSO Training Academy Is An Asset We Like To Share
With Others in the Law Enforcement Community

It gives all of us at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office great satisfaction when we see 52 officers from throughout Louisiana takes their seats in one of our JPSO Training Academy classrooms.

From the very beginning, that was the vision and purpose for the Training Academy. After years of making do in buildings never intended for the purpose of housing a Training Academy we finally got a first-class facility designed for teaching. Of course, the Training Academy is the perfect place for the JPSO to train our recruits who seek to join our ranks and also for in-service training. But it was always our hope that in addition to our uses, that other federal, state and local police agencies that did not have their own training facilities would want to borrow our classrooms for teaching purposes.

And that is how 52 officers from 18 different law enforcement agencies throughout the region came to the JPSO Training Academy to listen to wise counsel and direction from an experienced expert on traffic stops who works for a Police Department in Hoover, Alabama.

I thought it was especially nice that Officer Alex Gonzales who has been making and studying traffic stops for more than 30 years not only praised our Training Academy facilities but also our outstanding faculty and staff.

I sometimes think that Major Kerry Najolia, Commander of the Training Academy, his faculty and staff don’t get enough credit and praise for the great work that they do. Everyone who uses our facilities invariably ends up talking about our great building and exemplary staff.

So our doors will continue to be open to the law enforcement community. We’re glad to share our space and the wisdom of our officers. In our view, we’re all teammates on the same team.

JPSO Reserves Are An Integral Part Of Our Team

The remarkable thing about the men and women who make up the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Reserves is that they continue to ask for even more responsibilities.

These individuals are an integral part of the JPSO team. Their work as members of the JPSO Patrol Division is absolutely outstanding. At Mardi Gras, the Reserves take responsibility for a long stretch of the parade route on Veterans Boulevard. They are vigilant, committed and effective. In large measure, they are the ones who deserve the credit for upholding and maintaining the Jefferson Parish tradition of a family-oriented Mardi Gras.

And who are these individuals who on average spend 50 hours or more each month in their respective roles as Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Reserves? Most of these officers have full-time jobs and family responsibilities. We require that they receive and pass the same intensive training that is required of regular JPSO officers. Reserve officers receive no compensation for the hours that they spend carrying out their JPSO responsibilities. When we talk to them about their motivation to work so hard and diligently as Reserve officers, they invariably reply that Jefferson Parish has been good to them and their families and working as Reserve officers is their way of giving back to Jefferson.

I am very proud of our Reserves and the team that we have put together to run Reserve operations. At the helm is JPSO Chief Deputy John Thevenot. He receives excellent cooperation from JPSO Deputy Chief Morgan Nalty, Commander of all our JPSO reserves, and JPSO Major Craig Bourgeois, Commander of the JPSO Reserve Patrol Division

You’ll see them and their colleagues hard at work should you attend any Mardi Gras parades. If you get the opportunity and are so inclined, you may want to thank them for the work that they do for Jefferson. I know they’ll be pleased if you do.

If you would like more information about how you might join the ranks of the JPSO Reserves, please call our Personnel Office at 376-2333.

The Young Marines Program Changes Lives
Of Boys and Girls For the Better

Parents constantly tell us that the best thing that has happened to their son or daughter occurred when they joined the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Young Marine program.

I cannot begin to count the number of times since 1995 that a parent or guardian has come to a Young Marine graduation and facetiously asked, “What happened to the kid that I sent you? Who is this stranger who says, `Yes, sir,’ and ‘No, ma’m,’? Who is this kid who helps his brothers and sisters, voluntarily does his homework and treats others with respect?” The answer of course is that the JPSO Young Marine program transforms boys and girls, helping them grow into responsible adults. For those who accept it, there is almost something magical about the Young Marine credo of self-discipline, personal goal-setting, physical fitness, excellence at military drill, respect for others and academic achievement.

Virtually every Young Marine has improved his or her grades, many going from mediocrity in the classroom to excellence. Young Marines pledge not to use illegal drugs. Less than one percent of all Young Marines since 1995 have gotten in trouble with the law. Young Marines grow into mature, thoughtful teenagers. That has certainly been the case with JPSO First Sergeant Joshua Aikman, just selected as the “Young Marine of the Year” for Louisiana. I have seen it happen with him and with hundreds before him.

We will be starting another Young Marine class in a few months and are already being inundated by applications from Jefferson Parish boys and girls on both the East and West Banks. If you would like more information about the Young Marine program, please contact with JPSO Sergeant Bill Jones or JPSO Deputy Tammy Howard at 363-5694. And, I promise to go along with the gag if you come to the Young Marine graduation of your son and daughter and ask me, “Whatever happened to the kid that I sent you? And, who is this stranger who is so helpful around the house and even makes his bed every morning?”

Congratulations, Lieutenant Heno,
We’re All Proud of You

The news that JPSO Lieutenant Terri Heno, a 24-year veteran, graduated from the FBI National Academy in December is wonderful to hear.

It was some years ago that I graduated from the FBI Academy but I still remember the physical drills that pushed us to our limits and the final exams that would have given Einstein problems. Great educational institutions push their students to their limits and require their best efforts and best thinking. The FBI National Academy is one of the world’s great educational institutions for those of us in law enforcement.

Lieutenant Heno joins a select group of her JPSO colleagues as graduates of the FBI National Academy. The mantra that I preach is that education and technology are the edge that law enforcement has over criminals. To keep our community safe, we have to be smarter than the criminals that we pursue and we need to be able to use our technology – from computers to radios to cameras to our Crime Lab – to capture them and help the District Attorney convict them.

I am also pleased to learn that Lieutenant Heno is within a few hours of graduation from Loyola University, with a degree in criminal justice. Like many of her fellow JPSO officers enrolled at Loyola, she has demonstrated great tenacity, taking a course or two each semester for many years. She will be entitled to great elation and self-satisfaction when she crosses the stage to receive her Loyola diploma.

My hope is that many of the younger women who have joined the JPSO within the last several years will see Lieutenant Heno and other female ranking officers as role models and mentors. Forty years ago, when women first entered the ranks of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office they had to overcome many obstacles and prejudices that no longer exist. Today, as is true for men in law enforcement, the sky is the limit. Personal ambition, dedication, commitment and good judgment will take any police officer as far as he or she wishes to go. Lieutenant Heno has set high goals for herself and has made herself a fine role model for the younger officers who are just now beginning their JPSO careers.

When We Get 171 Guns Off The Streets,
That’s A Good Day’s Work

I want to both thank and commend the Orleans-Jefferson Gun By-Back Coalition, a non-profit group that works diligently to help law enforcement get guns off the streets of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish.

Working closely with us, they have recently bought 171 guns ranging from revolvers and heavy assault weapons. The Coalition raised the money to purchase the weapons and then turned them over to us. We checked carefully to be sure that none of the guns that the Coalition purchased could be connected to crimes in our area or anywhere else in the nation. When the check is complete, the guns will be transported to a foundry and destroyed.

It is probably well that I should emphasize that I am what is known as pro-gun. I am a strong advocate of the Second Amendment of our U.S. Constitution that says any law-abiding citizen has a right to own and use guns. I am in favor of the use of guns for hunting, marksmanship and the protection of our homes and families. But, like many of my colleagues in law enforcement, I am deeply troubled by the easy access to guns in our society. Who among was not horrified by the recent murder of an 11-year-old child in his home by a bullet fired by a gang of four men shooting at one of their rivals. They missed the rival but the bullet killed the little boy. We have arrested the four individuals who allegedly are the shooters but even if they are convicted, it will not bring back that promising little boy whose mother did all she could to shield him from the violence that sometimes erupts on our streets.

Very often, criminals obtain guns through burglaries and thefts. We constantly ask gun owners, for example, not to keep guns in unlocked vehicles. Weapons stolen from vehicles are a prime source of firearms for criminals.

On the plus side, we have groups like the Orleans-Jefferson Gun By-Back Coalition that work diligently to get guns off the streets. As in the past, an amazing collection of firearms was gathered by the latest buy-back program on the East and West Banks of Jefferson Parish. We gathered old guns and new guns. There were many revolvers and plenty of rifles. There were shotguns and heavy assault weapons that would have been more appropriate in the hands of U.S. Rangers rather than civilians.

Many thanks to the Orleans-Jefferson Gun By-Back Coalition. We appreciate your good work and your support of law enforcement.

How To Get Ready For A Career In Law Enforcement?
Intensive Training A Large Part of the Answer

I believe in training. Intensive training. For a police officer, training should take place in the classroom, at the firing range and on the street. Police work can be an unforgiving business. For an officer assigned to dangerous work like the JPSO Patrol Division, a mistake or an error in judgment can have catastrophic consequences.

That is why we are working intensively with 16 rookie JPSO deputies, all of whom are graduates of the Training Academy and have passed the state certification exam required of all police officers. These rookies are joining our Patrol Division, the front line of the JPSO. Because they have spent a year or more staffing the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center, we are putting them through an intensive re-familiarization of the training they received at the Academy.

I am especially appreciative of the efforts of Major Kerry Najolia, Commander of the Training Academy; Major Vic Amstutz, Commander of the 4th District of the Patrol Division, and the JPSO veteran officers who have agreed to serve as Field Training Officers to help the rookies get ready for the situations they will encounter on the streets of Jefferson Parish.

The training that the rookies will get will be as realistic as it can be because they will be driving patrol cars and responding to real calls on the radio. They will be studying a massive JPSO Patrol Division handbook that will tell them what they should be doing. They will be riding with experienced Field Training Officers who will help them cope with the situations that they encounter. The rookies will be graded by their Field Training Officers. What we want from these rookies is accountability, hard work, enthusiasm, responsibility, integrity and an ability to learn from their mistakes.

In the six years that have passed since Hurricane Katrina, we have seen massive changes come to our Patrol Division. Seventy percent of the officers working in the Patrol Division have joined the JPSO since Katrina. Many of the former Patrol Division officers who had 15, 20 or 25 years’ experience have gone on to other assignments or have departed the JPSO. So it is absolutely essential that these rookie officers fit into their new assignments and excel from the very beginning.

The Band of Excellence Is On Its Way To The Top

It’s an unfortunate reality that we are often disappointed when well-intended projects or efforts fall short of the goals that were set for them. It’s just a fact of life that even the best-intended, most virtuous undertaking can fall short of our expectations.

That is why I could not help but be grateful and appreciative at the recent Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Band of Excellence Christmas concert. It was wonderful and all that I could have hoped for. There were nearly 100 musicians playing, the music was excellent, the audience filled with applause and appreciation and all of us who have had some role in the development of the Band of Excellence could only be pleased.

Almost two years ago, when I began the Band of Excellence, it was a project filled with hope and lots of uncertainty. In my 30 years in law enforcement, I – like my colleagues – have seen thousands of young lives end in violent tragedy or in prison. Often these young people have been blessed with talent that has been squandered. As a would-be musician with great enthusiasm but minimal talent, I have long believed that music can open doors to achievement and opportunity. That is why I came up with the idea of a JPSO Band of Excellence that would provide instruments, instruction and mentoring to the talented young people of our region who all too often can be seen going through their lives with little direction, little incentive to excel and little hope for their futures.

I am happy to report that the Band of Excellence has indeed excelled. There are so many people to thank. We were especially fortunate in finding a great band director in Hezekiah Brinson, an incredibly gifted teacher, motivator, mentor and musician. He and his assistant band directors, who also do an excellent job, have become surrogate parents to the children who have found a second home in the Band of Excellence. I am also grateful to band coordinator Renee Washington, to JPSO Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue who also coordinates the Cops and Clergy program, to Chief Rodrigue’s staff and to the volunteers who work tirelessly to make the band great.

Finally, I want to thank the boys and girls who are so much fun to be around and who perform so beautifully. Virtually every one of them has improved their school grades. They have improved as musicians and as people. We are proud that 11 members of the Band of Excellence have already won college scholarships and a dozen more are under consideration for scholarships. That is so important and it makes me so proud. I am also grateful to the parents and guardians of the children who have joined the Band of Excellence. We really have become brothers and sisters. But there is still much to do and I look forward to the Band of Excellence’s growth and development In 2012.

Let’s All Do Our Best To Assure
A Safe New Year’s Holiday

At the beginning of 2011, I had high hopes that we might repeat our successes of 2010 when traffic fatalities in Jefferson Parish were reduced to four, an all-time low in the modern history of our parish.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Four traffic fatalities in the first two weeks of December have raised this year’s total to 10. Now, as we celebrate the coming of the New Year, I am asking everyone who will be celebrating the holiday please don’t drink and drive.

After 30 years in law enforcement, I know, sadly, that there are thousands of drivers who think they can drink and drive safely. It is very difficult to prove to them that they are placing themselves and their passengers at great risk when they drink and drive, no matter how well they think they can manage it. The fact is that 70 percent of all fatalities in Jefferson Parish are alcohol-related. The odds are not on your side when you drink and drive.

We are certainly not against parties and celebrations. But we do ask that you either bring along a designated driver or call a taxicab if you are going to be drinking. I can tell you from my own experience as a police officer that ending the year with a terrible crash that causes death or injuries is an awful way to start the New Year.

In 2012, the Traffic Division and all the men and women of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office will renew our efforts to reduce traffic fatalities, injuries and property damage from auto crashes. It is our hope that a combination of enforcement and education will help us reduce the number of fatalities in the coming year.

Please have a safe New Year’s holiday and allow me to extend to you and yours the best wishes of the JPSO for a happy, prosperous and safe 2012.

JPSO Officers Devote More Than 5,000 Hours
Of Intense Surveillance To Assure Holiday Safety

I was extremely pleased when the executives from East and West Bank Jefferson Parish malls reported that shoppers had enjoyed what is quite likely the safest holiday shopping in the modern history of our parish.

More than 75 of our Reserve Officers and plainclothes detectives from our Special Investigations Bureau devoted more than 5,000 hours to intensively patrolling East and West Bank shopping malls in police units with their top warning lights flashing. That was apparently too much for the criminals who might have contemplated muggings or purse snatchings. Mel Grodsky, a long-time manager at Lakeside Shopping Center, said this was an instance where police officers functioned as partners in positive public relations with Jefferson Parish merchants.

I’m very proud of the men and women of the JPSO who participated in this effort. In much the same way that I am a strong proponent of placing police officers in Jefferson Parish public schools so that serious teachers and students can go about their business in safety, I am also a strong proponent of using police officers to assure that holiday shoppers can patronize the stores of their choice in absolute confidence that they will not be molested, robbed or intimidated. Working with Chief Deputy John Thevenot, Captain Greg Bourgeois and Captain Morgan Nalty, we set a high standard for our men and women – we want shopping in Jefferson Parish from Thanksgiving through Christmas to be as safe and tranquil as anywhere in the nation.

Based on all the reports we have received, it appears that we have met the goal that we set for ourselves. At the same time, we are already planning for next year’s holiday season. It is our intention that shopping during the holiday season in Jefferson Parish will be just as safe as or even safer than this year.

On behalf of all the men and women of the JPSO, I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, good will and love.

Defining The Christmas Spirit

I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of the way that so many JPSO employees chose to participate in the annual drive to provide Christmas presents for patients at Children's Hospital who might otherwise not find anything under the tree on Christmas morning.

It is absolutely true that no one has ever chosen to enter the law enforcement profession because it's a good way to become wealthy. The men and women of the JPSO have to be very good at budgeting or they won't have enough dollars to go around. Yet, so many of them choose to include in their Christmas budgets money to buy a gift for a child they will never meet.

Of course, we're in very good company in that regard. The JPSO is one of hundreds of companies and organizations in the Metro New Orleans area that participates in the annual drive to provide Christmas presents for the patients at Children's Hospital, as well as the brothers and sisters of the patients.

All of this should be credited to Alex Fisher, a West Bank civic activist and volunteer who started this tremendous effort some 15 years ago. It has now grown to the point that it includes hundreds of volunteers and thousands of presents. It seems to me that Mr. Fisher's creation keeps getting bigger with each passing year and that is a wonderful thing.

In the end, I think that one way to define the true Christmas Spirit is the giving of a gift to someone who you don't know who might otherwise do without and would endure a very bleak Christmas.

It seems to me that is what Alex Fisher and all those who participate in this wonderful volunteer effort have done - they have extended themselves to bring Christmas to children they will in all likelihood never meet who would otherwise think that Santa forgot them or overlooked them.

I hope that in the course of your Christmas season that you will have an opportunity to extend your Christmas spirit to someone in need. That is surely the real spirit of Christmas.

Refitted Helicopter Is Another Aspect
Of Our Preparations In The Event of a Major Disaster

Six years after Hurricane Katrina, we are still enhancing and expanding the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office inventory of equipment that we will need in the event of a hurricane or major flooding.

I was especially pleased when the JPSO Laser (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) was able to creatively combine several federal grants to fund the complete refitting of our long-time Bell Huey helicopter whose beginnings go back to the Vietnam War. That meant that Jefferson Parish taxpayers wouldn’t have to pick up the tab for the refitting of the Huey as a good-as-new 21st Century helicopter.

The rebuilt Huey now has all the equipment and avionics of a brand-new helicopter, including a 200-foot rescue hoist and the most up-to-date communications and navigation equipment. Refitting the Huey also meshes with our philosophy that when a major disaster threatens, it is absolutely essential that we have the latest and best equipment to protect the community.

With its capacity of 13 passengers, the refitted Huey will be able to use its 200-foot rescue hoist to save Jefferson Parish residents stranded on rooftops, porches, boats and water-filled streets. We learned the hard way during Hurricane Katrina that a modern helicopter with hoisting equipment is as valuable as gold and silver.

One of the lessons of Hurricane Katrina is the importance of communications, not only between JPSO vehicles and mobile command centers but also with other federal, state and parish law enforcement agencies. The refitted Huey helicopter has the latest communications equipment and, in an emergency, should give us clear communications links.

Of course, this superb new helicopter will also be invaluable on the scores of occasions when the JPSO responds to calls for help from boat owners, stranded hunters and missing persons. Congratulations to the LASER Division on figuring out how to use federal grants to fund the refitting of our JPSO helicopter. I know that in a short time we will be able to report that it has helped save lives. And, in the event of a hurricane, it will be invaluable.

Please, Don’t Drink and Drive

I certainly know that I’ve written it before but it can’t be repeated too often – please don’t drink and drive. I know that we have entered the holiday time zone and that you are being deluged with invitations to share in the good feelings that make the holidays so special.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is certainly not against good times and having fun. We are not opposed to consuming alcoholic beverages, within reason. But we are unalterably opposed to drinking and driving. On countless occasions each year, we see up close the consequences of drinking and driving. No matter how long one is in law enforcement, you never get used to seeing what happens to human bodies when they are involved in a high-speed crash. This is especially true when it comes to children. And, in Jefferson Parish, more than 75 percent of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related. That is true also of a significant number of traffic accidents and injuries in Jefferson.

For the last two years, we have conducted a program of enforcement and education with the aim of convincing you and thousands of others who drive in Jefferson Parish that it is a terrible idea to drink and drive. In 2008, we had 13 traffic fatalities in Jefferson and in 2009 we had 17 traffic fatalities. That was simply unacceptable to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and, hopefully, to you also.

In 2010, we began to concentrate on getting drunken drivers off our streets, both through enforcement and education. We were very pleased when the number of traffic fatalities in 2010 fell to four. This year, so far, we have seen six traffic fatalities in Jefferson Parish but the Christmas and New Year’s Eve holidays lie before us.

I hope that our educational efforts have gotten through to you, your family and your friends. If you drink, don’t drive. When you drink, line up a designated driver or call a taxi. If you don’t drink and drive, thank you. If you don’t let members of your family or your friends drink and drive, thank you even more. Let’s make the next four weeks among the safest in Jefferson Parish history. Please believe me when I tell you that we are very serious about this. Keeping our roads safe this holiday season is going to take good judgment on everyone’s part.

In Hard Times When There Is So Much Need,
It’s An Honor To Work On JPSO Thanksgiving Baskets

We all know what a tough year this has been from an economic standpoint. In Jefferson Parish, many have lost their jobs or had their working hours reduced. The Food Banks throughout the parish report more people in line for free food than ever before. Some Food Banks have had to temporarily close their doors because their shelves have been emptied.

So, there was a special urgency this year to our annual efforts to prepare beautiful, full Thanksgiving baskets for needy families on the East and West Banks of Jefferson. We got a special break when our friends at Rouse’s came in with a terrific bid that enabled us to prepare more Thanksgiving baskets than ever before. This year, we gave out 2,000 Thanksgiving baskets.

We are also indebted to Second Harvest who again allowed us to use their facilities in Elmwood to pack, prepare and organize for delivery the 2,000 Thanksgiving baskets. It is a huge job, I can tell you, but our volunteers put together a very organized system that involved all of us and worked.

Then, there is the special debt that we owe the Jefferson Parish clergy. These are pastors and priests, most of whom participate in the Cops & Clergy program that is coordinated by JPSO Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue. One of our concerns is that we want the Thanksgiving baskets to those who need them the most. No one knows the needs of the community better than the churches and the clergy who administer Jefferson Parish’s houses of worship. I am absolutely certain that those who received the Thanksgiving baskets were the most needy and had their hearts warmed when they saw the contents of those filled baskets.

In addition to the volunteers who packed the baskets, we are indebted to the men and women of the JPSO Patrol Division in each of our four districts who delivered hundreds of baskets. There is great satisfaction in helping those who would do without on Thanksgiving without our help. Most importantly, I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday that will hopefully bring together all of the special people closest to your heart.

Help Jefferson Parish Celebrate A Holiday Season
Free of Traffic Fatalities

The key to reducing or eliminating traffic fatalities is to convince drivers that drinking and driving is a terrible combination that carries with it the real possibilities of a tragedy that might include death or serious injury.

We are trying to accomplish this by a combination of enforcement and education. On the enforcement side, we are working with other police departments in Jefferson Parish to set up DWI Checkpoints on the East and West Banks. These DWI Checkpoints have been facilitated by a new mobile vehicle that enables us to test persons suspected of drinking and driving, including taking blood samples.

In addition, we assign JPSO officers from the Traffic Enforcement Division and the Patrol Division to “saturation patrols” that specifically look for drivers who exhibit the traits of those who drink and drive. We are being aided in this by grants from the State Highway Commission that is working throughout Louisiana to reduce traffic fatalities related to drinking and driving.

We are also being aided in this by Jefferson Parish’s Traffic Court judges who take a very serious view of those who drink and drive. They are sentencing those convicted of DWI to jail or loss of their driver’s licenses.

What we are hoping all of this leads to is the conclusion by those who drink that they shouldn’t drive. We want them to use a designated driver or call a taxicab. We know that we are making progress. In 2008, there were 17 traffic fatalities in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. In 2009, the number of traffic fatalities was reduced to 13. We had a major breakthrough in 2010, with just four traffic fatalities all year in unincorporated Jefferson. This year, as of November 1, we have recorded six traffic fatalities in Jefferson Parish. Our hope is that we can conclude the year, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, without another traffic fatality.

You can help, both by not drinking and driving, and by driving defensively whenever you get behind the wheel. The key to defensive driving is to be alert and anticipate that one of the drivers around you might do something that is both reckless and dangerous. Defensive driving can save your life. Using a designated driver or calling a taxicab to take you home can also save your life. Please help us have a safe 2011 holiday season.

Thanks To All Who Attended JPSO Day At The Park,
We Had A Great Time Too

I am grateful to all the thousands of Jefferson Parish residents and residents of other parishes who came out to enjoy the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Day At The Park. It was a beautiful day, everyone was in a great mood and I am especially appreciative of all the support that our department enjoys.

It seems to me that the turnout – the largest in the five years that we’ve presented JPSO Day At The Park – is symbolic of the wonderful support that the Sheriff’s Office receives every day of the year from the community that we protect.

JPSO Day At The Park gives us a chance to show our capabilities and our equipment. This year, we presented extensive exhibitions from the LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) Division, the JPSO SWAT Team, the JPSO Traffic Enforcement Division, our JPSO K-9 dogs and the JPSO Band of Excellence.

But I have always thought the most important element of JPSO Day At The Park is the chance the occasion presents for our officers to meet the public they serve in a relaxed, friendly environment. I think that the meetings and conversations that I have with members of the public during Day At The Park are especially meaningful and informative for me. I am especially pleased to see so many families – grandparents, parents and children – enjoying JPSO Day At The Park.

I am also grateful to the men and women of the JPSO who take our Day At The Park very seriously and work hard to make sure that our presentations are the right mix of information, education and entertainment. We are very proud of our search and rescue work, our pursuit of dangerous criminals and our crack down on intoxicated drivers. This is very serious work but we enjoy putting on exhibitions that are realistic without being dangerous.

If you are one of the 1,500 men and women of the JPSO, thank you for helping us make the Day At The Park a glowing presentation of the work that we do 365 days of the year. If you are a member of the public who brought your family to JPSO Day At The Park, thank you for your support and interest. We hope to see you again next year at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Day At The Park.

Despite JPSO Expertise at Interviewing and Interrogation,
We Always Have Room For Improvement and Much To Learn

In the 30 years that I have been associated with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, we have always taken pride in the expertise our officers bring to interviewing and interrogation. We are a police department that clears more than 90 percent of all the murders in unincorporated Jefferson Parish with arrests. In police circles, our department is famous for its ability to assign 25 or 30 officers to the solution of a major crime. Those cases almost always end with an arrest and a conviction.

So you might wonder, if all that is so, why we would invite Dr. Steven Rhoads to the JPSO Training Academy to lecture police officers from eight Louisiana law enforcement agencies on interviewing and interrogation?

The answer is that we know that we don’t know everything. In the past, younger JPSO officers learned how to interview and interrogate by watching senior officers at work. Knowing how to interview and interrogate was a learned skill, passed from one JPSO generation to the next. From the positive results we obtained, it was clear that we had much to be proud of.

But, I believe that we should never stand still. I think we ought to question everything that we do. We should not have any sacred cows that can’t be questioned. So, when I learned that Dr. Rhoads, who is one of the nation’s leading experts on police interviewing and interrogation, was interested in coming to our Training Academy to spend a week talking to police officers about his special area of expertise, I was delighted. So were my colleagues in seven other law enforcement agencies who agreed to send some of their top officers to the Training Academy to hear what Dr. Rhoads had to say.

Everyone who attended the week-long seminar agreed that they learned a lot. Dr. Rhoads has some interesting theories about the body language of persons being interviewed or interrogated. He also has done a lot of thinking about the subconscious clues that people emit when being questioned by police officers. I was also pleased that Dr. Rhoads emphasized the ethical part of the investigative process. Dr. Rhoads particularly made a point I agree with 100 percent – it isn’t right or acceptable for police to coerce a confession from someone who is weak, befuddled and unable to cope with the situation.

I believe in training. I think good training techniques make good police officers better. I’m grateful to Dr. Rhoads for visiting Jefferson Parish. I hope he comes back soon.

The Music Is Just Part of the Package
At The JPSO Band of Excellence

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Band of Excellence is, for better or worse, my brain child. I have been in law enforcement for more than 30 years and I have seen thousands of young people with great potential lose their way and go spiraling into hopeless lives of drugs, crime, despair and prison. The question is, is there anything we can do to save hundreds or thousands of these children, many of whom are talented and gifted but totally misdirected?

As a frustrated musician who wishes he was better at it, I have long believed that in the study of music there is a self-discipline that can set the student on the road to achievement. The JPSO Band of Excellence is an outgrowth of my belief that we can create a musical organization where middle school and high school musicians can develop their skills, improve their grades and their conduct and, most importantly, become such expert musicians that they will be offered university marching band scholarships.

Last year, in the first year of the JPSO Band of Excellence, we saw 11 senior members of our band accept university music scholarships. A university scholarship is like a light at the end of the tunnel for a youngster from a low-income family who previously believed he or she was pre-doomed to failure.

This year, the Band of Excellence has attracted 89 middle and high school students from Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. They are excelling as musicians and as people. Some members of the Band of Excellence previously had brushes with the law. I am very proud that in our two years of work, no members of the Band of Excellence have gotten in trouble with the law. I think the members of the Band of Excellence understand that they have been given a very unique and special opportunity. If they blow their opportunity, then shame on them.

My dream is to one day to see the emergence of a JPSO Band of Excellence 300 musicians strong and ranked as one of the best high school marching bands in the nation. I think we can do it. But we are proceeding one step at a time. I invite you to join me and the JPSO Band of Excellence at our annual Day At The Park celebration on November 5 at Lafreniere Park. The Band of Excellence will perform and I hope you will be as thrilled, elated and pleased as I am.

No discussion of the Band of Excellence would be complete without expressing my sincere thanks to all of those who have helped the band excel. I am especially grateful to Band Director Hezekiah Brinson; Assistant Band Director John Summers; Percussion Instructors Thomas Dean and Lyndon Red, and Administrator Renee Washington.

Special thanks also to Band of Excellence Executive Director JPSO Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue; Executive Assistant JPSO Sergeant David Green, and Executive Assistant JPSO Detective Devin Rogers.

National Night Out Was A Great Success,
Thanks To All Those Who Worked On It

Wherever I went in Jefferson Parish on National Night Out Against Crime, I found tremendous enthusiasm not just for the fight against criminals but also in favor of raising the quality of life in Jefferson Parish to the highest level we’ve ever achieved.

I was so pleased that there were so many National Night Out Against Crime parties across the parish. This may have been our biggest, best National Night Out Against Crime ever. The decision to move the date of National Night Out Against Crime from August to October certainly helped. In our part of the country, it’s a lot more seasonable in October than it is in August. But, it wasn’t just the weather than made this year’s National Night Out so memorable. There is a genuine optimism in the air. Many neighborhood leaders, like the Reverend Melvin Zeno, Pastor at St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church in Marrero, told me that the community has stabilized, there is optimism in the air and people are working together to improve the quality of life. Reverend Zeno also had good things to say about the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. He said that our officers have more than ever become an integral part of the neighborhood, working closely with church, school and civic leaders to make Marrero a safe and vibrant community.

One of the benefits of National Night Out Against Crime is that it brings us together in a pleasant environment where we have a chance to talk. And that doesn’t just benefit Reverend Zeno and me. I was delighted to see folks at all of these National Night Out events exchanging information to help them look out for each other. In the six years that have passed since Hurricane Katrina, I have seen neighborhoods in transition become stable and unified.

As pleasing as our progress is, we still have much to do. If you don’t have a Neighborhood Watch program in your area, please consider starting one. For assistance, you can call the JPSO Community Relations Division at 376-2401. We’ll be glad to help you get your Neighborhood Watch program started. You’ll find that having a Neighborhood Watch program will help you develop a closer relationship with the JPSO Patrol Division officers who have responsibility for your area. We are very serious when we tell you that we want you to call the JPSO if you see suspicious-looking persons in your neighborhood. And, of course, if you have an emergency, we will respond in five minutes or less.

Thanks again to all those who participated in National Night Out Against Crime. I think we are more united and more alert than ever before. With your help, we hope to make the remainder of 2011 and 2012 stellar years in the on-going fight against crime.

JPSO Is A Prideful Organization That Wants
To Keep Getting Better

I’ve been part of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for more than 30 years and one of the phrases I often select to describe our organization is “motivated by pride.”

We are a very proud organization, all 1,500 men and women who make up the JPSO. We’re proud that Jefferson Parish is one of the safest communities of its size in the United States. We’re proud of our work ethic. At the JPSO, our five-minute response time to emergency calls is a commitment. And, we’re very proud of our relationship with the community that we serve. This remarkable tradition was shaped and nurtured by my predecessor and mentor, the late Sheriff Harry Lee who served in that capacity for 28 years. My goal is to make sure that this wonderful tradition continues for many decades to come.

One of my strongest beliefs is that training molds organizations and individuals. I believe in the virtues of instruction. That is why we have brought Dr. Neal Trautman to the JPSO Training Academy. Dr. Trautman is one of the nation’s leading authorities on law enforcement leadership and ethics. He is currently teaching a group of JPSO officers, ranging from deputies to lieutenants. Dr. Trautman’s reputation is such that police officers from Tennessee and Mississippi are also part of the group.

Dr. Trautman believes that police scandals destroy the spirit and the credibility of law enforcement organizations. He also believes that when a police scandal occurs, there is inevitably a moment when someone in a ranking position gains knowledge of the misdeed that has occurred and then must make a fateful decision – is his or her greater loyalty to a buddy who has failed to do the right thing or to the organization and the community that they have taken an oath to serve.

Dr. Trautman is very kind in complimenting the JPSO for having the courage to confront this issue with candor and honesty. To my mind, there is no other responsible choice. The potential for an ethical failure is the elephant in the room in every police organization – or, for that matter, at every corporation and government agency. I believe the best way to address the challenge of ethical failure is to face it squarely and to try to teach the individuals in the organization that their greatest responsibility is to the institution – in this case, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Dr. Trautman’s dictum is simple – tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. We welcome Dr. Trautman to the JPSO Training Academy. He is a great addition to our faculty.

Another Fine Achievement For The JPSO Young Marines

I am often pleasantly surprised by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Young Marines who regularly exceed my expectations. They did it yet again recently when they raised a considerable sum of money for the American Heart Association.

This story really begins with the JPSO commitment to the American Heart Association. There is scarcely a person among our 1,500 employees who has not been affected by illness or death of a close friend, colleague or relative due to heart disease. The support that the JPSO family gladly gives to the AHA grows out of our experiences with friends, colleagues and relatives battling heart disease. We all want to do what we can to aid heart disease research, patient care and education.

But, that is an adult perspective. When we invited the JPSO Young Marines to participate in the AHA fundraising effort, we were not at all sure that Young Marines, aged eight to 18, would grasp the concept and importance of trying to eradicate heart disease. Well, we were wrong. The JPSO Young Marines, in their typical enthusiastic manner, jumped on the idea of raising funds for the AHA. They came up with the idea of a skating party at the Airline Skate Center and sold more than 500 tickets at $10 per ticket. While we’re still figuring out the exact figure of their contribution to the American Heart Association, it is going to be a very significant number.

Of course, we are all proud of the JPSO Young Marines. It is clear that they have a much deeper and more mature appreciation of the work of the American Heart Association and the doctors, researchers and nurses than we had imagined. As several of the Young Marines were pleased to point out, they not only raised a lot of money for the American Heart Association but they had a great time at the skating party. Congratulations, Young Marines.

National Night Out Against Crime
And Crimestoppers Are Two
Causes We Should All Support

I am really glad that we have moved National Night Out Against Crime from August to October. There have been times in August when it was so hot I was concerned that someone might pass out. This year’s National Night Out will be a lot more seasonable.

But what won’t have changed is the importance of National Night Out Against Crime. It is an opportunity for neighbors to bond, to exchange landline and cell phone numbers and to review their respective schedules so they can look out for each other and their respective properties. I am very much aware of the home invasions and carjacking’s that have taken place in both Orleans and Jefferson and I hope that you are also. We need to be looking out for our neighbors now, more than ever. While National Night Out Against Crime is always fun, there is also a serious side to it. If you reside in Jefferson Parish and don’t know if your neighborhood is planning a National Night Out Against Crime party, please call JPSO Captain Alex Norman at 376-2401. Captain Norman or his staff can tell you of the nearest National Night Out Against Crime party to your home. Please participate. And, if you haven’t yet exchanged phone numbers with your nearest neighbors, this is a good time to do so

I also want to call your attention to the Crimestoppers program. They do a superb job of collecting tips that lead to arrests and convictions of criminals. In Jefferson Parish in 2011, Crimestopper tips have so far led to arrests in 87 major crimes, including two homicides. Crimestoppers is an invaluable aid to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. JPSO Lieutenant Bruce Harrison, a 28-year veteran, and Darlene Cusanza, who has headed Crimestoppers for 15 years, are a great team. Working together they have used tips to break hundreds of major cases that might otherwise never have been solved.

I know that we all have a long list of worthy good non-profit causes in our community that we like to help support financially. But I can tell you that it would be difficult to find a better investment in the safety and quality of life of our community than Crimestoppers. I hope you will join me in becoming a Crimestoppers backer. It is a wonderful organization with a great staff and a group of outstanding volunteers. Crimestoppers deserves the support of all of us.

Exploring New Ways of Cracking Down
On Human Trafficking and Prostitution

Earlier this year, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office began closing down motels that operated as fronts for prostitution rackets. We even had one of these motels demolished. From my point of view, this is a “quality of life” issue. Why should Jefferson Parish neighborhoods that include residential areas, churches and schools be blighted by havens for prostitution?

Now, with the help of many others, we are cracking down on both prostitution and the human trafficking racket that through various means, including strong arm tactics, recruits girls and women to work as prostitutes.

We’re very proud to be part of a new coalition of law enforcement agencies and non-profit social work groups that are determined to close down organized prostitution rings and those who either muscle or lure females into prostitution.

Much credit goes to Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell who has taken the lead in this effort. His associate, Assistant Attorney General Katherine Green, has been working closely with the JPSO and other law enforcement agencies, including the New Orleans Police Department, Immigration officials, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Border Patrol, the State Police, the U.S. Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau and the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office. My colleague, New Orleans Police Chief Ronal Serpas, has also taken the lead in this effort. During his tenure as police chief in Nashville, he became aware of the work of Becca Stevens, an Episcopal priest, who helped found programs in Nashville that provided gainful, fulfilling alternatives for women who had survived the violence and addictions that are commonplace in prostitution. Ms. Stevens has visited with JPSO officials. We are hopeful that non-profit organizations in Metro New Orleans will borrow from Ms. Stevens’ successes and possibly create some new programs in our region that might help in the transition of women and girls from prostitution to education programs and career opportunities.

All of this constitutes new holistic approaches to the age-old problems associated with prostitution. The men and women involved in this effort have found that JPSO Captain Tom Angelica is one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field of efforts to curb vice. Captain Angelica is a 45-year JPSO veteran who is an innovative and original thinker.

With the help of Louisiana’s newly-rewritten laws on human trafficking and the many law enforcement and social welfare agencies working together, we have a chance to stamp out organized prostitution in our state and provide alternatives to women and girls who have been trapped in this sad and illegal industry.

Captain Campbell is a 35-Year Veteran
Who Loves His Work and Inspires Others

Like many of my colleagues at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, I am an admirer of all that JPSO Captain Tim Campbell has accomplished and of the achievements that lie ahead of him.

He has enjoyed a remarkable 35-year career at the JPSO, topped off by his current role as Commander of the JPSO Street Crimes unit. At every stage of his career, he has been outstanding and successful, including his current command of one of our most important units. Beyond all of that, Captain Campbell is a cancer survivor who says that the ordeal that he suffered through as a cancer patient made him a better person. I don’t know of many cancer survivors who would say that.

For me, the most incredible aspect of Captain Campbell’s success story is that after 35 years in the JPSO and having earned a retirement several times over, Captain Campbell is enjoying himself too much to retire. It is certainly true that his work as Commander of the Street Crimes unit can be very fulfilling. The Street Crimes unit frequently arrests career criminals the entire community is to see removed from the streets of Jefferson Parish. Not only does the Street Crimes unit often make arrests of career criminals but its officers also frequently gather key evidence that helps the District Attorney’s Office obtain convictions and long sentences of the criminals that they pursue.

Captain Campbell is, in fact, typical of JPSO officers who have tenures of 20, 25, 30 and 35 years with our organization. Like Captain Campbell, so long as their health allows, these men and women love their work and cannot imagine retirement. They enjoy the company of their colleagues and they relish the satisfaction that their work gives them. For members of the Street Crimes unit, that satisfaction often comes with the arrests of criminals with long records and, subsequently, their conviction and sentencing.

I gladly join the men and women who work with Captain Campbell in congratulating him on all he has accomplished and all that is yet to come. I hope that he continues to enjoy his work every day. He and the other members of the JPSO Street Crimes certainly do an excellent job. I know that I speak for the taxpayers and voters of Jefferson Parish when I extend our thanks and best wishes to Captain Campbell.

How Law Enforcement Cooperation,
Along With Technology Can Defeat Crime

I have been in the law enforcement profession for 33 years and I have never been more excited about any new project than I am regarding the Criminal Intelligence Center that has brought together the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the New Orleans Police Department, the Kenner Police Department, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Gretna Police Department, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office and the State Police. If all goes well, we may add additional participating Sheriff’s Offices and Police Departments.

This is a new concept for Louisiana. There have been times in the past when different Police Departments and Sheriff’s Offices have chosen to cooperate. And, there have been times when they have chosen not to cooperate. There has never before been a formal alliance and organization of law enforcement agencies such as the Criminal Intelligence Center.

If you are at all familiar with the columns I have written in the past or the speeches that I have given, you know that I believe that the edge law enforcement has over criminals is technology. We have the computers, we have the communications equipment, we have the K-9 dogs, we have the training programs and we have the crime labs. But what we have never had in the past is a formal organization that brought us together from the various agencies where we work and placed us in a cooperative working arrangement where we form teams working for the common good. That is the function of the Criminal Intelligence Center. To this point, we have brought together more than 30 outstanding police investigators from seven different law enforcement agencies who are working together on hundreds of cases, hundreds of leads and hundreds of sources. All of these excellent investigators are backed up by the latest law enforcement-designed computer software that is specifically intended to help police officers close cases.

The idea of law enforcement agencies working together regionally has been in my mind and the minds of many of my colleagues for years. But we have never before had a facility like the Criminal Intelligence Center or the computers or the software inside its walls. And, we have certainly never had a joint task force like the investigators gathered at the CIC.

In the end, the CIC, like all new ideas, has to prove itself. If the investigators at the CIC are able to effectively use “intelligence-led policing” to identify, locate and arrests criminals while developing evidence that helps prosecutors get convictions, then we all celebrate for that is what will make our communities throughout the region safer and make our quality of life better.

We’re Getting A Handle On DWIs

It was a pleasure recently to host John LeBlanc, Executive Director of the Louisiana State Highway Commission; Captain Paul Saizan of the State Police, Assistant DA Norma Broussard and many of my police chief and Sheriff colleagues when we came together to talk about our coordinated campaign to get intoxicated drivers off the roadways of Louisiana.

Part of the reason we came together was a press conference to unveil the $350,000 DWI Mobile Command Center that the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office obtained with a grant from the State Highway Commission. But the press conference also gave us in law enforcement a chance to talk about our coordinated, cooperative campaign to crack down on those who drink and drive.

Paul LeBlanc tells me that for almost 35 years, more than 50 percent of all roadway fatalities in Louisiana were alcohol related. I honestly don’t know how we as a state or we as a parish ever tolerated this. How can any of us bear to think about all the wonderful lives extinguished because of drunken driving? Today, Mr. LeBlanc tells us, we have reduced the number of traffic fatalities and reduced the percentage of alcohol-related deaths to 43 percent. That is still far too much.

In Jefferson Parish, under the day-to-day direction of JPSO Captain Greg Lonero, Commander, Traffic Division, we reduced the number of traffic fatalities from 13 in 2009 to four in 2010. So far in 2011, we have seen six traffic fatalities, three of which were alcohol-related. Clearly, we still have a lot of work to do.

We have received excellent cooperation from the DA’s Office and the Jefferson Parish Traffic Court judges. We have a “No Tolerance” policy regarding drinking and driving in our parish.

But only part of the story involves law enforcement. Our greatest challenge is to convince you and the driving members of your family that it is a terrible idea to drink and drive. Even one or two drinks can be too many. Bring along a designated driver. If you don’t have a designated driver, call a taxicab.

Part of our challenge is to identify and arrest those who drink and drive. We are certainly doing our part in that regard. But we need your help. Our hope is that we can go through the remaining four months of 2011 without another traffic fatality. But we will have to get through the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays without a traffic fatality. That can only be done with your cooperation. Clearly, it is in the best interests of our community if you don’t drink and drive. Let’s make the remaining months of 2011 a safe time in our parish.

The JPSO Young Marines Is A Remarkable Program
That Helps Boys and Girls Achieve High Ambitions

As I looked out over the 48 JPSO Young Marines graduates at the Alario Center the other evening, I could not help but smile at the look of pride on their young faces.

And, they were right to be proud. They had come through 13 weeks of recruit training that required them to stretch out and achieve their highest level of physical and mental accomplishments. I also could not help but consider that given a challenge, even eight and nine year olds can achieve far beyond adult expectations.

At each Young Marine graduation, it never fails that a parent or guardian will approach me and ask – sometime with a twinkle in their eye and sometimes with a tear – whatever happened to the kid that I sent you and who is this model child you have returned to my home? Who is this kid who is suddenly so neat, who does his or her homework without being asked, who assists their younger brothers and sisters voluntarily and responds to questions with, “Yes, sir”, or “No, ma’am”.

As often as I have seen it, I never fail to be amazed by the strength of the Young Marines formula that combines drill team perfection, physical fitness and classroom focus to change young people for the better. At our recent graduation, I looked at Young Marines Private First Class Shilar Reed, who won awards for academic excellence and as the honor recruit of his class, and wondered how an eight-year-old could be so mature and poised.

There is much credit to go around. JPSO Sergeant Bill Jones who is the Commander of the JPSO Young Marines does an excellent job, as does his assistant, JPSO Deputy Tammy Howard. The program could not be successful except for the great work of the reserve officers who work with the Young Marines and the adult volunteers who love the program and the kids. We are also grateful to the parents and guardians who have allowed us to work with the most precious commodity that they possess – their children.

The JPSO Young Marines program teaches teamwork, leadership and self-discipline. It teaches the importance of hard work, respect for others and academic achievement. We require a pledge not to use illegal drugs. Less than one percent of the 1,847 children who have graduated the Young Marines program have gotten into trouble with the law. It is vastly less expensive and preferable to outfit a Young Marine than to maintain a juvenile delinquent in a holding facility. Every Young Marine is a blue-chip investment on the part of Jefferson Parish taxpayers.

If you know of a boy or girl who might benefit from the JPSO Young Marines program, please call Sergeant Jones or Deputy Howard at 363-5694. It will be one of the best phone calls you will ever make.

Our $350,000 DWI Mobile Command Center
Is a Welcome Addition To The Fight
Against Drunken Drivers and Traffic Fatalities

We are very appreciative to the Louisiana State Highway Safety Commission for the $350,000 grant that made it possible for us to secure a beautiful, spacious DWI Mobile Command Center.

It is clear to us there is a correlation between getting intoxicated drivers off the road and reducing the number of traffic accidents, injuries, property damage and fatalities. The DWI Mobile Command Center is going to be a crucial tool in our campaign to identify and arrest drunken drivers on the streets of Jefferson Parish. It will enable us to simultaneously test as many as three drivers believed to be intoxicated, including taking blood samples, while making audio and video recordings of the field sobriety tests. These recordings are crucial evidence in bringing intoxicated drivers before Jefferson Parish Traffic Court judges.

We embarked on this campaign to crack down on drunken drivers in 2010. The result was the fewest traffic fatalities in Jefferson Parish in almost 20 years. In 2010, there were four traffic fatalities in Jefferson, compared to 13 fatalities in 2009 and 17 fatalities in 2008. This year, we have seen six traffic fatalities in Jefferson. We are hoping that we can finish the year with no further traffic fatalities.

Recently, working with the New Orleans Police Department, we held a joint DWI Checkpoint at the Orleans-Jefferson parish line, checking more than 1,000 drivers. We are also working closely with the Louisiana State Police and the Jefferson Parish municipal police departments in our efforts to identify and arrest drunken drivers. When we are not using our DWI Mobile Command Center, it will be available for loan to other South Louisiana police departments and Sheriff’s Offices. I also want to express our appreciation to the Jefferson Parish DA’s Office and the Jefferson Parish Traffic Court judges, both of whom are working with us in our campaign against drunken drivers.

You also have an important role to play in this campaign for public safety, fewer traffic accidents, injuries, less property damage and fewer fatalities. Please don’t drink and drive. If you are going to drink, please bring along a designated driver who is pledged not to drink. If you don’t have a designated driver, call a taxicab. Please drive defensively. Not everyone is as careful a driver as you are. It would be a wonderful thing if we could bring 2011 to an end without another traffic fatality in Jefferson Parish. Let’s try for that goal. We can all help.

JPSO, Jefferson School Board Work Together
To Keep Our Schools Safe, Free of Violence and Drugs

One of my most fundamental beliefs is that public agencies have a responsibility to work together cooperatively whenever possible in the best interests of the community that they serve.One of my most fundamental beliefs is that public agencies have a responsibility to work together cooperatively whenever possible in the best interests of the community that they serve.

The JPSO has many such relationships but I don’t think any are more crucial to the well-being of Jefferson Parish than our alliance with the Jefferson Parish School Board that has produced the award-winning Police On Campus program.

With funding from the School Board, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has developed a 22-member Police On Campus program that stations officers in each of Jefferson’s public senior high schools and several middle schools.

The program began in 1995 when the level of violence, weapons and drugs in schools reached a volume that made it clear that Jefferson Parish schools had entered a new era when traditional respect for school rules and teachers were in crisis. To their credit, the School Board of that time decided that they were not going to allow a handful of thugs disrupt our public schools, putting principals, teachers, staff and students in jeopardy. The School Board realized that if they did nothing, anarchy and chaos would overtake many of the schools in the Jefferson Parish system and the result would be fury on the part of Jefferson Parish residents and voters.

Out of this situation came the call for the JPSO Juvenile Division to create the Police On Campus program and it has worked incredibly well. Today, the program, headed by JPSO Lieutenant Michael Dupuis, includes 22 officers and a drug-sniffing K-9 dog. It would not be correct to claim that the achievement of this program is that no incidents ever occur in the Jefferson Parish public schools. To the contrary, in the 2010-11 school year there were more than 3,000 arrests in the schools. The achievement is that because of the work of the Police On Campus, order is maintained in every Jefferson Parish public school, weapons and drugs are seized almost as quickly as they appear and assaults on students and teachers lead to speedy arrests of those responsible.

I believe that the men and women of the Police On Campus program deserve a stirring ovation. They do outstanding work and the results of their efforts is that the teachers of Jefferson Parish public schools and the vast majority of students can go about the serious business of education without concern of disruption or violence.

Finding New Creative Responses
To The Problems of Juvenile Delinquency

There are many serious challenges to which the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is called upon to respond. Among these is the problem of juvenile delinquency. At the same time that we have seen overall crime in Jefferson Parish reduced by more than 13 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, we have also seen juvenile delinquency reach a level of 4,000 arrests annually. In addition, juvenile crime is increasingly violent, including murders, rapes and armed robberies.

The JPSO’s Juvenile Division does an excellent job of identifying, locating and arresting the most dangerous juvenile offenders. Our Juvenile Division also has an excellent relationship with the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office, working with them to obtain convictions in Juvenile Court.

But, the fact is that our officers have observed that juvenile career criminals, who often are arrested for the first time when they are 10 or 11 years of age, view the juvenile justice system with derision. They think that they can out-smart our officers, the Juvenile Courts and those who work at juvenile detention facilities.

This, of course, is an example of self-delusion. The juvenile career criminal who imagines that he or she is outwitting the system is in fact becoming more enmeshed in a life of crime that, as an adult, will them to a lifetime in prison or death.

It has long been clear to us that the answer to reducing juvenile crime does not lie exclusively in law enforcement. We recognize that in many cases, the frequently failed family structure and the schools also cannot convince a child determined to lead a life of crime to go in a positive direction.

That is why the JPSO has created an alliance with Jefferson Parish clergy that we call Cops & Clergy. We work with pastors on the East and West Banks to set up tutoring programs and social events that get kids off the streets. We are also very proud of our JPSO Young Marines program and our JPSO Band of Excellence. The Young Marines program stresses a drug-free life, self-discipline, good study habits and respect for everyone. Less than one percent of Young Marines ever get in trouble with the law. More than 1,700 Jefferson Parish boys and girls have graduated from the Young Marines program and virtually every one of them has improved their grades and graduated from high school.

The JPSO Band of Excellence is beginning its second year. More than 100 young musicians are learning about self-discipline, ambition and striving for excellence from their musical tutors. Some of these young people have previously had brushes with the law. But the Band of Excellence has given them new direction, positive aspirations and the talent to succeed in the world.

I can assure the community that the JPSO Juvenile Division, the JPSO Young Marines and the JPSO Band of Excellence are all working to offer young people positive alternatives to lives of crime. Our goal is to find ways to reduce juvenile crime in Jefferson Parish and we are determined to succeed in this.

Thank You, Council 3091 of the Knights of Columbus
For Your Support, Recognition and Encouragement

I know that I speak for all 1,500 of my Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office colleagues when I express our thanks to the members of Council 3091 of the Knights of Columbus in Marrero for their support, recognition, encouragement and annual award presented to an outstanding JPSO officer.

Council 3091 has been supporting the JPSO and presenting its annual award for many years. The recognition that they give our outstanding officers is very much appreciated, especially by the families of the officers who are recognized. That is certainly true in the case of JPSO Sergeant Vincent Bosco who received this year’s Knights of Columbus award.

Most years, the Knights of Columbus give their award to one of our officers who put his or her life on the line in a chase, shootout or some other very dangerous situation. This year, somewhat to our surprise, the Knights of Columbus decided to honor some old-fashioned, old-time police work that resulted in arrests, the break-up of a drug-dealing Jefferson Parish gang and might have international repercussions.

The case began with calls to the JPSO Fourth District from a scared 17-year-old who had joined a drug-dealing gang. The kid, after a short time, realized that while the money may be good in the short-run, in the long run almost all gang members end up dead or in prison. So the young man decided to leave the gang but that turned out to be problematical. The other gang members might have thought he knew too much or perhaps they resented his disloyalty. In either case, they threatened to kill him. He called the JPSO’s Fourth District asking for protection.

Perhaps because of his 24 years of experience with the JPSO, Sergeant Bosco realized this frightened young man might be willing, in exchange for protection, to turn the tables on the gang members threatening to kill him. So, Sergeant Bosco began to work with the young man, drawing information from his about the gang members, their crimes, drugs and guns. Sergeant Bosco then turned the information and the young man over to the JPSO Narcotics Division who jumped at the opportunity to smash a gang that dealt in drugs, money and guns. In short order, the gang was smashed by arrests of key members while others fled. And, the evidence gathered by the JPSO Narcotics Division led to the possibility that the Jefferson Parish gang was getting drugs from an international source, perhaps a Mexican drug cartel. That brought the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration into the picture and they are proceeding with the case now.

When all of this started, Sergeant Bosco could not have foreseen where his talks with a scared 17-year-old informant might lead. But, Sergeant Bosco’s police instincts were exactly focused in the right direction and, as so often happens in our business, led to greater results than anyone might have expected.

We thank Council 3091 of the Knights of Columbus for all they do for our community and for the JPSO. We also congratulate Sergeant Bosco for his award and his excellent police work.

K-9 Dogs Are An Important Part of JPSO Team

K-9 dogs like Smokey, the eight-year-old Belgian Malinois who works with the JPSO LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) team, are an integral part of the work that we do at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

When we are searching vehicles, boats or homes for illegal drugs, the call goes out for a drug-sniffing dog. Each year, dogs like Smokey uncover hidden caches of illegal drugs, guns and money worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. When we are seeking fleeing suspects, dogs are often called for. Dogs have excellent vision in low-light or dark conditions. When a suspect may be hidden in a darkened building, we frequently send in a dog. An experienced dog, such as Smokey, will have many apprehensions during the course of his career. A suspect who attempts to flee or fight a dog is usually making a very serious mistake. A Belgian Malinois’ teeth are sharp and can inflict serious wounds. Dogs also play a vital role when we are searching for hunters or fishermen lost in the wetlands or swamps.

At the heart of a dog’s effectiveness is the relationship between the K-9 and his handler. Smokey and JPSO Sergeant Mark Pennison have been a team for five years. They have been together for so long that they seemingly can read each other’s minds. In dangerous situations, Sergeant Pennison must take into consideration that Smokey has no concept of fear and is completely devoted to Sergeant Pennison. He will go into any situation where Sergeant Pennison sends him. Because we value Smokey, we trust Sergeant Pennison to use good judgment when he assesses a situation and the danger that is inherent in it.

Today, we especially value multi-tasking dogs because of the increasing costs of European dogs bred for police work. Because of European inflation, a dog born in The Netherlands, Germany or Belgium that has been specially bred for police work may cost as much as $14,000. At the time that Smokey came to us five years ago, the cost was about $10,000. Smokey is trained to find illegal drugs, explosives and is a great patrol dog. He can handle multiple assignments.

That is why we have sent Sergeant Pennison to a special school where he became a certified dog trainer. He is currently raising and teaching a Belgian Malinois puppy to become a JPSO K-9 dog. It is too soon to know if Sergeant Pennison is going to become remarkable and successful as a dog trainer but the early reports are encouraging. If we can learn to successfully train dogs bred for police work to become K-9 dogs in the mold of Smokey, it would save the JPSO tens of thousands of dollars every year.

The future outlook is that dogs will continue to be vitally important members of the JPSO team. There is a parallel between our dogs and the highly-paid draft choices of the New Orleans Saints. A draft choice who is often sick or injured and spends most of his time on the bench is not a good investment or a productive member of the team. In much the same way, we have to use good judgment in the selection of K-9 dogs. If they are sick or frequently injured, they aren’t available for duty. Smokey is a good example of a K-9 dog who provides an excellent return on our investment. He has located illegal drugs, money and guns that no human could have found. The value of the drugs, guns and money that Smokey has located is vastly in excess of the cost of purchasing Smokey when he was a three-year-old in training. The decision of our handlers to purchase Smokey was a very good one. If Smokey’s good health continues, he will have a working career of seven or eight years before retiring to Sergeant Pennison’s home as a loved and appreciated pet.

I see K-9 dogs as an important part of the JPSO’s technological edge over criminals. The team of Smokey and Sergeant Mark Pennison provide proof every day that properly trained and handled K-9 dogs are an essential part of our law enforcement team.

JPSO Personal Violence Section Battles Criminals,
Upholds Jefferson’s Excellent Quality of Life

I am very proud of the work being done by the JPSO Personal Violence Section. They are in a daily struggle against those who engage in sexual crimes, including child abuse, pornography, stalking, harassment and pedophilia.

The criminals pursued by the Personal Violence Section are involved in crimes that are degrading and an assault on the quality of life that we enjoy in Jefferson Parish. The criminal activities the Personal Violence Section investigates often involve computers and pornographic images. Because these cases and the laws governing the prosecution of sexual crimes are so technical, the officers of the Personal Violence Section must be extremely knowledgeable about the computer sciences and the legal requirements for gaining access to a suspect’s cyber files.

Among the keys to the success of the Personal Violence Section has been their cooperative relationship with the District Attorney’s Office and his prosecutors, in particular, Assistant District Attorney Margaret Hay. She has worked closely with the officers of the Personal Violence Section and their teamwork has resulted in many convictions. It is interesting that in many of these cases, the defendants have chosen to plead guilty rather than go to trial, quite possibly because they did not want to have to explain to a jury of Jefferson Parish residents how they came to possess sordid and degrading pornographic pictures that had been lifted from their computer hard drives or cell phones by our experts at the JPSO Personal Violence Section. Special credit also goes to JPSO Lieutenant Kelly Jones, a 30-year veteran who is commander of the Personal Violence Section.

The close working relationship between the JPSO Personal Violence Section and the DA’s Office is an excellent example of how public agencies should work together.

The recent Personal Violence cases involving a plumber who allegedly used his access to residences to molest children and a restaurant employee who allegedly planted two cameras in the women’s bathroom of the restaurant where he worked are examples of how the world we live is changing and challenging our standards, ethics and morals. How do we teach our children, beginning in their most formative years, how to recognize and protect themselves from those who would take advantage of them? Equally important, what is our role as responsible adults in helping to set community standards that uphold the quality of life that we have for many decades enjoyed in Jefferson Parish?

These are challenging questions. But one thing you can be certain of is that the men and women of the JPSO Personal Violence Section, along with Jefferson Parish Assistant District Attorney Margaret Hay, will continue to successfully uphold our laws and to arrest, prosecute and convict those who commit sexual crimes.

Refresher Courses In CPR, First Aid
Help JPSO Patrol Division Assist
EMT’s In Saving Lives

Very often, the officers of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division arrive at the scene of a crime, an accident, a heart attack or an injury before anyone else.

In those critical moments before Jefferson Parish’s excellent Emergency Medical Technicians arrive, our Patrol Division officers can make a life-or-death difference by correctly administering CPR or first aid.

That is why I have decided to provide our JPSO Patrol Division officers refresher courses in CPR, first aid and disaster response. In many instances, our officers have not had a CPR or first aid course since they were in recruit training. For many of our officers, that may have been 5 to 25 years ago. In just a short time, we have seen instances where our officers have been able to assist EMT’s in saving lives by making good CPR and first aid decisions upon arriving at a scene where people were hurt and in need of immediate care.

I also need to add that both the Jefferson Parish Fire Department and Emergency Medical Technicians have excellent response times. Along with the JPSO, the Fire Department and EMT’s come at top speed in response to emergency calls. At the JPSO, we are very proud of our five minutes or less response time to an emergency call. Often, we will have two or three cars at a scene in five minutes or less. The Jefferson Fire Department and our EMT’s are equally proud of their outstanding response times. And, of course, the Jefferson Parish EMT’s are the real experts in emergency medicine. Our job, when our Patrol Division officers are the first at a scene is to make good decisions until the EMT’s arrive. We are a team.

At the JPSO Training Academy, we are fortunate to be able to call on the skills of Colonel Terry Pond, a JPSO Reserve Officer. He is one of the best in the region and the nation in teaching CPR, first aid and disaster response. We not only want our officers to know how to administer CPR and first aid, but also we want them to be able to drive deep-water truck in an emergency or respond correctly to a report of a possible improvised explosive device. Colonel Pond and our teaching staff at the JP SO Training Academy are experts in all phases of emergency response and do a great job of preparing our officers for any situation.

We Are Advocates of Complete Transparency

“Transparency” has become a very popular word among elected officials and those who are employees of government. Transparency, of course, refers to giving citizens complete access to governmental business and governmental candor in answering all questions about the operations of government.

I too am an advocate of transparency. I am especially proud of the JPSO Citizen’s Academy, an eight week program that gives interested citizens complete access to the inner workings of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. We answer all questions and the participants in the program get to meet and talk to JPSO officers at every level of our command structure.

One of the things that I tell each Citizen’s Academy class is how proud we are at the JPSO that crime in unincorporated Jefferson was down 13.2 percent in 2010, compared to 2009. We feel that we are one of the best-trained, best-equipped and most modernized law enforcement agencies in our region or in the nation. The fact is that Jefferson Parish is one of the safest communities of its size.

But, I also tell the citizens, despite our successes, we also have problems and challenges. Much of our time is spent arresting and re-arresting the same suspects. This is inherently dangerous for our personnel, as you can surely see. We are not a military organization that accepts casualties as a part of our mission. We want all of our people to be at home with their families at the close of the work day. The only acceptable casualty rate for us is zero.

Another of our challenges is retention. We have excellent personnel. But they live in the real world where they are often viewed as first round draft choices by other law enforcement agencies and private businesses. Remaining competitive when it comes to salaries and benefits is very challenging.

If you would like to know more about the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, you might enjoy participating in a future JPSO Citizen’s Academy. We promise to answer all your questions and to tell you the complete story. For more information about our Citizen’s Academy set for this fall, please contact JPSO Deputy Chief Steve LaChute in my office.

JPSO Young Marines Is A Remarkable
Program That Will Transform Your Son or Daughter

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Young Marines program is now in its 17th year in Jefferson Parish. During that time we have graduated 1,799 Young Marines. Almost all of them will tell you that the program transformed their lives, changed their values and help them establish new goals for the rest of their lives.

Our Young Marines program is considered one of the best in the nation. However, it has taken almost six years since Hurricane Katrina to fully revive the program and restore it to full health.

Now, we are very proud of the 56 Jefferson Parish boys and girls who are Young Marines recruits. They are training each Saturday at the JPSO Training Academy. They are getting leadership from many sources. JPSO Sergeant Bill Jones is a 19-year JPSO veteran. He is assisted by JPSO Deputy Tammy Howard and a group of JPSO reserves and volunteers who have military experience. But much of the training and leadership comes from JPSO Young Marines who are the same age as the recruits. These Young Marines have been through the program and know exactly what it takes to make a successful Young Marine.

One of the factors that make the Young Marines so successful is what I call “peer respect.” Every boy and girl wants to live up to the standards of their peers. In the Young Marines, our recruits meet boys and girls their own age who have become outstanding Young Marines. Who wouldn’t want to be a standout Young Marine with a chest lined with ribbons and medals?

Recently, at a JPSO “Family Night” held for the Young Marines recruits and their parents and guardians, I said that the chance to become a Young Marine was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should not be passed up. In the Young Marines, these boys and girls will learn about self-discipline, honor, dignity, integrity, honesty and self-respect. They will learn that it is honorable to help others, to treat others with respect and stand up for what they believe. Each Young Marine will take a solemn oath not to use illegal drugs.

I have been watching our Young Marines program transform young people lacking direction into poised, responsible, organized and goal-oriented young leaders who know where they’re going and how they’re going to get there.

If you know a young person who might benefit from this program, we will likely be starting another class in the fall. Please call JPSO Sergeant Bill Jones at 363-5692 for more information. You’ll be glad that you did.

JPSO Men and Women Respond to a Tragedy
That Reminds Us of Hurricane Katrina Six Years Ago

It’s difficult for us to imagine a storm even more devastating than Hurricane Katrina. But, the JPSO officers who recently traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama with desperately needed supplies tell us that the impact of the tornado there had an even more destructive impact than the winds and water of Hurricane Katrina that hit Jefferson Parish in 2005.

I’m incredibly proud of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office men and women who came up with the idea of collecting thousands of items that we know from experience will be needed by the residents of Tuscaloosa. The idea began with JPSO Sergeant Billy Lewis and JPSO Sergeant Martin Dunn. They immediately got the support and assistance of JPSO Major James McClendon, Colonel Tim Scanlan and Colonel John Fortunato and soon the supporting cast grew to hundreds of JPSO members and their families.

Everyone knows that those who choose law enforcement as their career field are not wealthy. Yet, in every emergency, the compassion and generosity of JPSO officers and their families comes through. Each year, at Christmas time, they donate hundreds of toys and games to the patients at Children’s Hospital. In this instance, their empathy for what the residents of Tuscaloosa are going through is rooted in the suffering and discomfort that we had to endure in the wake of Katrina.

As our officers recalled, immediately after the storm, their uniforms and underclothing was wet, food was scarce and there were too few bottles of water. Items that we ordinarily all take for granted like razor blades, soap, insect spray, cleaning supplies and tools were underwater. I will never forget how appreciative we were of the first relief trucks that came rolling down the highway. It was, I believe, the remembrance of those days that helped motivate the JPSO family to give so generously that we soon had three deep-water trucks completely filled with thousands of items that are easily available in normal times but desperately scarce in a crisis.

I know that I speak for all the residents of Jefferson Parish and Tuscaloosa when I applaud Sergeant Lewis and Sergeant Dunn for getting the ball rolling. Ovations are also deserved by all the members of the JPSO family who then stepped up and contributed to the convoy to Tuscaloosa. When we in Jefferson Parish were in serious trouble after Katrina, others helped us. It’s an honor for us to be able to help the people of Tuscaloosa in their hour of need. We remember all too well just what that is like.

A Near-Perfect Search and Rescue Mission

Terrible things can happen to people who get lost. Their boat can overturn. They can inadvertently step into water that is over their head. Little children and Alzheimer’s patients who are lost can accidentally fall into canals.

At the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, we’ve seen just about every kind of search and rescue mission that you can imagine. Sometimes they have a happy ending. Sometimes they end in tragedy.

The recent search and rescue mission that saved Professor Francisco Piedrahita in the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park was a classic success. Working together were eight different agencies that came together as one team. I’m one of those folks who always remind my colleagues that there is no “I” in team. That’s the way this team was. We were all focused on the mission.

Some people wondered after the rescue why it took four days to find Dr. Piedrahita. The answer is that the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park is more than 20,000 acres. With the help of the Park Service police we identified about 2,000 acres where Dr. Piedrahita might be. That is still a lot of terrain. Another facet of the Jean Lafitte Park is that while it is a swamp, the vegetation is very heavy making observation from the air difficult. The Park Service police tell us that the Jean Lafitte Park qualifies as a “triple canopy” tree cover. Even in all-terrain vehicles it is slow going on the ground.

Dr. Piedrahita told us after the rescue that at times, he heard rescuers calling to him in Spanish. He tried to shout in response but his calls were weak and the dense vegetation probably suppressed the sound of his voice.

In the end, one of the keys to the rescue is that JPSO Deputy Stephen Tarzis, an expert helicopter pilot, was able to maneuver our copter about 200 feet above the swamp. Dr. Piedrahita showed good judgment, locating himself in an open spot, next to a tall tree. He was spotted by JPSO Colonel Bobby Woods, Commander of our LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) Division. By the time Colonel Woods spotted Dr. Piedrahita, the professor was so exhausted he couldn’t lift his arms. But it didn’t matter. He and Colonel Woods made eye contact, the search was over and the rescue was accomplished moments later.

Like everyone, I’m delighted that Dr. Piedrahita was saved and is back with his family. But, I'm also very proud of the incredible team effort by everyone on the search team. We all worked together as if we had been doing it for a decade. We mobilized boats, all-terrain vehicles, helicopters and dogs. It was a superb, professional performance and, best of all, we saved a life.

Louisiana Special Olympics
Is Always A Winner In My Book

I was very pleased that more than 20 members of our Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office team participated in the recent Louisiana Special Olympics Torch Run.

The Louisiana Special Olympics is one of my favorite causes. Each year, I join with Rita Benson LeBlanc in sponsoring a Special Olympics fundraiser called Over The Edge. Participants make major gifts to Special Olympics for the privilege of rappelling over the edge of the Benson Tower in Downtown New Orleans. Afterwards, the participants are flown by helicopter to the JPSO Training Academy where they are briefed on JPSO SWAT Team training methods and given an opportunity to fire a variety of weapons at the JPSO Firing Range. Everyone who participates will tell you that it’s great fun and a very unique experience.

The Jefferson Parish Torch Run is also special. It brings together law enforcement officers from some nine local, municipal, parish and federal agencies for what is really a fun run. The course is about seven miles. This year, the group of more than 200 ran from the Zephyr Stadium parking lot to Kenner Police Headquarters. It’s a great way to raise public awareness of Special Olympics.

I can tell you, as a fan of Special Olympics, that the sight of boys and girls with intellectual disabilities competing to the full extent of their capabilities would warm even the coldest heart. It is a wonderful sight and a great experience. In the Special Olympics, everyone wins. Each participant is given a ribbon. Special Olympics believes that winning is great, but trying your best is just as important.

I know there are many wonderful non-profit causes competing for your philanthropic dollars. Louisiana Special Olympics, which is self-sustaining, in my opinion, is one of the best. If you’d like to help them – even a small contribution is helpful – Louisiana Special Olympics is located at 1000 East Morris Avenue in Hammond. The zip code is 70403. The telephone number is 985-345-6644.

Can Music Save Lives?
In Some Cases, It Can

I have been in the law enforcement business for 29 years. In the course of that long span of time, I have like many others spent hundreds of hours pondering how we might reverse the course of talented children who because of poverty and poor decision making are destined for the criminal justice system, jail and, all too often, an early death.

Over the years, I have many times wondered if our community’s cultural love of music might somehow provide a path for talented children who because of circumstances find themselves at risk. In my capacity as Sheriff of Jefferson Parish, I have – with the help of many wonderful friends – had a chance to test my theory. The result is the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Band of Excellence.

Currently, the band includes 72 excellent musicians, 64 of whom are high school students, eight of whom attend middle schools. These children are great musicians. They are so gifted and talented there are times when I can scarcely believe that such young children can produce such great music. It is no accident that in the first year of the JPSO Band of Excellence, five have won university music scholarships.

But an alarming number of these children are what we call “at-risk.” That means they have committed acts that have brought them to the attention of the criminal justice system. Several of the band members were considering dropping out of high school. Their lives were spiraling downhill at an alarming rate.

Fortunately, the Band of Excellence came along at a good time in their lives. The opportunity to use their talents, the chance to be part of something positive and the opportunity to attach themselves to some great role models changed their lives – at least for the moment.

Many people have contributed to the development of the Band of Excellence, but none more so than Hezekiah Brinson, our gifted band director. Many of the students call him “dad” because he is the surrogate father in their lives that they have never had before. He is at once a musician, a father, disciplinarian, a confidante, a cheerleader and much more. I am also grateful to JPSO Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue, JPSO Sergeant David Green, JPSO Detective Devin Rogers and Renee Washington. We could not have made so much progress without them.

I am also grateful to Tipitina’s Foundation, the Pat Taylor Foundation, the Goldring Foundation, Louie Roussell and the Youth Rescue Foundation of Joseph Georgusis. There were also many other contributors who sent in the few dollars they could afford along with their heartfelt wishes for our success. They have all bought into the dream and made it possible to provide the Band of Excellence with instruments and uniforms. I hope that in the year to come you’ll get to hear the JPSO Band of Excellence perform. I’m sure you’ll agree that they are exceptional musicians whose beautiful music has opened a path for them to make their lives better and productive.

Thank You For A Wonderful Blue Mass,
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church and
Knights of Columbus, Council 12686

On behalf of Jefferson Parish’s First Responders, I want to express our gratitude to St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and the more than 600 Jefferson Parish residents who filled the church for the 9th Annual Blue Mass.

I have contended for many years that there is a unique and special bond between Jefferson’s First Responders and the community. Each year, the annual Blue Mass at St. Catherine’s reminds us that the community we serve is grateful, appreciative and supportive of all the First Responders. This includes the JPSO, the Jefferson Parish fire fighters, the municipal police departments, the Emergency Medical Technicians, the State Police and the Causeway Police.

The Blue Mass is a project of the Knights of Columbus who do a wonderful job. After the church service, the Knights host a luncheon in the church cafeteria. We are especially appreciative of the efforts of Anthony E. Maurin, Jr., Knights of Columbus Council Director, and Grand Knight Paul Bates. They work closely with JPSO Captain Alex Norman, Commander, Community Relations who coordinates all of the First Responders of Jefferson Parish.

The Blue Mass is especially meaningful for the families of First Responders who have died in the line of duty. The pictures of the fallen are displayed during the church service. As I mentioned in my remarks during the service, those who have given their lives to protect the citizens of Jefferson Parish will never be forgotten.

After the service, many members of the congregation approached First Responders to assure us of their appreciation and support. It is difficult to put into words how much that means to us or how much we appreciate the public’s encouragement.

It is certainly my hope and intention that all First Responders will continue to participate in the annual Blue Mass. We are deeply indebted to St. Catherine of Siena Church and the Knights of Columbus for carrying on this wonderful tradition. Let us all hope that the Blue Mass continues for many decades to come.

JPSO Is Building State-Of-The-Art District Stations

All of us at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office are very proud of the new state-of-the-art facilities that Jefferson Parish taxpayers have allowed us to build.

These new facilities include the JPSO Training Academy, the JPSO Firing Range, the JPSO LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) Headquarters and Maritime Center and the JPSO Crime Lab. We can now add to that list the newly dedicated JPSO 2nd District Station.

We are very mindful that we are indebted to Jefferson Parish taxpayers whose first priority for many years has been safe streets. The Jefferson Parish taxpayers have done all that they could to provide the funding for excellent JPSO facilities and we are very grateful to them. The funding for the new 2nd District station came from a $30 million bond issue overwhelmingly approved by Jefferson Parish voters.

One of the stipulations we imposed on our architects (Sizeler Thompson Brown) and our general contractor (Artigues Construction) is that our new district stations must incorporate the lessons we learned during Hurricane Katrina when our facilities, communications and vehicles were severely battered.

In the new 2nd District station, all offices are located on the second floor, beyond the reach of floodwaters. In a covered space on the first level is a protected garage that has room for a flatbed boat, a high-water vehicle and a supply trailer. We also have a back-up generator and our own mini-sewerage system that will function even if the parish’s utilities are overwhelmed. The 2nd District station is also part of a new, updated and hurricane-resistant communications system that we believe will withstand high winds and floodwaters.

Most of all, the 2nd District station is designed to be able to function independently even in the most adverse weather conditions.

The men and women of the JPSO are very much aware that we are fortunate to serve Jefferson Parish whose taxpayers have made our efficiency one of their top priorities. Thanks to the taxpayers of Jefferson, the JPSO has several outstanding, efficient state-of-the-art facilities, including the new 2nd District Station on the West Bank.

Targeting Drunk Drivers Saves Lives

Around the nation, police departments are setting up DWI Checkpoints and officers on patrol duty are stopping drivers whose erratic handling of their vehicles indicates they might be intoxicated.

I’m proud that our effort to target drunk drivers and get them off the streets of Jefferson Parish has been successful and attracted national attention. We have seen traffic fatalities in unincorporated Jefferson Parish drop from 13 in 2009 to four in 2010. So far this year, we have recorded two traffic fatalities in Jefferson.

There is plenty of credit to go around. Members of every division at the JPSO have contributed to the effort. At a recent DWI Checkpoint on the West Bank, officers from the Traffic Division, the Patrol Division, the LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) and the Reserves all participated. We have also gotten help from the parish’s municipal police forces. Jefferson Parish DA Paul Connick and his staff have done an outstanding job of prosecuting drunken drivers. The Traffic Court judges have been suspending the licenses of repeat offenders and giving stiff sentences to those who drink and drive.

For our officers what is most gratifying is the positive response we are getting from persons in the vehicles going through the Checkpoint. “Thank you for getting drunk drivers off the streets,” is the message we hear on a regular basis. I think the public is well aware that drunk drivers are a threat to everyone.

The effect of targeting DWIs has been a reduction in accidents, injuries and fatalities in Jefferson Parish. It has become apparent that if we can convince the driver who drinks to either use a designated driver or call a taxicab, our streets will be much safer.

How can you help? If you drink, don’t drive. Even one or two drinks can affect your reflexes. Don’t take a chance. Call a taxicab or ask someone who hasn’t had a drink to take you home. When you drive, think defensively. It is a fact that traffic volumes in Jefferson Parish have never been higher than they are right now. But if we can get the drunken drivers off the streets and if the rest of us will drive defensively, I am convinced that we can continue the current trend of reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities. The consequences of high speed traffic crashes are always tragic. We all know what we need to do to keep our streets safe. Let’s make safe driving one of our personal priorities.

Is It Too Soon To Start Thinking About Hurricane Season?
Not For The JPSO and Not For You Either

You might be thinking that it’s much too soon to be worrying about hurricane season. We all know from past experiences that the most dangerous time for hurricanes is late August and early September. Perhaps you’re thinking that June or July is plenty of time to start checking your hurricane kit to be sure the batteries are working in your portable radios and your flashlights. It is also a good time to check to see that your important papers are where they should be and that you have plenty of fresh water on hand and non-perishable food items.

At the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, we start checking engines and other equipment with the hurricane season in mind right after the Easter holidays. There are a lot of details for us to check. We have a flotilla of boats, a fleet of trucks and other vehicles as well as two helicopters to be checked and re-checked. We also have to make sure that the vehicles we wouldn’t want to leave at ground level in the event of a storm are accounted for and parked far above ground in high-rise garages on both the East and West Banks.

If I may respectfully suggest it, the end of April or early May isn’t too soon to start thinking about the “what ifs” that go with hurricane season – if you have to evacuate, where will you stay? What’s the best, safest and most timely route to get there? Do you have an up-to-date list of cell phone and landline numbers of family members and friends? Have you given some thought to whether you’re taking your pets with you or are you making other arrangements for them? Once we get to May, the days fly by swiftly until the first hurricanes of the season approach the Gulf of Mexico.

Our first line of defense in hurricane season is the LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) Division. They pride themselves on being excellent students who were schooled by Hurricane Katrina. We learned a lot from Katrina and have tried to incorporate all of her lessons into our preparations for the next hurricane. All of us at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office hope that we will be fortunate again in 2011 and watch the hurricanes as they fly by to either side of us. But we can’t count on that. So we’re preparing as though we know that 2011 will bring a hurricane our way. We aren’t trying to rush you, but we hope that you’ll start making your plans for hurricane season soon – just in case.

JPSO Reopens Its Lake Pontchartrain Marine Services Facilities

If you find yourself in the neighborhood of the Bonnabel Boat Launch in East Jefferson, you may notice the new Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Services Building that we have just completed.

The new building, which provides interior storage for two JPSO rescue boats and an area for diving equipment, replaces a previous storage building on the site that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. By having the building constructed over the water, our ability to quickly deploy our boats to assist fishermen and recreational boaters in distress is greatly enhanced.

Our new building is a reflection of my belief that whenever possible, the JPSO should seek state-of-the-art facilities. By upgrading our facilities, it gives us the tools we need to better serve the public as well as reducing our maintenance costs in the long run.

The new Marine Services Building is designed to withstand hurricane winds up to 150 miles per hour. With its built-in generator and back-up power, it will provide a base of operations for the members of the JPSO LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) Division during post-storm activities.

In addition, I am certain that the new Marine Services Building on Lake Pontchartrain will enable us to provide an added layer of protection and safety for the hundreds of recreational boaters who enjoy Lake Pontchartrain on a weekly basis. We judge our new construction by how it allows us to improve our performance in saving lives.

As I have often said before, getting the greatest bang for our buck is a continuous process where we cannot ever be satisfied. I hope you’ll make it a point to view our new facility at Bonnabel. I think you’ll be pleased and satisfied that this is another example of taxpayer dollars well spent for public safety.

Getting Intoxicated Drivers Off the Streets
Is The Best Way To Save Lives

All across America, a tremendous drive is underway to crack down on intoxicated drivers and save lives.

There are few places in America where the drive against DWIs has been more successful than in Jefferson Parish. In 2008, 17 traffic fatalities were recorded in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. In 2009, there were 13 traffic fatalities. It is estimated that the use of alcohol was a factor in close to 90 percent of the fatalities. In 2010, the JPSO Traffic Division, with a great assist from the Patrol Division, began cracking down on DWIs. Also on the team were the District Attorney’s Office and the Jefferson Parish Traffic Court judges.

And, amazingly, as we made it too hot for intoxicated drivers, the number of traffic fatalities fell to four. It was the fewest number of traffic fatalities in Jefferson in 20 years.

There is plenty of credit go around. The State Highway Commission helped fund the overtime effort to identify and arrest intoxicated drivers. The DA’s Office did a great job of prosecuting DWIs. The Legislature passed laws that required a driver suspected of DWI to participate in field sobriety tests. The Traffic Court judges of Jefferson Parish assessed stiff penalties against drivers who got behind the wheel after drinking. We will never know how many lives were saved by this crackdown but 2010 was the first time in 20 years that Jefferson Parish recorded fewer than 10 traffic fatalities.

We are determined that it will not be the last. Our effort to force DWIs off the road is continuing. All over Jefferson Parish, those who drink are not getting behind the wheels of their vehicles. They’re turning to designated drivers and taxicabs to get them home safely.

The State Highway Commission recently honored the JPSO Traffic Division. Captain Greg Lonero and the men and women of the Traffic Division deserve a tremendous standing ovation. They have also gotten a major assist from the men and women of the JPSO Patrol Division. Also working with us have been many officers from the metropolitan police departments of Jefferson Parish. We have been working as a team and the result has been a significant reduction in lives lost to drunken drivers. This effort is going to continue. We ask that you drive defensively and please don’t drink and drive. If you do plan to drink, please use a designated driver or call a taxicab.

The Diversity of Jefferson Parish

I remember when the first Vietnamese refugees came to Jefferson Parish.

It was after the Vietnam War. Their side and their American allies had lost the war and they were homeless. Many of them came to Jefferson Parish where they became commercial fishermen; and often times, were regarded by some as intruders. I’m sure it’s never easy to be an immigrant. The first sign that the Vietnamese were going to be successful Americans came from their children.

Almost suddenly, we noticed that the valedictorians, salutatorians and most likely to succeed at our high schools were invariably Vietnamese. These children, like their parents, were hard workers, smart and highly motivated. When you saw those great-looking Vietnamese children in their caps and gowns, you knew they were going to do just fine in America.

I was thinking about the success of the Vietnamese the other day when JPSO Sergeant Robert Saman’s name came up in the course of a discussion on the rising number of Arab-Americans making their homes in Jefferson Parish.

Sergeant Saman, perhaps to his own surprise, has emerged as one of our region’s leading authorities on the Arab-American community. Like many newcomers to America, Sergeant Saman did not have a very auspicious debut in this country. He came to America from Jordan in 1982 with little more than the clothing on his back and a will to succeed. As the years went by, Robert became increasingly impressed by the men and women of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office – the way they carried themselves, the way they treated others, the JPSO’s success in fighting crime and the respect that Jefferson Parish police officers got from the community.

So, in 1999, Robert applied to the JPSO, was accepted, and began his career as a motorcycle officer.

It was only after 9/11 that it occurred to us that we had in our ranks an Arab-American police officer who was fluent in both English and Arabic. Robert, it turned out, had a gift for languages and was fluent not only in the Jordanian dialect of Arabic but could also read, write and speak the Arabic dialects found in Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern states. The FBI was equally impressed and Sergeant Saman became the JPSO’s liaison to the Joint Task Force on Terrorism. Sergeant Saman today works out of the JPSO Intelligence Bureau.

In his private life, Sergeant Saman has also succeeded. His eldest daughter will begin her college career at LSU while his younger daughter is a sophomore at Mount Carmel High School. Part of America’s greatness is that our doors are always open to hard-working, driven and deserving people who push themselves and their children to succeed. That is the American dream come true. Sergeant Robert Saman is a good example of how the American dream is still very much valid.

There Is Tremendous Value For The JPSO
In Our Core of Long-Term, Veteran Employees

I frequently receive compliments on the outstanding work of police officers and civilian employees of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Very often, these compliments are directed to veterans who have a long record of outstanding service and proven expertise at their assignments.

The success of the JPSO – reflected in 2010 by a 13.6 percent drop in major crimes in Jefferson Parish when compared to 2009 – is certainly enhanced by our core of veteran officers and civilian employees. A good example of this can be found can the Jefferson Correctional Center, a major responsibility for the JPSO. Many of the inmates of the Correctional Center have been accused of major violent crimes. Our responsibilities also include being responsive to a federal court order prohibiting overcrowding at the Correctional Center.

In charge of the administration of the Correctional Center is a veteran team led by Deputy Chief Sue Ellen Monfra. She holds many “firsts” at the JPSO, including being the first woman named a district commander, the first women to serve as a Deputy Chief and the first woman warden in the history of Jefferson Parish. She is backed by an outstanding, experienced group that includes Colonel Howard Lavin, a 40-year JPSO veteran; Captain Ed Olsen, a 15-year JPSO veteran; Lieutenant Jason Hippler, a 20-year JPSO veteran, and Connie Cassard, an 11-year JPSO civilian employee. Like many other JPSO employees, some of these veterans could retire tomorrow. But they would tell you they still enjoy their work, enjoy their colleagues and enjoy the challenge that goes with their jobs.

At the same time, many members of the JPSO team at the Correctional Center are young, either first-year rookies or officers who have less than five years experience. Our hope and the goal of our recruiting process is that these younger members of the JPSO will be the next generation of 20, 25, 30 and even 40-year veterans. So long as our employees continue to regard the JPSO as a good place to work, a place filled with good teammates and interesting work challenges, we will continue to have success.

I definitely applaud all of the JPSO employees who run a tight ship at the Correctional Center. They have a daunting assignment and they have handled it extremely well. We look forward to their continued success.

Business Community Support for Crimestoppers
Is A Sound Investment That Pays Off
In A Safer Community

I was so pleased that some 100 companies from throughout the metro area volunteered to be sponsors at Crimestoppers recent annual luncheon at the New Orleans Hilton Hotel.

Crimestoppers is a vital helper to law enforcement, paying rewards for anonymous tips that lead to arrests. Last year, tips phoned into Crimestoppers helped solve 32 murders and more than 500 other violent crimes.

Sometimes I become concerned that the business community, whose contributions fund the money used for rewards, might take Crimestoppers for granted. It would be disastrous if the business leaders of the metro community were to take the view that Crimestoppers is so successful that it doesn’t need their help. But, as I looked at the crowd of 850 that filled the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton, it was apparent that there is little cause for concern. It is obvious that the business community is well aware anonymous tips phoned into Crimestoppers in exchange for cash rewards helps law enforcement solve cases where there might not be any other leads except an anonymous call that puts the investigation moving in the right direction.

I certainly know that there are many good causes out there soliciting funds. However, I hope you will share my view that a contribution to Crimestoppers is a solid investment in a safe community.

I also think that the tremendous support and turnout for Crimestoppers is a great tribute to Darlene Cusanza who for 15 years has been Executive Director of Crimestoppers. She has done a wonderful job, not only in terms of running the Crimestoppers program but also in securing tremendous business support for Crimestoppers. As the turnout at the recent luncheon indicated, support for Crimestoppers is close to a unanimous acclamation. That is a tremendous compliment to the Crimestoppers board, who are volunteers, and to Ms. Cusanza.

It was pleasing to me to see JPSO Detective Sean Cursain and his K-9 dog, Rex, singled out for a Crimestoppers award. Detective Cursain and Rex are a great team. Rex is considered one of the nation’s best drug-sniffing dogs. In addition, Rex, who has a very genial disposition, has often demonstrated his drug-locating skills for teenagers involved in a Crimestoppers anti-crime program. Detective Cursain and Rex represent the very best qualities of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The JPSO Reserves Perform Brilliantly,
Especially During Mardi Gras

I thought that Mardi Gras 2011 was one of the most successful, safest and largest celebrations in Jefferson Parish history.

In a year when parish officials emphasized that they wanted a “Family Gras” atmosphere at Jefferson Parish parades, everyone cooperated to make it a great festival for grandparents, parents and kids.

It has long been said at the JPSO that we could not provide the kind of police presence that is required for a great Mardi Gras except for the hard work of our Reserve Officers. That was never truer than in 2011. Our 170 Reserve Officers took responsibility for the area between Helois Street and Martin Behrman Avenue and did a superb job. In fairness, our Reserves share the credit with the crowds that came out for Mardi Gras. What ruins Mardi Gras is rampant drunken behavior, fights and individuals who rampage through the crowds behaving like thugs. That’s when JPSO officers step up and take charge. We don’t allow that in Jefferson Parish’s Mardi Gras celebration. But, in truth, we saw few drunks, few fights and few instances of thug-like behavior at Mardi Gras 2011. It was as though there was unanimous agreement, including those who came to the parades to have a good time, that this “Family Gras” was going to be special.

I think our Reserve Officers are special also. They have to meet our high standards to become members of the JPSO Reserves. Reserve Officers invariably hold full-time jobs and have family responsibilities as well. So it takes a very dedicated, well-organized person to handle their job and family responsibilities while also performing as a Reserve Officer.

In the last several years, we have asked our Reserve Officers to take on expanded responsibilities. Our Reserve Patrol Division Officers have been making felony arrests, taking criminals, guns and drugs off the streets of Jefferson Parish. Our Reserve Traffic Division officers respond to accidents, direct traffic, enforce the traffic laws including parking violations and perform escort duties. The Reserve Officers of the LASER Division are famous for participating in rescues of lost or stranded hunters and fishermen. They are part of our response team to flooding caused by heavy rainfalls and, of course, hurricanes.

We also believe in cross-training. Our Patrol Division Reserves can step in and perform the duties of the Traffic Division and LASER. The Traffic Division and LASER Reserves are also cross-trained. Many of our Reserve Officers have told me how proud they are of the role they play in our organization, in the community, and at Mardi Gras. If you would like to find out more about becoming a JPSO Reserve Officer, please call our Personnel Department at 376-2333.

JPSO Young Marines Is A Great Organization
That Helps Young People Achieve Their Full Potential

I am so pleased that the JPSO Young Marines appeared in four Mardi Gras parades this year. They did a great job. Their performance was impeccable. And, they greatly enjoyed the applause that was showered on them.

Many people commented on how well they marched. But I can tell you that behind their excellent appearance are many hours spent practicing to achieve marching perfection. By the time that they appeared in the Mardi Gras parades, the Young Marines could probably have done it in their sleep. But, in the beginning, it was – as you might imagine – a jumble. Much credit goes to JPSO Sergeant Bill Jones, Commander of the Young Marines – and his staff for their teaching ability, their patience and the fact that they really love the kids who join the Young Marines organization.

Most Young Marines start their YM careers somewhere between their eighth and 12th birthdays. Our purpose at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in sponsoring the Young Marines is to help the young people who join this organization to achieve their full potential – self-discipline, patriotism, respect for others, academic excellence and a drug-free life style.

It is amazing to me that virtually every boy and girl who joins the Young Marines improves their grades in school. The Young Marines program, a national organization that works with American children throughout the nation, has really figured out what it takes to teach children to focus on learning, to take pride in doing well in school and to recognize that they have a responsibility to achieve in the classroom. Beyond that, JPSO Sergeant Bill Jones and his staff make a point of getting to know the principals and teachers at all the schools attended by Young Marines. If a Young Marine is having problems in school, the Young Marine leaders are there to help them.

Some might wonder why so many Sheriff’s Offices throughout Louisiana follow the example of the JPSO and sponsor a Young Marines program. The answer is that it costs far less to provide uniforms for a Young Marine than it does to keep a juvenile delinquent in jail. Since 1998, less than one percent of all the children who have passed through the Young Marine program has gotten into trouble with the law.

We are now taking applications for a new Young Marines class. I know that when they graduate from their training program, some parents will approach me and jokingly say, “What ever happened to the kid that I sent you? And who is this polite, well-behaved youngster who does his homework without being asked, helps his brothers and sisters, cleans his room and makes his bed?”

The answer, of course, is that the Young Marines program has transformed another young person into a responsible, mature leader of whom we can all be proud. If you know of a young person who might be helped by the Young Marines program, please call Sergeant Bill Jones or his staff at 363-5694. You’ll be glad that you did.

Education Is A Difference-Maker
Both In Law Enforcement and Personal Growth

I am very pleased that, working with our friends at Loyola University, we have been able to offer officers at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office a combined 85 percent tuition discount for those who enroll in Loyola’s Criminal Justice program.

I recently saw an article that praised Loyola as one of America’s outstanding small universities. Loyola is small only in terms of the size of its select student body and faculty. It is a great university and all of us at the JPSO are very pleased to be able to partner with them.

One of my most basic beliefs is that technology is the edge that law enforcement has over criminals. I also believe that it is education that gives law enforcement professionals the ability to use the technology that enables us to find out who committed the crime, arrest them and assist the District Attorney in getting a conviction.

A Loyola University degree is a passport to personal growth, professional development and fulfillment.

Even with an 85 percent tuition discount, undertaking a university education can be a daunting challenge for a police officer. Besides having a demanding full-time job, most police officers have family responsibilities. I’m sure there are times in the lives of JPSO university students that 24 hours in a day doesn’t seem nearly enough.

Fortunately, both the ranking officers and the faculty at Loyola understand the pressures that descend on police officers who are going to school. Our officers who are in the program always mention that they get tremendous cooperation both from their commanding officers and the Loyola faculty members.

This important story cannot be told without mentioning the key role played by JPSO Colonel Tim Scanlan, Commander of our Crime Lab, and an adjunct member of the Loyola faculty. He has worked closely with officials at Loyola to create this remarkable program that gives every JPSO officer an 85 percent tuition discount if they should choose to pursue a university degree at Loyola.

Much credit should be given to Loyola’s administration for their willingness to work closely with local law enforcement with the aim of enhancing individuals who work in the criminal justice system and, ultimately, making our community a better, safer place.

Prostitution Racket Degraded The Quality of Life
That Every Jefferson Parish Citizen Is Entitled To Enjoy

In Jefferson Parish, we take great pride in the excellent quality of life that we enjoy. In my opinion, every Jefferson Parish resident is entitled to a good quality of life that is free of crime and degradation.

For the residents of the four-block area surrounding La Village Motel on Manson Street near Airline Drive, the prostitutes who conducted their business at the motel were an embarrassment and blight on the neighborhood. The neighbors included a church, a school, businesses and a residential area. Recently, when the motel was demolished as the result of a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigation, many of the neighbors came over to tell me how pleased they were.

We could have put together an undercover operation and arrested several of the prostitutes. The District Attorney’s Office would surely have convicted them and they would have gone to jail for a time. But that would not have solved the long term problem. A prostitution operation in the middle of a nice Jefferson Parish neighborhood is a degradation of our quality of life. Our goal was to shut down the prostitution operation permanently.

Credit for that goes to JPSO Chief Deputy John Thevenot, Commander of the Special Operations Division; Captain Tom Angelica, Commander of the Vice Squad, and the men and women of the Vice Squad.

They came up with an innovative plan that gathered evidence against the motel owners that proved they knew of the prostitution operation on their premises. The investigation also clearly showed the owners of the motel over a period of years defrauded Jefferson Parish and its boards out of some $500,000 in sales taxes that were pocketed rather than paid into public coffers.

The owners of the motel were glad, in the end, to agree to a deal that called for the demolition of the motel and the public auction of the land the motel had occupied. My hope is that whoever purchases the land will have in mind a higher and better use of it.

I am grateful for the cooperation of the Jefferson Parish School Board, which was defrauded of sales taxes, and the Parish Council. Councilwoman Cynthia Lee Sheng has been an outstanding and courageous leader in the effort to rid Jefferson Parish of blight and businesses that try to cheat on the payment of sales taxes.

The JPSO is aware that there are other prostitution operations in Jefferson Parish. It is our intention to, one by one, put them out of business. Their presence in our community degrades our quality of life. They have no business operating in Jefferson Parish.

In The Modern World,
Providing Security Is All Important

The world that Americans live in has certainly changed since the events of 9/11 a decade ago. Security in public buildings and airports has become an accepted practice. We are used to emptying our pockets at metal detectors. We expect to see uniformed security officers in public buildings and at many public events.

In fact, the presence of security has become a part of our daily routines and many of us scarcely notice the presence of police officers when we enter a courtroom, for example. Jefferson Parish is certainly no exception to this.

In the Government Building in Gretna, the Gretna Police Department is responsible for security at the front door and the exits. GPD personnel operate metal detectors, amiably greeting members of the public as they enter the building.

In the courtrooms of the 24th Judicial District, the parish courts and the juvenile courts, members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Judicial Security team provide protection for the judges, court personnel and the public.

While we have come to take their presence for granted, both the Gretna Police Department and the JPSO provide a vital function in the Government Building – these officers are responsible for the safety of all who enter the building.

As it happens, the Gretna Police Department and the JPSO have an excellent working relationship. Our officers work together frequently and have great respect for each other. Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson and I take pride in the way that our departments cooperate. So it is no surprise that the GPD and JPSO security teams in the Government Building work together as though they were a single unit.

The JPSO team, under the command of Captain Vernon Schlief, and the GPD team, under the command of Lieutenant Gerald LaCour, are veteran officers who enjoy working together. What is most important is that all of the officers who are assigned to security work at the Government Building take their jobs very seriously. Their professionalism is outstanding.

The public who use the Jefferson Parish Government Building, along with the judges and court personnel, can be confident that the Gretna Police Department and the JPSO Judicial Security team are on the job and ready to respond to any emergency.

Recent Successes Are Good,
But We Have To Keep Working
To Get Better

We have just introduced a new eight-hour in-service training program for our Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division.

It will include classroom work on the legal aspects of the use of force by police officers and work on the firing range on tactical considerations regarding the use of force.

Someone who doesn’t know us well might wonder why this extra training is necessary, given that in 2010 the JPSO reported a 13.6 percent drop in the seven major categories of crime compared to 2009 and the lowest number of major crimes in Jefferson Parish since 1974.

The answer, of course is that you can’t stand still in any business, including law enforcement. You’re either getting better or getting worse. While we are very proud of the achievements of our Patrol Division, we think it’s always possible to improve our skills. This eight-hour training program will emphasize knowledge of the legal aspects of use of force by police officers and familiarity with weapons, but the real point of the training is good decision-making. When is use of force appropriate? A JPSO Patrol officer is equipped with a handgun, a taser, a baton and pepper spray. If force is to be used, which weapon is appropriate for the situation and within the bounds of what is legal? An officer often has only seconds to make these decisions that might be life and death. Clearly, these are questions that every police officer needs to consider.

The new in-service program will also include work on individual and team tactics in situations where officers confront armed perpetrators. The JPSO is fortunate that we have the resources for this kind of intensive training program. For that we are grateful to the people of Jefferson Parish who make it possible for our officers to be among the best-equipped and best-trained in the region. Thanks to our excellent community support, we have been able to reduce major crimes in unincorporated Jefferson to the lowest level since 1974. Far from satisfied, we intend to keep improving.

2010 Was A Good Year For Fighting Crime,
Now We Have To Make 2011 Equally Good

All of us at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office are pleased by our outstanding results in 2010. The 13.6 percent reduction of crime in the seven major categories was superb. None of us imagined at the beginning of 2010 that we would reduce the volume of crime in unincorporated Jefferson to the lowest level going back all the way to 1974, 37 years ago.

And what do we do for an encore in 2011?

The one thing that we know for sure is that we can’t rest on our laurels. The arrests we made in 2010 and the convictions that we helped the District Attorney attain don’t carry over to 2011. The one thing we know for sure is that 2011 is a new year that is certain to present its own unique challenges and we will have to respond.

We will continue to improve our facilities. A good example is the new JPSO Crime Lab that is being hailed by law enforcement leaders in our region as one of the finest facilities of its kind. We will also continue to emphasize education. We send outstanding JPSO officers to the finest law enforcement schools in the nation so that they can be the best at what they do. And, we will continue to recruit smart, capable young men and women to become the new generation of JPSO officers. We are very proud of the JPSO Training Academy and Firing Range, both of which combine excellent facilities and an outstanding faculty.

Some things don’t require change. The JPSO five-minute response time to emergency calls has become a proud tradition. It is a point of pride that our response to an emergency call often finds two or more police cars arriving at the scene within five minutes.

We will continue to improve our readiness for emergencies. We have been very fortunate in avoiding hurricanes the last several years but we know that we can’t depend on luck. The JPSO has more helicopters, heavy trucks, boats and other emergency equipment than ever before. But we also know that in an emergency, we’ll need all of it.

The JPSO is a very proud organization that takes great satisfaction in the reduction of crime. But we know that 2011 will pose new challenges and emergencies. We are very appreciative of the wonderful support that we receive from the residents of Jefferson Parish. Whatever 2011 brings our way, you can be sure we’ll be ready to respond.

We’re Glad To Share Information,
Insights With Visitors From Overseas

Each year, a delegation of Chinese police officials visits the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Their visit is part of a national tour that brings them to Hartford, Conn., Quantico, Va. and Los Angeles, in addition to their visit to Louisiana.

We are pleased to welcome them. There is a bond between professional law enforcement officers that grows out of similar experiences whether the police officer is located in Wuhan Province, China with a population of 11 million or Jefferson Parish with a population of less than 500,000.

Police officers also share a common interest in technology. I have often said that it is technology that gives law enforcement an edge over criminals. This is true whether the police force numbers 20,000, as it does in Wuhan, or 1,500 as it does at the JPSO.

This year, our Chinese visitors were especially interested in our new JPSO Crime Lab, our bomb defusing robot, the use of tasers and the inventory of heavy equipment maintained by our LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) Division. Just as in Louisiana, the police in Wuhan have to be ready at all times for natural disasters that put the population at risk. In Louisiana, we worry about hurricanes, levee breaks and heavy rainfalls that cause devastating flooding. In China, they worry about earthquakes, tornadoes and flooding caused by heavy rainfalls or the collapse of dams. Our visitors were very interested in our experiences during Hurricane Katrina, what we learned from it and how we have revamped our emergency plans because of what we learned.

These exchanges between Chinese and U.S. police officers are the product of the innovative thinking of Dr. Henry Lee of Hartford, Conn. Dr. Lee is a long-time friend of the JPSO who helped us plan and design the new Crime Lab. It is a source of amusement to Dr. Lee and to us that each year, when asked to choose their favorite stop on their tour of the U.S., the Chinese visitors invariably say their best experience was their visit to Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. We are pleased that our Chinese friends enjoy Southern hospitality and we will try to continue to impress them with our professionalism, our equipment and our cordiality.

Future of JPSO Depends On Our Ability To Recruit,
Train Outstanding Individuals

There is plenty of elation and pride at the JPSO following our announcement that the seven major categories of crime dropped 13.6 percent in 2010 compared to 2009. The fact is that crime in unincorporated Jefferson Parish was the lowest it has been since 1974. This is an incredible achievement. The men and women of the JPSO have every right to be proud.

But, as proud as we are, we also know that what happened in 2010 has no impact on 2011. Our challenge is to be just as good, effective, determined and efficient in 2011 as we were in 2010. And, that is why the recent graduation of 33 recruits from the JPSO Training Academy to become full-fledged police officers in the JPSO is so important. The 1,500 men and women who work for the JPSO are one of the best law enforcement organizations in the state, in the region and in the nation. But, to stay at the level of excellence that we've reached, the JPSO must continue to recruit and train outstanding police officers who can meet our high standards.

I'm very enthused about or recent graduates. They were outstanding in all aspects of their training. Their grades were excellent, allowing each and everyone of them to pass the state examination to become a certified police officer. Much has already been said about Deputy Alton Wilson, the 61-year-old President of the recruit class. He is certainly a remarkable guy. Inspired by his participation in our JPSO Citizen's Academy, he sent in an application to become a member of the recruit class. It was soon obvious that Deputy Wilson is a 61-year-old capable of excelling in the classroom, in the field and on the firing range. And, he did. He not only was an outstanding student but also an outstanding leader for his recruit class.

I am certain that Deputy Wilson will be a very active JPSO Reserve officer who will excel in whatever assignments he is given. We welcome him to our ranks. If you might be interested in joining the JPSO, please call our Personnel Office at 376-2333. Perhaps you too can meet our high standards and become part of this remarkable organization.

At A Time When Many Families Are Struggling,
JPSO Gift Baskets Filled With Turkeys and Groceries
Truly Represent The Spirit of Christmas

Ordinarily, the volunteers of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office each year produce about 2,000 Thanksgiving baskets for needy families in Jefferson Parish. This year, because of the recession, our volunteers wanted to do more. The anonymous donor, who has been underwriting the cost of Thanksgiving baskets for some 25 years, generously agreed to provide the funding for Christmas baskets also because of the obvious need.

I’m just sorry that the public can’t see our JPSO volunteers at work. They are simply awesome. Each of them has their own families and friends to take care of in the holiday season but they have volunteered to provide Christmas baskets for people they don’t know and may never meet. They are a tremendous, hard-working and efficient work force who know how to get things done.

I am especially grateful to Cops & Clergy, our JPSO alliance with ministers on both the East and West Banks of Jefferson Parish. Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue, Sergeant David Green and Deputy Wayne Himes of Cops & Clergy were simply outstanding in this year’s volunteer effort. We could not have done this without the help of the clergy and our JPSO district commanders. We are also grateful to Roy Zuppardo who has adopted our cause and made it his own and the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Why do our JPSO volunteers take on this task? The answer lies in the faces of the senior citizens and the children when they see the turkey and the other goodies that fill the gift baskets. Even Scrooge’s heart would be melted by the elation of the recipients of the Thanksgiving and Christmas gift baskets. All of those who contributed to this incredible and efficient volunteer effort deserve a standing ovation. By their efforts, they assist us in defining the true meaning of Christmas by giving to those whose pantries were empty. In that spirit, please allow me to wish you a Happy New Year.

To All The Drivers Who Didn’t Drink and Drive,
Who Drove Defensively and Carefully,
Thank You Very Much For Saving Lives

From a traffic safety standpoint, I’m happy to say that 2010 was a very good year in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. We reduced the number of traffic fatalities from 13 in 2009 to four in 2010.

Part of the credit, I believe, goes to the men and women of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Our officers did a great job of cracking down on those who drink and drive. As I have said repeatedly, the JPSO is not opposed to partying and social drinking. We are very much opposed to drinking and driving. Every year, three-fourths of the traffic fatalities in Jefferson Parish are alcohol-related. Two things happen when you drink and then drive – the first is that your reflexes are slowed by the effects of the alcohol and the second is that the alcohol gives you an inflated sense of power that makes you want to drive a little faster, take a few more chances and increases the odds that something terrible will happen before you get home.

And, part of the credit goes to the men and women who drive in Jefferson Parish. I think thousands of drivers have taken to heart our efforts to drum home the message that drinking and driving are incompatible. I think that more than ever, the drivers who use the roadways of Jefferson Parish are calling a taxicab or a designated driver after partying. And, that’s all that we ask. Don’t drink and drive. Drive defensively. Be careful.

And, finally, I want to take this occasion to wish each of you a wonderful 2011. I hope that your holiday season is a time of joy and love when friends and family share the good times. Please continue to drive safely. Let’s all have a great 2011.

The Most Special and Generous Christmas Gifts
Come Straight From The Heart

The annual Children’s Hospital Toy Drive is a wonderful example of just how generous this community is.

Each year, the employees of more than 100 companies and organizations and their families from throughout the metro area reach into their pockets to purchase toys for children they don’t know and in all likelihood will never meet.

I am very proud that the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is one of the organizations that annually participate in the Children’s Hospital Toy Drive. I think that all of us who give are motivated in part by the fear that some child, lying in a bed at Children’s Hospital on Christmas Day, will go without gifts on the day when every boy and girl hopes to be remembered with presents. Indeed, I think the importance of a child being remembered is as important as the gift.

I think that because the employee’s of the Sheriff’s Office in the course of our work so often see children in terrible circumstances that is easy for us to imagine the heartbreak of a child forgotten on Christmas Day.

It is a source of great pride that we are part of this vast coalition of donors in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish who each year give thousands of gifts to the Children’s Hospital Toy Drive to be certain that no child is forgotten on Christmas Day.

I want to express my appreciation for the work of Alex Fisher, Jr., the West Bank resident, who got this annual toy drive started 19 years ago, and all the other volunteers who make the Toy Drive possible.

I am also grateful to the JPSO employees who give to the Toy Drive so generously. I know that JPSO families have their own children, grandchildren and relatives to select presents for. The fact that so many choose to give to anonymous children lying in hospital beds is a wonderful compliment to the generosity and caring of JPSO employees and their families.

Finally, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season. Please drive safely. May your holidays be filled with the laughter and love of family and friends.

JPSO Traffic Division Officers Doing Outstanding Job
Of Identifying, Arresting Drunken Drivers
Who Endanger Everyone On The Road

We are trying to change a harmful culture in Jefferson Parish. Historically, it has been considered no big deal to have a few drinks and then get behind the wheel of your vehicle and proceed home or on to another party.

From our perspective, as we study traffic fatalities, injuries and damage inflicted in traffic collisions, it is clear that alcohol is involved in almost three out of every four traffic accidents in unincorporated Jefferson. I want to emphasize that none of us at the JPSO are opposed to partying or social drinking. But we know, and you should know, that drinking and driving are incompatible. If you drink and drive, you increase the likelihood of being involved in a traffic accident by almost 75 percent.

The JPSO Traffic Division has taken the lead in our campaign to crack down on drunken drivers. Our DWI Checkpoints on both the East and West have led to the arrests of hundreds of persons who were driving while intoxicated. As we enter the final month of 2010, we have seen four traffic fatalities this year in unincorporated Jefferson, compared to 17 traffic fatalities in 2008 and 13 in 2009. Obviously, if we can maintain our present reduction in traffic fatalities, it would be a great achievement for all of us in Jefferson Parish. We will have saved lives.

We have plans for more DWI checkpoints on both the East and West Banks during the 2010 holiday season. We will be saturating both banks of the river with marked patrol cars looking for those who drink and drive. If you drink and drive, you will be arrested. You may lose your driver’s license. Jefferson Parish traffic court judges are cooperating with us. They have no sympathy for those who drink and drive.

So I am asking you, your family and your friends to emphasize safety this holiday season and throughout 2011. If you drink, don’t drive. Appoint a designated driver who isn’t drinking. Please drive defensively, don’t run red lights and STOP means STOP. Reduce your speed and don’t drive recklessly. If you find yourself running late, don’t worry about it. It’s much better to be late than to be involved in a traffic accident that puts your life and the lives of others at risk.

Finally, let’s all combine our efforts to make this holiday season both the most joyous in memory and the safest that Jefferson Parish has seen in many years. Enjoy the holiday season. Stay safe, and Happy Holidays.

The JPSO Thanks The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
For Their Constant Support and Encouragement

I really enjoyed my recent opportunity to address the Jefferson Parish Chamber of Commerce. They are great business and civic leaders who are committed to the greatness of Jefferson Parish, both as a center of business and a wonderful, safe place to live.

It was a special pleasure to share with them the news that we will at year’s end be able to report a 10 percent decrease in the seven major categories of crime when compared to 2009. That is certainly good news and gives further weight to the point that Jefferson Parish is one of the safest places to live and work of its size in the United States.

That is also a reflection of the fact that the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is and will continue to be one of the best law enforcement agencies in our region. That is a credit to the 1,500 men and women of the JPSO and also to the taxpayers of Jefferson Parish who have made it clear that safe streets is their highest priority. We are a well-trained, well-equipped and well-prepared law enforcement agency that knows what to do, how to do it and goes about doing our job every day.

All of this gives us reason to be very optimistic about the future of Jefferson Parish, both as an economic engine for the region and as a good place to live and raise a family.

At the same time, even as we emphasize our optimism, there is no getting around the fact that the illegal drug trade has been contained, not eradicated. So long as an 18 or 19-year-old drug dealer can earn $800 a day, there will be those who become drug dealers even if they realize that their inevitable fate will be prison or death at the hands of rival drug dealers. We will continue to arrest drug dealers and District Attorney Paul Connick will continue to convict drug dealers. But so long as new drug dealer recruits step forward to take the place of those who fall, the illegal drug trade will continue to be a problem not just in Jefferson Parish but everywhere.

Still, all things considered, as we come to the end of 2010, all of us who reside in Jefferson Parish have much to be thankful for. We live in a safe place where, despite the recession, there are thousands of good jobs. Hopefully, the recession will begin to fade in 2011 and our economy will become even stronger. I told the Chamber that I am very optimistic about the future of Jefferson Parish and I hope that you are too.

The Thanksgiving Baskets Prepared and Delivered
By JPSO and Our Partners Came From The Heart

Nowhere in the job description of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office does it say that we are required to assemble and deliver 2,000 Thanksgiving baskets, complete with turkeys and groceries. Joining with a group of wonderful partners, we gladly prepared and helped deliver the Thanksgiving baskets because we know they are needed and also because it made us feel good to help deserving people.

The JPSO has been giving Thanksgiving baskets for many years, but never so many as this year. It was certainly appropriate that we deliver 2,000 baskets in 2010 because there are so many homes in Jefferson Parish that were faced with a very bare Thanksgiving unless some help was received.

We had so many partners in our efforts this year. We are grateful to Cops & Clergy, a collaboration between the JPSO and churches on both the East and West Banks. Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue, Sergeant David Green and Deputy Wayne Hines were outstanding in their efforts to help the clergy identify needy families and then deliver the completed baskets.

This year, we were joined by Roy Zuppardo, who is President of the Second Harvest Food Bank. He is an experienced executive who retired from the Zuppardo family grocery chain and he did a wonderful job for us. His expertise was a key factor in our being able to purchase enough groceries for 2,000 baskets to feed a family of four for several days.

Second Harvest made their facilities in Elmwood available to us, including their refrigeration system. Then, there was an anonymous donor who for many years has helped make the JPSO Thanksgiving baskets possible. Mr. Zuppardo probably summed it up for all of us when he said, “For many families in Jefferson Parish, Thanksgiving is a crisis because they don’t have anything to eat. Thanks to the JPSO and its partners, 2,000 families who might otherwise have done without had plenty to eat. I’m just proud to be part of such a wonderful team.”

I especially want to thank Captain Danny Blanchard and the volunteers from his Judicial Division who organized this massive effort and all the members of the JPSO who volunteered to help make sure that every Thanksgiving basket was filled to overflowing.

I hope too that Thanksgiving was a wonderful time for you and your family. It’s a pleasure and an honor for all of us at the JPSO to be able to give back to our community. Knowing that we had helped others made the Thanksgiving that we enjoyed with our families all the more special.

JPSO “Day At The Park” Is A Lot of Fun,
But There Is A Serious Side To It As Well

If you and your family haven’t ever attended a JPSO “Day At The Park,” held each year at Lafreniere Park, you really ought to plan on joining us next October for this fun event.

It is an opportunity to see the full range of vehicles, boats, helicopters and other tools that we use to do our job. It’s also an opportunity to see our nationally-recognized JPSO SWAT Team go through a series of drills, using helicopters, boats and armored vehicles. And, it’s likely that your kids will be fascinated by the JPSO drug-sniffing dogs that put on exhibitions of their remarkable ability to find hidden objects. They may even get a chance to pet Rex, a yellow Labrador who is one of the top drug-sniffing dogs in the nation.

But, there is also a serious side to JPSO “Day At The Park” from our point of view. This celebration of what we do also presents a relaxed opportunity for you, the taxpayers of Jefferson Parish, to meet members of the JPSO in a casual setting and get to know each other better. As I have often said, every time one of our officers gets in a JPSO helicopter, truck or armored vehicle or uses our state-of-the-art communications system, we should remember to be grateful to Jefferson Parish taxpayers who have made it possible for the JPSO to be one of the best-equipped law enforcement agencies in our region.

From my point of view, that is the most important outcome of “Day At The Park.”

We are extremely fortunate in Jefferson Parish to have an excellent relationship that binds our Sheriff’s Office closely to the community. That relationship has been built over the years and, in my opinion, it is as firm today as it has ever been. But the way to maintain that relationship in part is through events like “Day At The Park” where the public and police officers can enjoy each other’s company and get to know each other as friends.

I am also pleased to report that there were many compliments and few criticisms of my hamburger and hot dog grilling talents. I promise to practice up so that I’m at the very top of my grilling game next year for the JPSO “Day At The Park.” Please mark your calendar and plan on joining us next year at Lafreniere Park.

JPSO Is Glad To Work Cooperatively
With the Jefferson Parish
Mental Health Task Force

One of the most difficult and challenging tasks imposed on the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is the primary responsibility for handling commitments of the mentally ill.

There was a time when mental health agencies, who know a lot more about mental illness than do police officers, had this responsibility. We provided assistance but most of the work was done by medical professionals. However, with the state financial deficits and sharp cutbacks of beds and services available for the mentally ill, the responsibility for handling commitments has been increasingly shifted to law enforcement agencies, including the JPSO.

We are fortunate at the JPSO that our ranks include two officers who have been nationally recognized for their expertise in working with the mentally ill. They are Lieutenant Gil Rieth and Detective Keith Reaves. We are also fortunate that the entire mental health community in Jefferson Parish, including all the hospitals in the parish, have rallied to the task and are cooperatively working together to make sure there are facilities available for Lieutenant Rieth and Detective Reaves to deliver these patients.

However, the bad news is that even more cuts in mental health services are coming at the state level so the task of the Jefferson Parish Mental Health Task Force may soon become even more difficult.

Nevertheless, we welcome their intervention, assistance and cooperative attitude. We are delighted to work together with the Mental Health Task Force. All of our agencies are united by a desire to be sure that the mentally ill do not slip through the Jefferson Parish safety net.

I want to express my personal appreciation to Captain B.J. Wortmann, Commander of Project STAR; Lieutenant Rieth; Detective Reaves and other JPSO officers who have worked on the commitments of the mentally ill, as well as all the members of the Mental Health Task Force. The care of the mentally ill in times of sharp budget cutbacks is a huge challenge and responsibility. We are all committed to doing the right thing for the mentally ill, although forthcoming budgets may make that job even more difficult than it is at present.

JPSO Crime Lab Represents Commitment
To Technology In The Fight Against Crime

I have often said that technology is the most important edge that law enforcement has in the fight against crime. The best example of our commitment to technology is the new $16 million, 45,000 square foot Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab.

This is the first time in JPSO history that all the elements of the Crime Lab are together under one roof. The new building is state-of-the-art and is widely considered the finest Crime Lab in the Gulf South. It will serve us well for many years to come.

The purpose of the Crime Lab is to develop and present scientific evidence that will help the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office obtain convictions. In an era when many jurors are the fans of television shows like CSI and “Law & Order,” there is an expectation that a Crime Lab will present scientifically irrefutable evidence that proves the accused is indeed guilty of the crime. While the TV shows are often exaggerated, it is absolutely true that in this day and age, a Sheriff’s Office needs an excellent Crime Scene unit, a serology laboratory, a DNA Lab, the latest fingerprint technology, an indoor shooting range for elaborate real-time crime scene reconstruction as well as processing labs for analyzing clothing for gunshot residue.

With the new Crime Lab, we will be well-fixed to produce the kind of scientific evidence that prosecutors need to convict criminals.

For those of us who remember the original JPSO Crime Lab of 35 years ago, the new four-story facility is like a space ship ready to take off. We are especially grateful to Milton Dureau, Director of Laboratory Services, and Colonel Tim Scanlan, Crime Lab Director, both of whom helped plan the new building.

No expression of delight about the Crime Lab can be complete without expressing our thanks to the taxpayers of Jefferson Parish who have made safe streets their top priority. The purpose of the new Crime Lab is to provide the evidence that will secure convictions and make the safe streets that we all seek attainable.

When Deciding on Gifts To Non-Profit Organizations,
Please Be Sure To Include Crimestoppers On Your List

I recently attended two fundraisers that attracted large crowds of citizens from throughout the metro area and raised tens of thousands of dollars for Crimestoppers.

It seems to me that is good news. Crimestoppers, a non-profit organization that solicits anonymous tips in the fight against crime, deserves tremendous support from the community. Crimestoppers, under the excellent leadership of Darlene Cusanza and a board of unpaid volunteers, is a crucial organization in the fight against crime. Very often, people who have inside knowledge about a crime and the criminals who perpetrated the crime, will only talk if they are certain that their information is given anonymously and will lead to their receiving a cash reward.

Crimestoppers, since 1981, gives them that assurance. For a variety of reasons, the people who can identify the criminals responsible for a crime, don’t want to talk to the police or anyone associated with the police. Crimestoppers fills the role of a go-between whose only interest is tracking down a criminal whose identity might otherwise not be known. The informant can feel safe in dealing with Crimestoppers.

There is no better example of how effective Crimestoppers can be than the recent case where a 2-year-old was murdered by bullets fired in a New Orleans drive-by shooting. Crimestoppers quickly posted a major reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooters. Almost just as quickly, Crimestoppers’ phone began ringing with tips that led to the arrests of persons that New Orleans police believe was responsible for the child’s death. In Jefferson, we have also seen on many occasions that Crimestoppers is incredibly effective.

New Orleans Police Chief Ronal Serpas is a friend of long standing. I am very pleased that New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu selected Chief Serpas to lead the NOPD. Just for laughs, Chief Serpas and I recently swapped uniforms for a Crimestoppers fundraiser. He came as a JPSO officer and I came in the uniform of an NOPD officer. But, as Chief Serpas noted, the larger point is that we work well together and cooperate. We both want the same thing – safe streets in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish.

I know that you have many hard choices to make as you decide where you will send your philanthropic dollars. There are literally hundreds of deserving non-profit organizations in our metro area. I urge you to give serious consideration to Crimestoppers. It is a wonderful non-profit organization that is a crucial element in the fight against crime. We need Crimestoppers to be fully funded to help us capture the criminals who threaten our regional community.

Juvenile Crime Is A Threat
To Quality of Life We Enjoy In Jefferson Parish

Juvenile crime is a growing threat to the safe streets of Jefferson Parish. Juvenile offenders are more brazen and violent than ever before.

I certainly do not mean to suggest that every child in Jefferson Parish is a juvenile delinquent. The vast majority of young people in our parish go to school, follow the rules and don’t cause any serious problems for their parents or for law enforcement. But, the minority of children who choose to deliberately and maliciously violate our laws are more dangerous and violent than any of the juvenile delinquents of years past.

Fortunately, for Jefferson Parish, the JPSO Juvenile Crimes Division does an excellent job in dealing with juvenile crime. Led by Captain Michael Alwert, the Juvenile Division includes experienced officers who are knowledgeable about juvenile crime and know first hand many of the juveniles who break the law. It is ironic, as Captain Alwert notes, that our Juvenile Division officers with 20 years experience now find themselves arresting the children of individuals who were arrested as juvenile delinquents when they were children.

We work constantly with the Juvenile Court judges, the District Attorney and Jefferson Parish legislative delegation to strengthen the laws involving juvenile delinquency. It concerns Captain Alwert, the judges, the DAs and all of us that many of the juveniles who are arrested have no fear or concern of the Juvenile Court or possible punishments they might receive. Where there is no respect for the law, there is often fearless criminal activity. This is a serious problem that deserves consideration by our entire community.

JPSO Secretaries Deserve Recognition
For the Great Work That They Do

I am in complete agreement with my colleagues who have lavished much-deserved praise on the secretaries of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. All of us who work at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office know at first hand that the secretaries play a crucial role in the workings of our organization. In the 30 years that I have spent at the JPSO, I have seen countless examples of secretaries providing the efficient work that makes a difference. We are both a family and a team at the JPSO. Every successful arrest, every life saved and every crime solved is a credit to every member of our family.

In my own career, I have been incredibly fortunate in working with my executive assistant, Toma Kass, for the past 17 years. She is a 22-year employee of the JPSO. I am also fortunate in being able to work with my secretary, Tracy Eddy, a 25-year JPSO employee. I agree also with the praise that has been showered on Shirley Guagliardo, 35-year JPSO employee; Linda Lusignan, a 30-year JPSO employee, and Harriet Turner, a 28-year JPSO employee. Part of what makes our organization so successful is the abundance of outstanding employees who could retire but instead choose to continue working because it gives them satisfaction and fulfillment to do so. I have worked with Ms. Guagliardo, Ms. Lusignan and Ms. Turner. They are excellent at their jobs and I hope they keep coming to work for many years to come.

I think Shirley Guagliardo put it best when she said, “I keep coming to work everyday because I like the people and I like the work. Being around the people and the work makes me feel good.” If you went from department to department at the JPSO, you would find employees – police officers, clerical personnel, secretaries and others – who have 20, 25, 30, 35 and even 40 years experience and keep coming to work every day because they like the people they work with and their jobs.

We have a remarkable team at the JPSO. If you think that you might enjoy joining our special family, please call the JPSO Personnel Department at 376-2333.

Project Star is A Good Idea
That Has Gotten Better With Age

I can still remember the hard work that went into the development of the Project Star concept back in 1993.

Back then, one of the major problems facing Jefferson Parish and the JPSO was the appearance of scores of street corner drug dealers selling crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is highly addictive and those who use it often turn to crime to fund further purchases of crack cocaine

One of the roles of Project Star from the beginning was to locate officers in Jefferson’s highest crime neighborhoods and arrest street corner drug dealers.

Today, the fact that Project Star officers are still arresting a new generation of street corner crack cocaine dealers is a comment on the profit margins in the illegal dope business that cause young people to ply that trade even knowing they will be arrested and sentenced to jail.

In addition, we have found many other uses for Project Star officers. They work closely with Jefferson Parish Code Enforcement, handle JPSO extraditions and mental health commitments.

In most instances, law enforcement task forces have a short life and soon are terminated because they have served their purpose. But Project Star is a good idea that has gotten better with the passing years and continues to have an excellent future before it.

We Appreciate The Determination
Of Recruits Who Meet Our High Standards

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has been fortunate over the years to attract high-caliber individuals who are interested in careers in law enforcement.

The current class at the JPSO Training Academy is a good example of our recruiting success. They are attending classes at night in a six-month program. It is very demanding and made all the more so because most members of the class have full-time jobs during the day and family responsibilities as well. To handle all of these responsibilities at work and at home as well as in the classroom requires a lot of determination and focus. Those are the same qualities that will make them successful police officers.

Recruits who attend the JPSO Training Academy must excel both scholastically and in the field, which includes handling weapons, self defense as well as maximizing personal strength and endurance.

Much of the credit for our outstanding recruit classes goes to the JPSO Personnel Department which does an excellent job of identifying the kind of experience and the characteristics that make success as a police officer likely. For example, we have found over the years that recruits with a background in the military are most likely to do well at the Training Academy and as police officers.

We are especially fortunate at the JPSO that we have many outstanding role models and mentors who have had long careers. It is from these veterans that our recruits learn about the pride and high standards that are required at the JPSO.

If you know of someone who might want to learn more about a career in law enforcement, please suggest to them that they call the JPSO Personnel Department at 376-2333.

Realistic Training Prepares JPSO Officers
For Life-and-Death Situations

Most JPSO officers go through a 30-year career without ever firing their weapons, except on the firing range.

But, each year, several JPSO officers find themselves in situations where they must decide whether or not to fire their weapons. Often, in these situations, innocent bystanders are nearby. Frequently, so are other JPSO officers. Therefore, it is critical that if our officers fire their weapons that they fire accurately without placing bystanders or other officers in jeopardy.

It is my belief that the best way to prepare officers for these dangerous situations is through realistic training that includes the use of live ammunition. That is the essence of the advanced firearms training that I have made mandatory for every JPSO officer who carries a weapon.

There is no way for us to know which of our 1,400 officers will find themselves in a situation where he or she must decide whether to fire their weapon and at whom. So we are going to prepare everyone in the JPSO who might find themselves in a life-and-death situation on how to handle it.

I am very appreciative of the work of JPSO Captain Jeff Eddy, Commander of our Firing Range, and his staff who have come up with an excellent curriculum for the advanced firearms training program. Many of the officers who have been through the training have pronounced it to be outstanding. It reflects my belief that realistic training for police officers protects the community and saves lives.

If A Storm Threatens,
Is Your Hurricane Evacuation Plan
Ready To Be Implemented?

At the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, we spend thousands of hours planning our response to a hurricane.

I hope that your hurricane plan, which should include evacuation if necessary, is ready to be implemented. As we all know, the fact that we haven’t had a hurricane head our way yet is no cause for celebration. We are still in the September danger zone.

So, I hope that your hurricane evacuation plan is drawn up in detail. As we all learned during Hurricane Katrina, riding out a storm is not a good idea. If an evacuation order is given for Jefferson Parish, everyone needs to go.

If your evacuation plan calls for staying with friends or relatives, have you worked out the arrangements in detail? If you need special medications for members of your family, have you stored them away? Do you have copies of important documents in a waterproof container, ready to go with you when you evacuate? Have you made plans for your pets? I could go on and on with another hundred questions but I’m sure you’ve gotten the point. A hurricane evacuation plan involves hundreds of details. You don’t want to wait until a hurricane is in the Gulf to start planning. Another lesson of Hurricane Katrina is that the sooner you leave, the easier your evacuation will be. The longer you wait to leave, the more traffic you’ll have to contend with.

We are all hoping that we’ll remember 2010 as a year when it wasn’t necessary to evacuate. So far, so good! But the hurricane season is far from over and there is no reason to become complacent. At the JPSO, we take hurricane preparation, planning and response very seriously. I’m hoping that you take hurricane planning and evacuation just as seriously as we do.

Thanks To American Legion For
Recognition Of Outstanding JPSO Officers

All of us at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office are grateful to the American Legion Post 222 for their recognition of two outstanding JPSO officers.

The recognition of Detective Rhonda Goff as Police Officer of the Year is certainly fitting. Detective Goff’s arrest of three gunmen outside of the Gomez Bar in 2008 set in motion the roundup of the five men who participated in the holdup of the bar and the murders of three victims. Today, two of the five holdup men have been convicted and the other three are awaiting trial. If Detective Goff had not stopped her car and gone to investigate two men dragging a third man outside the bar, it is far from certain that any of the holdup gang would have been identified and arrested.

Detective Goff, now assigned to the JPSO Homicide Bureau, is blessed with a special instinct that often tells experienced police officers that something isn’t quite right and requires a closer look.

She is indeed an excellent choice for Police Officer of the Year. All of us who work with her are pleased that she has been recognized locally and nationally.

The American Legion’s recognition of Deputy Manuel Estrada was also fitting. Finding himself confronted by an armed man threatening to kill himself, Deputy Estrada held his ground for 45 minutes just 10 feet away from the gun. Like Detective Goff, Deputy Estrada is blessed with a policeman’s instinct that told him the threatened suicide could be averted if he could win the trust of the man with the gun. Forty-five harrowing minutes later, the man with the gun agreed to give up the weapon and to go with JPSO officers to the hospital for medical and psychological treatment.

I agree with Mel Gaspard, Commander of American Legion Post 222 in Marrero, that the awards given to Detective Goff and Deputy Estrada are reflective of the special bond that links the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the community we serve. There is a special bond between the JPSO and the people of Jefferson Parish that unites us in the ongoing battle to keep the street of Jefferson safe.

This bond is reflected in the awards given our officers by the American Legion and in the commitment and professionalism of Detective Goff and Deputy Estrada. At the JPSO, we are very proud that we have seen significant reductions in the seven major categories of crime during 2010. We are also proud that we get to work every day with outstanding law enforcement officers like Detective Rhonda Goff and Deputy Manuel Estrada.

Louisiana Special Olympics Is A Wonderful Cause

There are many wonderful, non-profit causes in our state that are deserving of our support and best efforts. At the very top of my personal list of good causes is the Louisiana Special Olympics.

It’s difficult to convey the full meaning and emotional impact of seeing hundreds of children and adults with disabilities participating in a Special Olympics. You really have to see it for yourself to fully appreciate the work of Louisiana Special Olympics. Let me just say that the spectacle fully lives up to the motto of the Special Olympics, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” All of those Special Olympians are very brave and it will tug at your heart to behold their courageous efforts.

That is why my colleagues at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and I are pleased to assist the Louisiana Special Olympics’ annual fundraising effort known as “Over The Edge.”

Here in Louisiana, it is a two-part event. The first part is an opportunity to rappel from the roof of the Benson Tower 26 stories to the ground. This is made possible by the participation of Rita Benson LeBlanc, Vice President of the New Orleans Saints and a great supporter of Louisiana Special Olympics. Ms. Benson LeBlanc and I rappelled from the roof of the Benson Tower at the same time and I can tell you that in a short time she has become an expert at rappelling.

The second part of “Over The Edge” is an opportunity to fly a JPSO helicopter to our Training Academy on the West Bank. There, with the assistance of members of the JPSO SWAT Team, “Over The Edge” participants get to perform SWAT Team drills and fire SWAT Team weapons on our indoor firing range. Obviously, this is a rare opportunity and the 42 “Over The Edge” participants had a great time.

In Louisiana, Special Olympics have an annual budget of more than $2.5 million so every contribution is important and appreciated. I hope that you will consider either participating in “Over The Edge” next year or sponsoring someone who would enjoy this rare opportunity. This year, we had 42 participants in “Over The Edge” and we’d love to double that number in 2011. Thanks to this year’s participants and to the members of the JPSO SWAT Team who were excellent hosts for our visitors. Special thanks to Rita Benson LeBlanc who helped organize this year’s event and is already thinking about next year. Please give whatever you can to support the Louisiana Special Olympics. It’s a cause well worth supporting.

If Defensive Driving Is Crucial For The Public,
Then It’s Also Important For Police Officers

For many years before I was elected Sheriff of Jefferson Parish, one of my jobs was reviewing every JPSO accident report.

One of the things that I learned from that job is that even the most experienced driver can have a momentary lapse and back into a telephone pole. It can happen to anyone and those who don’t understand how easy it is to be completely distracted don’t know themselves very well.

If you read this column occasionally, you probably know that I am near-fanatical when it comes to emphasizing defensive driving techniques. I constantly tell members of the public that the most important traffic safety technique is defensive driving. I like to emphasize that you should be aware of every vehicle around you and you should be prepared to react just in case one of those drivers does something that is incredibly dumb and dangerous.

As I look at the dozens of JPSO accident reports, it is also clear to me that it isn’t just the driving public that needs to be reminded of the importance of defensive driving. I think we have hundreds of expert drivers in the JPSO who have spent many years and thousands of hours behind the wheel of their vehicle in every possible circumstance. But, even so, the most expert of our drivers have lapses that lead to accidents. After the smash-up, their first comment often is, “I honestly don’t know how that could have happened.”

That is why I have mandated a defensive driving course for each of our employees. There is a classroom component and a driving component to the course. We are using the AARP Driver Safety Program which I think is the best that is available.

Safe driving requires focus. Members of the public have thousands of accidents in Jefferson Parish every year because drivers aren’t focused on safe driving. There are thousands of possible distractions competing for the attention of drivers, from kids in the back seat to a ringing cell phone. The same is true for a police officer who has to have a multi-track brain that enables them to focus on safe driving while listening to a dispatcher and being aware of what is happening on an adjacent sidewalk. That isn’t easy, but it can be done and done well.

The point of the defensive driving course I now require for our police officers is to put traffic safety in the front of their priorities. I hope you will take the view that if defensive driving is absolutely essential for a police officer, then it is surely equally important for the driving public. Please drive defensively. Please drive safely.

If We Can Stop People From Drinking and Driving,
We Can Reduce Traffic Accidents, Injuries and Deaths

I have for a long time believed there is a direct correlation between drinking and driving and traffic accidents, property damage, injuries and even deaths.

This year, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has put tremendous emphasis on cracking down on drinking and driving. We have each month set up DWI checkpoints on the East and West Banks in areas we believe are prone to DWI arrests and accidents involving injuries and fatalities. Many of our officers are now certified to give Field Sobriety Tests that are acceptable in court. We have in every way possible sent out the message, “Do not drink and drive in Jefferson Parish. We’re not against those who choose to drink and have a good time. But, if you chose to drink, then bring along a designated driver or call a taxicab to take you home.”

I am very pleased that as of August 1, 2010, there have only been two traffic fatalities in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. I believe that is the lowest number of traffic fatalities recorded as of August 1 in the last 15 years. In 2009, there were 13 traffic fatalities in unincorporated Jefferson and in 2008, there were 17 traffic fatalities. While it is too early to say for sure, it is very likely there is a clear link between our crackdown on drinking and driving and the reduction in traffic fatalities.

I hope you will take this as seriously as I do. If you’re going to drink, plan ahead and include a designated driver or call a taxicab. Anyone who gets behind the wheel of their vehicle after drinking vastly increases the chances that they will be involved in an accident. In Jefferson Parish, the high volume of accidents, property damage, injuries and deaths is directly connected to the habit of drinking and driving. To save lives, avoid injuries and reduce the terrible property damage involved in traffic accidents, we have to change the culture. The message I would like everyone to understand is that it is not socially acceptable to drive and drive while under the influence.

The other thing I would ask you to do is to become conscious of driving defensively. The volume of traffic in Jefferson Parish is higher than it has ever been. You can significantly reduce the odds of your being in an accident if you drive within the posted speed limit, don’t run red lights, don’t slide through stop signs and don’t drive recklessly.

My hope is that we can go through the rest of the year without another traffic fatality in Jefferson Parish. That would be a wonderful, life-saving accomplishment. Please help me with this most important message by sharing this with your family and friends.

Senior Citizens, Please Beware Of
Fraudulent Contractors

If it were possible to bring together all the senior citizen homeowners of Jefferson Parish in a big stadium, one of the primary things I would want to warn them against is allowing fraudulent contractors to work on their homes.

But, how, you might ask, is a senior citizen to know who is a fraudulent contractor and who is a legitimate contractor?

One major clue is that in Jefferson Parish, legitimate contractors don’t go door to door trying to talk homeowners into letting them work on their roofs. Legitimate contractors don’t have to do that. They have plenty of work. People call them. If an alleged contractor rings your doorbell and tells you that he’s seen a defect in your roof and offers to fix it for you, there is a 99.9 percent likelihood this is a fraudulent contractor. Don’t let him in the door. Don’t give him permission to work on your property. If he won’t leave, call the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and we’ll send out a car to be sure he leaves. We’ll also check to see if he’s wanted for bilking other senior citizens.

It’s a shame to have to report that there are probably hundreds of fraudulent contractors who come to Jefferson Parish for the specific purpose of bilking senior citizens. They pretend to work on a senior citizen’s home and then present them an outrageous bill for work that was never actually done.

I’m pleased to report that the JPSO recently arrested Robbie Wharton, Jr. of Gonzales and his son, Robbie Wharton III who pleaded guilty to bilking 29 Jefferson Parish senior citizens out of $87,000 for work that was never done. That is, we know of 29 victims of this duo. There may have been many more. Often, senior citizens realize they have been cheated but are so embarrassed that they don’t report the fraud.

A Jefferson Parish judge sentenced the Wharton’s to 10 years in prison, but then suspended the sentence. He placed them on five years probation and ordered them, under the supervision of the court, to repay their victims the sum of $90,000.

Credit for the arrest goes to Colonel Ken Meynard, head of JPSO Property Crimes section; Detective Stanley Brown and Sergeant Troy Bradberry.

It was these officers who were able to identify the Wharton’s from the descriptions they received from the victims, tracked them to Gonzales, made the arrest and worked with the Jefferson Parish DA’s Office to compile such a strong case that the Wharton’s entered a guilty plea. Of the Wharton’s 29 victims that we found, the youngest was in his 70s and the oldest was in his 90s.

But there are many other fraudulent contractors trying to find senior citizens of whom they can take advantage. All of us who have senior citizen parents and grandparents living in Jefferson Parish need to be sure they are aware of the threat that fraudulent contractors pose to their savings. The safest course for senior citizens is to never allow alleged contractors who ring your doorbell to work on your home. And, if they persist and won’t leave the premises, please call the JPSO. We’ll help you get rid of them.

How To Save Our Children:
Teach Them Self-Discipline,
Develop Their Talents,
No Drugs, A College Diploma

In the course of 30 years in the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, I have seen thousands of children who have gone wrong and wasted their lives.

But, I have also seen thousands of children who, with the help of their parents, teachers, clergy and mentors, have gotten it right. These children have gone on to become responsible adults, raising their own families with a deep commitment to their community.

And, that is why, with a lot of help from my friends, I have created the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Band of Excellence. It is a marching band that will also give stage performances. I hope the band will one day number 165 and will be spoken of as the best band in our region. I know that is a tall order, but it’s my dream.

But excellence in music is only the start of what I dream about. I want the Band of Excellence to become an institution in Jefferson Parish that stands for excellence in all things – excellence in the classroom, excellence in the band room, excellence in performances, excellence in personal conduct and no drugs. My dream is that the Band of Excellence will instill in each of its members an unwavering commitment to go to college and earn a diploma. I know from my experiences in the Sheriff’s Office that a young person who goes to college and earns a diploma is on the right track to a good, productive life.

Although the Band of Excellence is only in its initial phase, there are already so many people I have to thank. I have tapped many of my friends who have donated more than $125,000 for instruments, band uniforms and other essentials. I’m sorry to say that I’m going to have to continue raising more money if we’re going to provide 165 kids uniforms and instruments.

I’m indebted to Band Director Hezekiah Brinson, Jr. and Assistant Band Director John Summers who are doing a great job of shaping the Band of Excellence. We look forward to working with the ministers of Cops and Clergy who have given us tremendous support. I am grateful also to JPSO Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue and JPSO Sergeant David Green who have taken care of thousands of details in bringing my dream to reality.

Finally, although I am not nearly as talented a musician as the members of the Band of Excellence, I hope that one day they will invite me to join the drum line and perform with them. For a frustrated musician who admires real talent, that’s about as good as it could possibly get.

Another Group of Promising Recruits Make
Their Way Through JPSO’s Demanding Curriculum

We’re very proud of the fact that the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is a good place to work.

Many of our officers are 20, 25, 30 and 35 year veterans. Some could have retired years ago but chose to stay on because they enjoy the work and their colleagues. Part of what makes the JPSO such an exceptional and effective organization is that we have so much senior leadership who really love their work and their colleagues.

But none of us can go on forever and none of us is irreplaceable. That is why we put so much emphasis on recruiting and graduating strong classes from the JPSO Training Academy.

I am very impressed by the potential of the recruits now making their way through the demanding and arduous JPSO Training Academy curriculum. The group of 35 recruits includes 15 women, which is more than in most classes. Like other JPSO recruit classes, this group includes a significant number of military veterans. We have found over the years that those who have military training in their background often make the best transition into law enforcement.

What is really unusual is the inclusion of a 61-year-old recruit in the group. In terms of years, Al Wilson is certainly one of the most senior recruits at the Training Academy. He applied for a slot in our recruit class after completing the JPSO Citizen’s Academy. Mr. Wilson has excellent credentials, having retired from a career as a civilian employee of the U.S. Coast Guard.

His fellow recruits have elected him as their Class President. We are delighted that Mr. Wilson was so impressed by our Citizen’s Academy that he wanted to join the JPSO.

Of course, Mr. Wilson and his fellow recruits still have more than four months to go. They will be tested many times, both on the academic side and their field training skills, including self-defense and firearms. I wish them well and look forward to their graduation.

JPSO Is Protecting Jefferson Canal Embankments
By Reducing Fast-Proliferating Nutria Population

Prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the JPSO SWAT Team regularly shot the thousands of nutria who live in the Jefferson Parish canal embankments. The nutria destroy the embankments by uprooting the vegetation and tunneling, at a cost of more than $750,000 a year to the parish.

After Hurricane Katrina, the JPSO was short of personnel and could no longer spare our sharpshooters to contend with the nutria population.

Interim Parish President Steve Theriot and the Parish Council recently agreed to help subsidize the cost of nutria control and we signed a two-year contract that commenced on May 25.

Since then, our sharpshooters from the JPSO SWAT Team have eliminated more than 1,300 nutria and Jefferson Parish Public Works Director Kalikhani Alikhani says that the reduction of the nutria population is saving Jefferson hundreds of thousands of dollars that previously needed to be used for drainage canal embankment upkeep.

We’re very pleased that we can be of assistance to the parish. Our SWAT Team members have done an excellent, safe job of shooting nutria without endangering any of the households adjacent to drainage canals. This requires great skill, constant focus and outstanding professionalism. Each five-member shooting team includes two shooters, a safety officer and a spotter. The fifth officer parks a patrol car with all of its lights ablaze next to the Drainage Department truck to alert oncoming traffic that they need to drive around the two vehicles. The shooting is done between midnight and 5 a.m. when traffic is lightest.

The parish is also going to embark on a pilot program to trap nutria. The pilot program will be carried out over a three-month period. The results of the pilot program will determine the effectiveness and financial affordability of trapping.

We’re glad to work with the Parish President, the Parish Council and the Drainage Department in an effort to control the nutria population of Jefferson Parish and maintain the drainage canal embankments. Much credit goes to our SWAT Team that has handled this assignment with safety as their first priority.

JPSO Commitment To Latest Technology
Draws International Attention

If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that I believe that the use and mastery of technology is law enforcement’s perpetual edge in the fight against crime.

The inclusion of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in a U.S. tour by police officials from Fujian Province in China is another in a long series of compliments that tell us our interest and expertise in law enforcement technology has drawn the attention of police leaders throughout the world.

The delegation of 20 middle management police officials from Fujian Province came to Jefferson Parish to watch our communications, crime lab, LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue), incarceration and fingerprinting technology, equipment, facilities and personnel in action. They also visited the New York City Police Department, the Connecticut State Police and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, all of which are a lot larger than the JPSO which has responsibility for unincorporated Jefferson Parish. To be included in that list is quite a compliment for us. In addition, the Fujian Provincial Public Security forces oversee a population of 32 million with more than 40,000 police officers. While the sheer numbers are almost beyond our imagination, the technology applied at a crime scene or in a crime lab can be exactly the same, whether the location is in Central China or the Southeastern United States.

We are very pleased to host the police officers from Fujian Province. We are honored by the visit of the delegation from Fujian headed by Deputy Director General Shi Zhiquiang. I am appreciative of the efforts of the JPSO Community Relations Division that arranged the tour in Jefferson for the officers from Fujian. Lieutenant Bill Stravinsky who headed this effort for us did a fine job. We look forward to future visits from overseas police delegations. I think there will be special national and international interest in our new state-of-the-art Crime Lab that will be completed and opened this fall.

Working With BP, Coast Guard,
Jefferson Parish, Grand Isle
To Turn Back The Oil

I am incredibly proud of the men and women of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office who have been assigned to provide security for the tremendous effort at Grand Isle to turn back the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

We have 44 officers in Grand Isle, as well as many of our JPSO helicopters, boats, trucks and four-wheel all-terrain vehicles. Our officers are in Grand Isle for a week or more at a time, away from their families. We do all that we can to make them comfortable, but it is a sacrifice for them. Our officers have responded superbly. They have a great attitude, work very hard often under difficult conditions and are doing an excellent job.

In fact, just moving all the JPSO equipment quickly to Grand Isle was quite a feat. Give credit to the JPSO LASER (Land Air Sea Emergency Rescue) for their fast response time. The lessons we learned from Hurricane Katrina have served us in good stead during the oil spill.

We have formed a unified Jefferson Parish command in Grand Isle with the Jefferson Parish Homeland Security team and with Grand Isle officials led by Mayor David Carmadelle. I am just really sorry that neither BP nor the federal government has consulted more with the Louisiana experts on tidal patterns and the wave tendencies near the beaches and wetlands. Many Louisiana families have worked in these waters for five, six or even seven generations. These Louisiana experts know more about these waters than anyone else in the world. But, in my opinion, they have been insufficiently consulted and the absence of their advice has made the work much more difficult.

In my view, the BP oil spill is an E and E (Ecology and Economic) event. We are watching the ecology part of this disaster unfold. The economic impact will come in the months ahead and I fear that it may have a devastating effect on the Jefferson Parish economy.

Given that we are not in charge, all we can do is everything that is asked of us. Our men and women have done that and done it very well. I am most appreciative of the efforts of Grand Isle Mayor David Carmadelle; Deano Bonano, head of Jefferson Parish Homeland Security; JPSO Lieutenant Tim Campbell and JPSO Lieutenant John Ladd. Lieutenants Campbell and Ladd are co-commanders of the JPSO detachment at Grand Isle and they have done an outstanding job.

Like everyone else in Louisiana, I pray that the impact of the BP oil spill will not be a long-lasting event that is still affecting our environment 30, 35 or 40 years down the road. The taxpayers of Jefferson Parish should know that the Homeland Security office and the JPSO are doing all that we can to help the cleanup effort succeed.

JPSO Honor Guard Is A Very Special Outfit

Each year, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard is invited to present the national and state colors at New Orleans Saints football games prior to the singing of the national anthem.

The presentation of the colors and the singing of the national anthem is a very important part of the pageantry that is associated with important special events, such as a New Orleans Saints home game.

For those of us associated with the Sheriff’s Office, it’s always a special moment when the JPSO Honor Guard marches across the Superdome field to present the colors. It’s special in part because of the precise perfection of the Honor Guard and it’s also special because we know the men and women who are presenting the colors. We know how diligently they rehearse their performances and how demanding they are of themselves, that their uniforms be perfect and that their movements must be precise and coordinated.

It is a tradition within our department that the members of the Honor Guard are volunteers who also have other responsibilities within the JPSO.

It’s very interesting to me that there has never been a shortage of volunteers to serve in the Honor Guard, even though it means extra hours of work. The men and women of the JPSO who choose to serve on the Honor Guard consider it a tremendous privilege to serve the Sheriff’s Office by carrying the flag of the United States, the State of Louisiana and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The saddest, but perhaps the most important, of the Honor Guard’s duties is to present the colors at the funerals of JPSO officers who have passed. For the bereaved families of these individuals, the appearance of the Honor Guard and the presentation of the colors is an important part of the ceremony that recognizes the special contributions of those who have served Jefferson Parish during their tenure in the JPSO.

The JPSO Honor Guard does a wonderful job of representing the 1,500 men and women of the Sheriff’s Office. We appreciate their hard work, their perfection in presenting the colors and their commitment.

We Are Really Serious
About Stopping Those
Who Drink and Drive

Our officers tell me they think there has been a reduction in the number of persons who drink and drive in Jefferson Parish. This opinion is based on the fact that our DWI Checkpoints on the East and West Banks are finding fewer drunken drivers.

I hope that is correct but I’m not convinced. I feel very strongly about this. All the evidence of my 31 years in law enforcement tell me there is a direct correlation between drinking and driving and the large volume of traffic accidents, injuries and deaths in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. I believe that the only thing that is going to force those who drink and drive to use a designated driver or call a taxicab is the near certainty that they are going to be pulled over and arrested for drinking and driving.

That is why we are now in the process of certifying all 300 members of the JPSO Patrol Division to give field sobriety tests, which is the criteria by which the Jefferson Parish DA’s Office decides who is going to be charged with DWI. The field sobriety test, given by certified, fully-trained police officers is also an important criterion for Jefferson Parish judges.

In addition, we are incorporating teaching the field sobriety test into our JPSO Training Academy curriculum and it will also be part of our in-service training program. As you can see, we are very serious about this.

As a life-long resident of South Louisiana, I understand as well as anyone that partying and enjoying alcoholic beverages is part of our culture. I have no problem with that. The problem begins the moment when someone who has been drinking gets behind the wheel of their vehicle and turns the key in the ignition. The more alcohol that a drunken driver has consumed, the more likely it is they will be involved in a traffic accident that will cause damage and may very well also cause injuries or even death.

In a matter of months, there will be more than 330 JPSO officers on the road qualified to give field sobriety tests. There will be more DWI Checkpoints on both the East and West Banks. My sincere hope is that a year from now, we will be able to see a reduction in the number of traffic accidents, injuries and deaths in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. We are working closely with the Jefferson Parish DA who is fully supportive of our efforts to crack down on drunken driving in Jefferson.

Please don’t drink and drive. Have a designated driver or call a cab. Please drive defensively. The more alert and careful you are, the less likely it is that you’ll be involved in an accident.

Thanks to New Orleans Zephyrs
For Hosting Thousands of DARE Students
At The Old Ballpark

Attending a New Orleans Zephyrs game is always a treat. The stadium on Airline Drive is convenient and beautifully maintained. There are always a lot of contests and special events going on that compliment the baseball game. Add to that some 10,000 enthusiastic DARE students and you have a delightful spectacle.

DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), of course, is a special course taught at elementary and middle schools warning children of the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. The course is taught throughout the metro area by police officers. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is especially proud of our DARE program that is taught by our officers at more than 150 Jefferson Parish public, parochial and private schools to more than 5,000 children.

The New Orleans Zephyrs help us out each year by designating one of their home games as a treat for DARE students from throughout the region. The kids love to go to the ballpark and the fact that a Zephyrs’ game is given them as a reward for good classroom performances helps us in our efforts to present the DARE material as interesting, informative and educational, rather than scary, frightening stuff.

I especially want to commend the Zephyrs’ organization for working with us and other law enforcement agencies. The Zephyrs for many years have been model corporate citizens in the metro area.

I am also very proud of our Community Relations Division which each year teaches the DARE program to more than 5,000 children in Jefferson schools. There are, in my opinion, two positive outcomes of the DARE program that benefit Jefferson Parish.

I am told constantly by Jefferson Parish adults that they still remember the information they learned during the DARE program and it has impacted their own personal behavior when it comes to drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

The second benefit is that the DARE program allows children from throughout the parish to see police officers up close. I think it is in DARE classes that many children first learn that police officers are their friends and should not be feared. Many JPSO officers have become role models, friends and confidantes of kids they first met in a DARE classroom. I hope that the Zephyrs continue their tradition of opening their stadium to the DARE kids once every season. It’s a lot of fun and it serves a very good purpose.

Be Warned – JPSO Is Cracking Down
On Those Who Drink and Drive

I have spent the last 29 years of my life in law enforcement. My own experience and every statistic that I can find tell me there is a strong correlation between drinking and driving and accidents.

If you get behind the wheel of your vehicle after drinking alcoholic beverages, your reflexes and response time will be affected by the alcohol. Your ability to react will be slowed, even if it is only by seconds. And, the likelihood that you will be involved in an accident will be significantly increased.

We have too many traffic accidents in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. There is far too much damage to property, injuries and death. From a public safety point of view, we have an urgent need to reduce the number of traffic accidents in Jefferson. The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to reduce the numbers of drivers who drink. Every day in unincorporated Jefferson, there are traffic accidents that most likely would not have occurred if one of the drivers in the crash had not been drinking. Persons who cannot pass a field sobriety test are arrested, handcuffed, taken to the Jefferson Correctional Center and booked with DWI. It’s embarrassing, time-consuming, costly and may result in the suspension of your license to drive.

We are not opposed to partying, social drinking or folks having fun. We urge you to have a designated driver if you’re going to drink or call a taxi. I would also ask you to drive defensively. There are a lot of reckless drivers on the road in Jefferson Parish. Your best protection against them is to be aware of everything around you, drive defensively and never drink and drive.

Thank You,
VFW For Honoring Det. David Canas

I am very pleased to thank Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3121, of Gretna for honoring JPSO Detective David Canas for his work in apprehending three armed robbers who have confessed to their crimes.

I am always pleased when organizations like the VFW and the American Legion make annual awards that recognize the bravery and the achievements of JPSO officers. For me, the significance is that these awards are symbolic of community approval of the quality of the work done by our officers.

Of course, Detective David Canas was eminently deserving of the VFW award. He demonstrated creative thinking in figuring out a possible escape route that might be chosen by suspects in several armed robberies. Then, he demonstrated courage by stopping their vehicle and ordering them out of the car. Detective Canas also demonstrated wisdom when he called for backup. And, I am very proud that the backup came at top speed, supporting their fellow officer who had put himself in harm’s way.

Once the three suspects had been arrested and read their rights, the investigating officers discovered that one of the suspects had two loaded guns at his fingertips. We’ll never know what might have happened because at that moment, Detective Canas’ backup arrived with weapons drawn. That is the kind of police response we take great pride in at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. We often speak of our five-minute response to all emergency calls. But we also stress the importance of a five minute-or-less response to calls from police officers needing backup. We’ll never know for sure, but the less-than-five-minutes response time to Detective Canas’ call for backup may have saved his life. From beginning to end, the entire incident was a graphic example of excellent police work on the part of Detective Canas and the members of the Patrol Division who came at top speed when they received his request for backup.

The three suspects arrested by Detective Canas have confessed to several armed robberies and are awaiting trial in the 24th Judicial District.

Thanks again to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3121, of Gretna. All of us at the JPSO are honored by your recognition of Detective Canas. Like you, we hope that it will always be said that Jefferson Parish is one of the safest communities of its size in the United States and a good place to work, play and raise a family.

Formation of Computer Forensics Unit
A Reflection of the Direction of Police Work
In The 21st Century

The announcement of the first Computer Forensics Unit in the long history of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office should certainly not have come as a surprise to anyone.

Today, we see fifth graders who are expert with computer games, cell phones and IPods. Thousands of Jefferson Parish teenagers have Facebook pages and are at home on the Internet. Why would we think that criminals cannot do what our children can do?

In fact, we require the graduates of the JPSO Training Academy to be expert in the use of laptop computers that are now found in every patrol vehicle.

A police officer investigating child pornography, prostitution, embezzlement, extortion or many different kinds of theft would expect their investigation to take them on a search of computer records. They might also expect to review a log of cell phone calls. And, it would not be surprising if the police officer found that someone tried to erase or alter key information on a computer hard drive.

That is why we have brought together in our Criminal Investigations Division the first JPSO Computer Forensics Unit. And, it is not surprising that there is plenty of work for the Computer Forensics Unit to do.

We are very fortunate at the JPSO to have a number of officers who are fascinated by computers and the world of cyber communications. I’m very appreciative that Colonel Ken Meynard, Detective Stephen Villere, Detective Nick Vega and Sergeant Dax Russo have stepped forward to form the JPSO Computer Forensics Unit.

For our part, we will be sending these four officers to the best law enforcement schools in the nation on computer forensics. Over the next several years, I am confident that there will be increasing recognition that the JPSO has the best computer forensics team in the region and that the members of the unit are certified as experts when they testify in court.

Today, our veteran officers smile when they think of the first JPSO Crime Lab that was located in a corner of a former church. That was almost 40 years ago. In much the same way, 40 years from now, there will be amused smiles when someone starts telling stories about the first Computer Forensics Unit. Of course, it is serious business and an important part of law enforcement is the use of technology to stay one step ahead of criminals. Computer forensics is just another field where the JPSO needs its own experts. Our Computer Forensics Unit fills that important need.

Thank You, St. Catherine of Siena,
For A Wonderful Blue Mass
That Honored All Jefferson’s First Responders

The annual Blue Mass hosted by Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church honoring Jefferson Parish’s first responders is, for me, one of the most meaningful and profound events of every year.

I know from my own personal experiences that there is an incredible bond between the community and the men and women of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. But the annual Blue Mass at St. Catherine’s gives special meaning to that bond. Part of the special experience is the wonderful sermon by Father Kenneth Allen praising the devotion of our men and women, as well as the other first responders in Jefferson Parish. His prayer on our behalf was also very moving.

However, the very special moment of the day came when the entire congregation stood to give a standing ovation to all of the first responders. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office works closely with our colleagues at the Jefferson Parish Fire Department and Jefferson Parish Emergency Medical Services. We know that we are all fortunate to be part of the infrastructure of Jefferson Parish, a very good place to work if you’re a first responder.

I especially want to thank the St. Catherine Knights of Columbus 12686 who have taken the annual arrangements for the Blue Mass as a special project. They do an outstanding job and we are all grateful to them. I also appreciate the efforts of Captain Alex Norman, Commander of JPSO Community Relations, to make the Blue Mass a special occasion.

I know that I speak for everyone at the JPSO, the Jefferson Parish Fire Department and the Jefferson Parish Emergency Medical Services when I express our thanks to St. Catherine, the Knights of Columbus and the congregants who braved a rainy day to come out to let all the first responders know that we are appreciated. We look forward to the 2011 Blue Mass at St. Catherine of Siena. Thank you for your prayers and your applause. They mean a lot to us.

JPSO Training Academy
Has a Proud History
Of Achievement

At the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, we believe that what you learn in the classroom pays off on the street.

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the JPSO Training Academy, I think back to the Academy’s early days when the facilities were barely adequate and traditions were being built from scratch. But, even then, graduates of the Training Academy looked back on their experiences and what they learned as a badge of honor. I know that when I’m around veterans of the early days of the Training Academy, they speak with great respect of the teaching abilities of Lieutenant Cornelius Drumm, the first commander of the JPSO Training Academy.

Back then, Jefferson Parish was just making the transition from a rural parish to a suburban parish. It is to the credit of the late Sheriff Alwynn Cronvich that he saw the need for a JPSO Training Academy. It is insignificant that the first building he could find to convert to a Training Academy wasn’t much. In fact, the old original Training Academy has long since been demolished. But what was important in 1970 was that for the first time, the JPSO could begin training its recruits and establishing traditions of excellence in the classroom.

Today, the JPSO Training Academy is considered a state-of-the-art facility that we gladly allow other law enforcement agencies to use for their training programs. Give credit for this excellent facility to my mentor, the late Sheriff Harry Lee. Sheriff Lee had a special vision – he wanted one of the finest Training Academies and indoor firing ranges to be found anywhere in the nation and that is what he built.

We have graduated 61 recruit classes in 40 years from the Training Academy. Right now, we have one class hard at work and are recruiting for future classes. If you know someone who is seeking a career in law enforcement with a superior, proud and effective police department, please ask them to call the JPSO Personnel Department at 376-2333. We have a tradition of excellence that begins in the classroom and pays off on the street.

In The Fight Against Crime,
Technology Is The JPSO’s Crucial Edge

If you’ve heard one of the many speeches that I give to civic and neighborhood groups throughout Jefferson Parish, you already know that I’m a major believer and advocate for technology.

I believe that properly used technology is the crucial edge that law enforcement has in the fight against criminals. In a modern society, there is no way that we can afford to place a police officer on every corner. But we do have an edge over criminals. At the JPSO we have a five-minute response time to emergency calls. We have a state-of-the-art communications system. We will soon have a state-of-the-art Crime Lab. Every JPSO patrol car has a lap top computer. If our officers stop a vehicle, they can find out in less than a minute if that vehicle has been stolen or is wanted in connection with a crime.

And, now, each of our patrol cars will have a mobile fingerprint identification system. In less than a minute, this less-than-one-pound, 6X9 computer can tell a JPSO officer if the suspect he has just fingerprinted is wanted for a crime or has a past history of criminal activity. The mobile fingerprint id system is a force multiplier. A patrol officer can learn to use the mobile fingerprint id system is 15 minutes.

Criminals are going to hate the mobile fingerprint id system. They can give an officer a fake name. They can show the officer fake identification. But fingerprints don’t lie. Right now, we have access to Louisiana’s entire criminal justice data base. Soon, we’ll have access to the federal fingerprint system. If a suspect has never been arrested in Louisiana but was previously arrested in Oregon and is wanted in Missouri, the national data base will spell it out.

The fiscal realities of modern economies make it very unlikely that we’ll ever be able to afford more than 1,500 police officers at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. But, with the help of technology such as the mobile fingerprint id system, 1,500 highly trained, computer literate officers will be more than sufficient to assure that Jefferson will remain one of the safest communities of its size in the nation.

The JPSO Challenge:
Find The Best, Most Efficient
Least Costly Method of Doing Our Job

It’s certainly not a secret that these are tough times financially in Jefferson Parish. Sales tax revenues continue to fall and it isn’t clear when our economy will rebound, although I am certainly optimistic that a positive turnaround will occur.

In this environment, every government agency is struggling to get the most out of every dollar and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is certainly no exception.

I have written often in the past about our belief that technology is a “force multiplier” for law enforcement. At the JPSO, we are constantly trying to improve our technical capacities – whether through the construction of a new JPSO Crime Lab or placing laptop computers in every patrol vehicle.

At the Jefferson Correctional Center, the parish jail run by the JPSO, personnel costs are a constant concern. One way of reducing our costs has been to out-source some services to expert vendors. By placing a contract for food services with a company called CBM, we have eliminated the need for the JPSO to hire, administer, pay and provide benefits to a kitchen staff. Instead, CBM does the hiring and administration and provides the benefits to an outstanding group of cooks and supervisors.

In the same way, we have placed a contract for commissary services with the Keefe Group, who work with prisons and jails all around the country. Their personnel have set up a system by which inmates can order the snacks and personal products they want. The Keefe Group supervises the purchases, which are made through commissary software provided by Keefe. The Keefe Group has the supervisory responsibilities and we have found their personnel to be very good at their jobs.

I especially want to thank Deputy Chief Sue Ellen Penouilh, Warden of the Correctional Center; Captain Ed Olsen of her staff who is our liaison with CBM and Keefe; Carl Preyer of CBM and Peter Kastner of Keefe. Together, they are an efficient and cost-saving team.

The More Preparation Police Officers
Receive For Dealing With The Mentally Ill,
The More Likely There Is A Positive Outcome

The 300 officers of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division are now receiving specialized training in what is known as Crisis Intervention.

In most instances in police work, Crisis Intervention calls for officers to try to communicate with persons who may be mentally ill.

This can be exceptionally dangerous work. Police officers have been injured and killed in confrontations with persons who are mentally ill.

At the JPSO, our officers have been both skilled and fortunate in working with the mentally ill. The goal of our Crisis Intervention Training is to provide all the officers in the JPSO Patrol Division with the fundamentals of communications techniques that have proven effective in the past. Because each case is different, there are no guarantees that these communications techniques will be effective every time. But our experience indicates that officers who take their time and are non-threatening when communicating with the mentally ill are most likely to avoid a confrontation that could have dangerous consequences for the officers, the person they are trying to communicate with and by-standers.

We are fortunate at the JPSO to have among our officers several who have safely handled many commitments of the mentally ill and confrontations with persons who might be mentally ill. Because of government cutbacks in medical facilities and medical personnel specializing in the care of the mentally ill, these cases increasingly are being assigned to police officers. The reality is that every police officer needs to know and understand the most effective communications techniques because it is likely that the officer will at some point find themselves needing to communicate effectively with a person who may be mentally ill.

We Thank The American Legion
For Honoring Three Outstanding
JPSO Officers

American Legion Metairie Post 175 has a wonderful tradition since the late 1960s of annually honoring outstanding JPSO officers for heroic actions that protect the public.

This year, Post 175 has honored three outstanding young deputies who, by coincidence, each have about five years of service with the JPSO. They represent the new generation of JPSO officers who are rising through the ranks and will one day be our senior leaders.

The three officers selected by Post 175 are Deputy Jennifer James, 1st District; Deputy Ryan Rivette, 4th District, and Deputy Shane Rivolo, 4th District. Deputies Rivette and Rivolo are partners.

They were honored for their bravery and tenacity in the course of pursuits of assailants in two different cases. Deputy James ignored a broken nose to pursue a suspect who invaded a home, beat up a woman and then fled. She could have called for medical help to treat her injury but instead called for back-up and led the pursuit that corralled the suspect.

Deputies Rivette and Rivolo chased a suspect through six back yards, over fences, and saw him break into a home occupied by its owners in Airline Park. The elderly couple had the presence of mind to open a door for the officers who were on the heels of the suspect. The two officers cornered the suspect in the garage and arrested him.

Both suspects are awaiting trial on a laundry list of charges.

The commanders of these three honored officers, Major Mark Dupuis, Commander of the 1st District, and Major Vic Amstutz, Commander of the 4th District, say that Deputies James, Rivette and Rivolo are always hard-working, aware and committed to their profession.

I have often said that one of the great strengths of the JPSO is that our officers enjoy their work, their colleagues and the professional standards that we maintain. That is why we have so many officers who have 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of experience. But for the JPSO to maintain our tradition of excellence and safe streets, we need for a new generation of JPSO officers to make their way up through the ranks to one day provide the senior leadership that is always required. The work of Deputies James, Rivette and Rivolo tells us that the future is in good hands.

Thanks again to our friends at American Legion Metairie Post 175 for honoring outstanding JPSO officers. We understand that your appreciation extends beyond these three honored officers to all the men and women of the JPSO. Thank you very much. We look forward to next year’s awards.

Crimestoppers Is An Outstanding Organization
That Deserves The Full Support of Our Entire Community

I was very pleased when Crimestoppers chose to honor our JPSO Cops & Clergy program. Cops & Clergy has brought together our officers and more than 31 churches on the East and West Banks.

Crimestoppers was right to honor JPSO Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue who has done a wonderful job of building this organization that emphasizes after-school programs for young people that include tutoring, homework, academic excellence and respect for others. The goal is to encourage young men and women to strive for high school graduation and then further education at universities and community colleges. But Cops & Clergy also works effectively at many other community-building efforts, including post-crisis family reconciliation, helping ex-cons re-enter society and helping children whose parents are in jail.

In the course of building this successful program, we have also gotten to know the pastors of the participating churches. I was very pleased when Crimestoppers also honored Bishop Jerry Henry, Sr. who has been one of the outstanding leaders building Cops & Clergy.

At the same time, I also want to put emphasis on my support and admiration for Crimestoppers. This is one of the best non-profit organizations in our metro area and is very deserving of your support.

In 2009, Crimestoppers raised the more than $150,000 to pay for anonymous tips that led to the arrests of more than 300 wanted persons and allowed area police departments to close more than 400 cases involving violent crimes. In addition, Crimestopper billboards that asked for anonymous tips that would lead to the capture of persons wanted for murder were so successful that 36 persons in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish sought in murder cases were arrested.

I am not alone in believing that Darlene Cusanza, Executive Director of Crimestoppers, her excellent board and volunteers are among our best civic assets in the metro area. They do a wonderful job every year and our communities are safer because of Crimestoppers.

I hope that you will consider giving financial support to Crimestoppers, which is a non-profit agency. Every dollar that you give to Crimestoppers goes directly into the fight against crime.

Meanwhile, we will continue to work to further expand the programs of Cops & Clergy. Congratulations to Deputy Chief Richard Rodrigue, Bishop Jerry Henry, Sr. and all those who are working together at Cops & Clergy to make our community a safer, better place to work and raise a family.

The JPSO Edge In The Fight Against Crime –
It’s Technology, As Reflected In
Our New Crime Lab

There are few things in this world that give me greater pleasure than watching the daily progress being made in the construction of the new Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab.

Only those who have been around since the first JPSO Crime Lab was set up in a corner of an old church can fully appreciate the long road we have travelled toward the opening of a four-story, 45,000-square foot state-of-the-art Crime Lab staffed by a very talented team.

I have often said that it is technology that provides law enforcement our greatest advantage in the fight against crime. Our ability to use fingerprints, DNA, blood splatter, clothing samples, the testing of guns and ammunition and other scientific variables is an incredible tool that allows the JPSO to make good arrests and provide the District Attorney with the evidence to convince juries of the defendant’s guilt.

Those of us who work at the JPSO will never walk through the doors of the new Crime Lab building without thinking of and thanking the taxpayers of Jefferson Parish for their continued support.

It is also important to note that this Crime Lab will be a regional facility providing services for other law enforcement agencies throughout our region.

We are very appreciative of the efforts of our architects, Sizeler Thompson Brown, and our contractor, Mapp Construction of Baton Rouge. I know that representatives of law enforcement agencies using our facilities will be as impressed as I am by the array of scientific equipment in the Crime Lab that assists our officers in the continuing fight against crime. The new Crime Lab building is, in the final analysis, one more very important tool in the battle to keep the streets of Jefferson Parish among the safest in the nation.

The Lessons of Hurricane Katrina Bring
A New Integrated Four-Parish
Communications System

Those of us who were at the center of the response effort during Hurricane Katrina will never forget the frustration caused by communications systems that could not communicate with other departments or parishes.

In Jefferson Parish, the JPSO radios could not communicate with the radios at the parish, the Fire Department or the Emergency Medical Services. We also could not communicate with Orleans Parish, St. Bernard Parish or Plaquemines Parish. Ultimately, it didn’t matter because all communications systems crashed and we ended up using messengers to convey instructions.

After the storm, we all vowed that this would never happen to us again. It is to the credit of the leaders of Orleans Parish, Jefferson Parish, St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish that they agreed we would combine our resources to build a four-parish communications system that was hurricane-proof and would allow every parish and every parish department to communicate with their colleagues.

The resulting system cost $50 million and we have just given it a major test during Mardi Gras 2010. The system performed superbly. Of course, we did not have hurricane-force winds, toppled buildings, raging fires or looting to deal with. But, Mardi Gras in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard is a major test of any communications system and it functioned just as we hoped it would. There are now some 6,000 compatible radios in the possession of parish officials, police, firefighters and EMT’s in the four parishes and the entire system is fully integrated.

Among the observers at Mardi Gras were six communications experts from Homeland Security in Washington D.C. Although we have not received their official report yet, several of the Homeland Security officials advised us privately that we have one of the most advanced communications systems in the U.S. They also said that the NOPD and the JPSO do a superb job of crowd control. Still, we are far from satisfied, although we’re clearly on the right track. We want our communications system to be impervious to hurricanes, able to function in terrible weather and tough enough to keep working for several weeks in adverse conditions if necessary. So, it’s back to work for us, although we are very pleased by the communications progress we’ve made in the last five years.

Once Again, Jefferson Parish Mardi Gras
Is A Model of Family Fun, Safety

Jefferson Parish rightly takes great pride in the excellent qualities of its Mardi Gras celebration.

This year, despite colder-than-usual weather, Jefferson Parish’s Mardi Gras celebration once again lived up to its high standards of family orientation and public safety.

Prior to Mardi Gras day, the cold weather seemed to take a toll on the usual parade turnouts. But the crowds on Mardi Gras day, warmed by the beautiful weather, were as large as ever. Like most parade observers, I think the huge turnout on Mardi Gras day was driven in part by the wonderful feelings generated by the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl season. I saw a lot of Saints’ black and gold in the crowd while riding with the Krewe of Argus.

As is true every year, I am very proud of the outstanding efforts of the men and women of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office who do an excellent job of maintaining order during the Mardi Gras season while cracking down on the few individuals whose antics threaten to ruin the Mardi Gras fun for others. This year, there were a few arrests on Mardi Gras day but I don’t think that those who were arrested had much of a chance to ruin the day for the thousands of families who came out and celebrated Mardi Gras the right way without disturbing others.

As is true every year, the JPSO Patrol Division Reserves joined with our regulars to provide superb coverage of the crowds on Veterans Boulevard and Bonnabel Avenue. At the JPSO, we say that we could not do the job that is needed for public safety without the assistance of our outstanding Reserves. That statement was as true in 2010 as it has ever been.

I hope that you and your family participated in Mardi Gras and had a great, safe time. We are very proud in Jefferson Parish of offering the public the safest and most family-oriented Mardi Gras that can be found anywhere. I think that we succeeded again in 2010 and will soon begin our planning for Mardi Gras 2011 when we expect to once again live up to our high standards of fun and public safety.

If you or someone you know might be interested in joining the JPSO Reserve Patrol Division, please call our Personnel Office at 376-2333.

Please support
Crimestoppers annual luncheon

I hope you will join me in supporting the annual Crimestoppers luncheon at the New Orleans Hilton Hotel on March 16. The $50 tickets help fund the Crimestoppers rewards paid to people who provide anonymous tips that lead to the arrests of violent criminals in Orleans and Jefferson parishes.

I believe Crimestoppers is one of the most important nonprofits in the metro area. Crimestoppers-generated tips lead to more than 300 arrests of violent criminals each year. Last year, Crimestoppers tips helped New Orleans police and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office solve 34 murders. In Jefferson, Crimestoppers tips also led to hundreds of arrests in narcotics cases, robberies and armed robberies. The people who call Crimestoppers with tips often are individuals who have many valid reasons for not wanting to talk to police. But they will talk to a Crimestoppers staff member, knowing their identity will be kept secret.

From the law enforcement view, it is a tradeoff. We get the information we need to take a violent criminal off the streets and the informant remains anonymous.

At the JPSO, we have provided office space for Crimestoppers. We have also assigned Lt. Bruce Harrison as our liaison officer to Crimestoppers. Harrison works closely with Crimestoppers Executive Director Darlene Cusanza and her staff.

In the past year, we have been reminded of the Crimestoppers’ effectiveness; 14 of 17 people wanted for murder in Jefferson Parish have been arrested because of tips generated by Crimestoppers’ billboards. That number is an incredible record for any organization. It is why we are such admirers and strong advocates for Crimestoppers.

Please join us in supporting them. I also admire Cusanza and the dedicated volunteers from the business community who serve on the Crimestoppers board and raise the $150,000 a year that is used as reward money to pay off informants. That is why the March 16 annual Crimestoppers luncheon is so important. Along with the annual Crimestoppers gala later in the year, the luncheon is a crucial means of raising the money it takes to make Crimestoppers effective.

Last year, the top reward given by Crimestoppers was $12,500 given to an informant who helped the New Orleans Police Department identify and arrest a person wanted for a murder in Algiers. If you would like to make a donation to Crimestoppers, you can send a check to Crimestoppers, P.O. Box 55249, Metairie, LA 70055.

In Theory, the Mentally Ill May Not Be A Police Problem,
In Reality, It Is The Police Who Are Called On
Whenever There Is A Problem With The Mentally Ill

If you are a regular reader of this column, you probably know that I do not believe that police departments should have the primary responsibility for the commitment and transportation of the mentally ill.

But it is very clear that it doesn’t matter what you or I might think about this matter. The fact is that Louisiana, and most other states, are responding to their fiscal crises by sharply cutting back state medical facilities and personnel dedicated to treating the problems of the mentally ill.

The practical effect of these cuts is that when a mentally ill person stops taking their medications or acts out in a way that threatens their family members or neighbors, the police are going to be called. The police will be expected to safely take into custody the mentally ill person and transport him or her either to a hospital facility or to jail.

At the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, we have taken several steps to deal with what is, in our opinion, going to become a crisis in many jurisdictions. We have established a unit at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center to deal with the problems of the mentally ill. We believe that almost half of the inmates at the JPCC have serious mental problems.

As a result, I have brought on board, Dr. James Arey, retired from the New Orleans Police Department. He has been assigned to the JPSO Training Academy.

Dr. Arey will help us develop a unit of JPSO officers who will be highly trained in responding without violence to the needs of the mentally ill. We are off to a good start because two of our officers, JPSO Lieutenant Gilbert Rieth, Jr., and Deputy Keith Reaves are veteran officers who have successfully handled many hundreds of commitments without incident.

One of the reasons that Lieutenant Rieth and Deputy Reaves are so good at what they do is simply because they have attended some of the best seminars and schools on the subject in the nation. We are going to identify other JPSO officers who share the interests and concerns of Lieutenant Rieth and Deputy Reaves so that we can develop a unit whose primary responsibility will be responding to calls involving the mentally ill; especially those who need to be committed.

In an ideal world, the needs of the mentally ill would be considered a medical problem and there would be plenty of medical facilities and personnel available to serve the mentally ill. But, in truth and fact, in the real world, it is clear that the needs of the mentally ill in Louisiana are going to be a police priority; therefore we are preparing to meet that need efficiently, effectively and as safely as possible.

We’ve Always Counted On Our Reserves,
Now They Play An Even Larger
Role In Jefferson Parish Law Enforcement

For more than 20 years, it has been true in the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office that we couldn’t do the job that Jefferson Parish needs without the help of the JPSO reserves.

Now, the JPSO reserves are more important in the fight against crime than ever before.

We have realigned our Reserve Patrol Division into more than 100 task forces, each assigned to one of our four patrol districts. The reserve officers work five-hour shifts. They are most often found riding in patrol cars, coordinating with the regular officers of the district, working together hand-in-glove. The addition of the 82 officers in the Reserve Patrol Division to the regulars assigned to the four districts has meant a tremendous leap in visibility, law enforcement saturation of high-crime areas and response time

The best part of this is that the reserve officers have welcomed the challenge. While they are required to work a minimum of 34 hours a month, most reserve officers have chosen to exceed the minimum requirement by a significant number of hours.

In our new alignment, reserve officers have been outstanding, making major arrests, seizing drugs and guns. The effect of the new alignment is that this will make us a better police department and it will help Jefferson Parish to become an even safer parish.

As has been the case for the last 20 years, the Reserve Patrol Division will also play a key role in our coverage of Mardi Gras. We’re very proud of the fact that Jefferson Parish offers families a safe Mardi Gras and I am absolutely certain that will be the case again this year.