LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF`S OFFICE

LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Annual Report 2006
LAFAYETTE PARISH
sheriff’s message
Innovation and accreditation were two of the main themes of this past year. Our office
experimented with a highly publicized warrant round-up with more than 2,000 names published
in The Daily Advertiser in an attempt to locate individuals who had outstanding warrants. The
operation was a resounding success with more than 1,000 calls received and more than 300
warrants resolved. We added new information for the public to view – we placed all warrants
and information about inmates who are currently housed in our correctional facility on our website at www.lafayettesheriff.com. We have received several tips from persons browsing
through our list of warrants. Warrant Roundup II is scheduled for 2007.
We successfully passed the requirements for accreditation by the Commission on
Accreditation for Law Enforcement this past summer. This was our second such award and we are one of only a
handful of offices to receive this award in the state. Our correctional facility also began preparing for an on-site audit
from another professional body, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care which is scheduled for March
2007. Our training academy is also preparing to be accredited by CALEA in the near future.
As our parish continues to grow, our community will experience problems in areas such as traffic safety and
drug and alcohol abuse. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office has several new and exciting programs on line for
introduction in 2007. The first is called Crash Course and targets high school students with a mobile, computerized video curriculum designed to prevent underage drinking and impaired driving. The second program is Tipsy
Taxi which prevents impaired driving by providing a free taxi ride home to persons who have been drinking. Both
programs will complement our enforcement program which uses sobriety checkpoints throughout the parish on
a regular basis.
Our Problem Oriented Policing (POP) unit continues to make strides in neighborhoods such as Marigny Circle
that are experiencing an increase in crime problems. We worked with landowners to form an association whose purpose was to improve the quality of life of the residents within that neighborhood. To date, the association and its
efforts have been very successful.
In this annual report, you will find more details on some of these accomplishments. We invite you to call or visit
our facilities. Each is designed with your safety in mind, whether it is the newly opened shooting range which now
allows civilian access on designated days, the community training center located at the former St. Antoine School
or the Community Services Unit (located on Simcoe and Evangeline). We are here for your benefit and we encourage you to stop by and see what programs and services are being offered. We appreciate your support over this
past year and look forward to a safer 2007.
MICHAEL W. NEUSTROM
SHERIFF
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Annual Report 2006
UL LAFAYETTE WEAR RED DAY
SHERIFF NEUSTROM
table of contents
3
Enforcement Division
19
Finance Division
8
Operation Cleanup
22
Telephone Directory
10
Administrative Services
22
Deputy of the Quarter (1st quarter)
11
Tax & Civil Division
23
Human Resources Division
13
Sheriff Neustrom Youth Golf
25
Corrections Division
14
Crash Course/Tipsy Taxi
26
Deputy of the Quarter (2nd quarter)
15
2006 Timeline
29
Training & Professional Development Division
18
Problem Oriented Policing
30
Deputy of the Quarter (3rd & 4th quarter)
Sheriff Michael Neustrom
Internal Affairs
Civil & Tax
Division
Tax Collection
Civil
Human Resources
Division
Finance
Division
Special Assistant
Enforcement
Division
Training & Professional
Development Division
Corrections
Division
Human Resources
Risk Management
Metro Narcotics
Training
Building
Maintenance
Outside Employment
Information
Systems
Evidence Section
Law Enforcement
Training Academy
Diversion
Programs
Records
District Attorney
Investigator
Finance
Patrol
Mobile
Equipment
Criminal
Investigations
Testing & Assessment
P.I.O./Crime Stoppers
CALEA Accreditation
Community
Services
Treatment
Programs
Leadership &
Resiliency
Program
LPCC
contact: MAJOR ART LEBRETON / (337)236-5617 / [email protected]
enforcement
division
ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Enforcement
Division is managed by Major Art LeBreton, Chief
Deputy. Major LeBreton is a veteran member of the
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office with more than 20
years of service. He is certified as a crisis negotiator and
a graduate of the LSU Law Enforcement Institute
Executive Program. Major LeBreton also leads the
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security
planning and preparation.
The Uniform Patrol Department is probably the
most recognizable of the Enforcement Division, due to
the high visibility of its duties. Currently the patrol
department includes 106 full-time deputies and 11
part-time deputies
Captain Kip Judice is the patrol commander, who
works with other Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
divisions and public safety providers from surrounding
municipalities to coordinate efforts for Lafayette Parish’s
safety. Captain Judice is also assigned Homeland
Security and Critical Incident responsibilities, working
with Major LeBreton and other agencies to keep
Lafayette Parish ready to respond.
Our Patrol Shifts include four rotating shifts,
each led by a shift lieutenant and two sergeants.
These four shifts patrol all areas of Lafayette Parish,
investigations and enforcing both criminal and traffic
laws. Each patrol car is equipped with mobile data
terminals – laptop computers with wireless internet
access to communicate and confirm open warrants,
sex offender data or other crucial information.
Nineteen of our patrol cars (40% of our shift fleet)
are equipped with on-board camera systems. During
2006 all patrol cars were equipped with Global
Positioning Systems (GPS) linked to street maps for
improved response times.
“The efforts of the Enforcement
Division are coordinated to ensure
that each department within the
division supports the efforts of one
another to provide professional and
prompt
emergency
response,
thorough criminal investigations and
the necessary support and services
that the members of our community
deserve. The enforcement team is
proud to represent the Lafayette
Parish Sheriff’s Office and we are
equally proud of our community.”
– Major Art LeBreton
MAJOR ART LEBRETON
DUI CHECKPOINT
but to avoid duplication of efforts by municipal law
enforcement agencies, our primary areas of patrol are
the approximately 125 square miles of
unincorporated Lafayette Parish.
Patrol deputies work 12-hour shifts, patrolling their
zones, responding to calls, conducting preliminary
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Support Services consist of Traffic, K-9, Field
Training Program, Reserves & Explorers, and the
Sheriff’s Team for Advanced Response (STAR).
Deputies within Support Services’ Traffic section
are responsible for conducting funeral escort services
for Lafayette Parish. Deputies work with all area
funeral directors to coordinate routes for funeral
processions in order to safely assist families during
their time of mourning. During 2006, deputies
conducted 1,003 funeral escorts.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office manages the
school crossing guards at Green T. Lindon Elementary,
Acadiana High, Youngsville Elementary, Duson Middle,
Ossun Elementary, Milton Elementary and Carencro
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
currently has five K-9 teams – six
dogs and five handlers.
Middle School. Please drive safely and obey school
crossing guards and school zone speed limits!
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office currently has
five K-9 teams – six dogs and five handlers. Four K-9s
- Taco, Hunter, Hector and Deuce - are dual-trained for
patrol service and narcotics detection and assigned to a
deputy handler within uniform patrol. K-9 teams work
primarily night shifts, but are also utilized for daytime
assignments when necessary.
Two of our K-9s are labrador retrievers, both
assigned to the same deputy handler. Buddy is a
narcotics detection dog used primarily in Lafayette
Parish schools and Trooper is trained and utilized for
explosives detection. Each deputy handler is responsible
for the care and training of their K-9 partners and train
many hours per month to maintain certifications in
their respective areas of expertise.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Field Training
Program is a 14-week, intensive, on-the-job training
program for our POST -certified deputies prior to
patrol shift assignment. This program was initiated by
Sheriff Neustrom in order to provide standardized
field training for deputies, utilizing a fair and objective
process.
Reserve Deputies are unpaid volunteers trained as
deputy sheriffs that are available to assist and supplement
the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office existing manpower.
Reserve deputies have full arrest authority and are
selected after meeting application requirements and
graduating from our Reserve Academy. Reserve deputies
must maintain training requirements and must be
available for a minimum of 24 duty hours each month.
If you would like to join the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office Reserve Unit please contact our Human
Resources Division at 337-236-5667.
Explorer Post 500 is a partnership between the
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Boys Scouts of
America currently consisting of 15 members. Explorer
members range in age from 14-20 years. Most are high
school students who aspire to a career in law enforcement.
Explorers assist the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office at local
events, helping with parking and other non-enforcement
duties, mostly in a monitoring capacity.
Sheriff’s Team for Advanced Response (STAR) is a
specialized unit of deputies intended to confront current
did you know?
EMERGENCY VEHICLES ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY!
When an authorized emergency vehicle using audible or visual signals approaches you, it is important to recognize
that the emergency vehicle has the right of way. You should yield the right of way and immediately drive to a
position parallel to the right-hand edge or curb. Stay in that position until the emergency vehicle has passed.
When driving on an interstate with two or more lanes traveling in the same direction as an emergency vehicle,
slow down to a speed of 25 mph and merge into the lane farthest from the emergency vehicle. Continue at 25mph
until it is safe to proceed at the posted speed limit. When driving on a two-lane road, you should slow down to a
speed of 25 mph unless the posted speed limit is lower, and continue to operate at that speed until it is safe to
resume driving at the posted speed limit.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission reminds drivers that it is
important to give an emergency vehicle the right of way because that vehicle’s timing could mean life or death in
an emergency situation.
Information reprinted from the Banner-Democrat in Lake Providence, LA, with permission from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
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crime trends. This unit, which was activated in 2004,
will modify and develop strategies and targeted areas of
enforcement as events occur. STAR actively assists other
enforcement sections of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office and other agencies when requested.
The Contract Services section of patrol includes 21
deputies and three supervisors. Contract services
deputies are assigned to University Medical Center
(UMC) and Lafayette Regional Airport in order to
maintain the safety and security of those facilities,
within contractual limitations.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s Office
performed 1,744 criminal
investigations during 2006.
AFIS TEAM
COMMUNICATIONS
Patrol’s Communications section handles a variety
of tasks from visitors needing services at the front desk
to dispatching calls to deputies. The Lafayette Parish
Sheriff’s Office also provides dispatching service for the
municipalities of Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Scott
and Youngsville. Our communications section is now
operating in a newly renovated work space which has
been upgraded to include acoustic walls, directional
microphones, dual NCIC computer terminals and
improved software for all of the department’s computer
systems. Additionally two new consoles were installed
that provide immediate contact with the Lafayette
Police Department and Lafayette Fire Department.
Communications staff work four rotating 12hour shifts and are responsible for monitoring all
radio frequencies; dispatching calls for service,
either from citizens, the 911 communication
center or from other agencies; and operating the
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National Crime Information Center (NCIC)/
Louisiana Law Enforcement Teletype System
(LLETS) computer systems.
Our Criminal Investigations Department
investigated 1,744 cases during 2006, an increase of
259 cases from 2005. For more information, contact
Captain Debbie Brasseaux at 337-261-5625.
Crimes Against Persons - Coordinates all ininvestigations concerning personal injury or offenses
against the person. In 2006, the Lafayette Parish
Sheriff’s Office investigated 461 sex crimes, seven
homicides or attempted homicides (a decrease of 2
from 2005), and 37 deaths by natural causes or suicide
(a decrease of 24 cases from 2005).
PATROL
The crimes against persons unit also includes a
Cold Case Investigator who investigates all capital
cases designated as cold cases. In March 2006, the
cold case investigator cleared a 16-year-old homicide
with the arrest of Daniel Harman for the murder of
Christy Woods.
Property Crimes - Coordinates all investigations
concerning property loss or damage, forgeries, thefts or
unauthorized entries. These investigators fielded 841 cases
in 2006. The monetary value of recovered property for
2006 was $833,080.04, a tremendous increase from
$191,902.94 in 2005. Property detectives worked a total
of 300 burglaries in 2006, an increase of 86 cases from
2005. Forgery cases increased from 25 in 2005 to 36 in
2006, an increase of 11 cases. The property section’s 2006
clearance rate is 58%; the national clearance rate in 2005
for property investigators was 16.3%.
Juvenile - Investigates crimes involving juvenile
suspects or victims. In 2006, 442 juvenile cases were
investigated, an increase of 53 cases from 2005. Rape
investigations increased from 12 in 2005 to 25 in
2006 and molestations/indecent behavior cases
increased by 15 cases.
Criminal Warrants - Maintains file copies of all
warrants and executes all active criminal warrants
received by the Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s Office.
During 2006, our warrants department executed
9,033 warrants, an increase of 965 warrants from
the previous year.
Automated Fingerprint Identification System
(AFIS) – One of five hubs, covering 14 parishes for the
Louisiana system, this unit is responsible for the
operation, receipt and dissemination of all fingerprint
records received through the Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center and other correctional centers
within the 14-parish region. AFIS operates 24 hours
each day, 365 days per year and also assists with photo
lineups for investigations. Currently AFIS is working
with the Louisiana State Police on a multi-phase
software upgrade that will improve response times and
allow bookings to enter the system in real time. The new
AFIS operates 24 hours each day, 365
days per year and also assists with
photo lineups for investigations.
Metro Forensic Investigations
Crime scenes processed
334
Parish crime scenes
94
City crime scenes
228
Manual fingerprint comparisons
385
AFIS entries
531
AFIS hits
111
AFIS reverse searches
(verifications)
8,014
Request for fingerprint processing
507
Out-of -parish calls
12
system will be Windows-based and should reduce
problems currently occurring with the old software
system. In addition the upgrades will bring new
equipment with clearer fingerprint and mugshot images
that will also capture palm prints. The palm prints
captured will create another database for investigators to
use during investigations.
Metro Forensic Investigations - Assists
investigations by taking photographs, sketching major
crime scenes, collecting and tagging evidence and
performing various scientific tests on suspects and/or
evidence as needed. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office and the Lafayette City Police have collaborated
to form this unit that is staffed by personnel from both
agencies and supervised by a Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office Lieutenant. By combining resources –
personnel, equipment and funding, this unit is better
equipped to serve the needs of Lafayette Parish.
Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) - Primarily collects
crime data and analyzes trends in criminal activity. The
CIU works closely with regional police departments,
neighboring sheriffs’ offices and federal law enforcement
agencies. After pooling statistics from these agencies,
the CIU disseminates the information to law
enforcement and citizens in a timely manner.
This unit is also tasked with conducting specialized
investigations in the areas of organized crime, vice,
terrorism and firearms violations.
In addition, the CIU is responsible for the
registration, tracking and monitoring of all convicted
sex offenders who reside in Lafayette Parish. These
offenders are required to register under the current
Louisiana Sex Offender Registration Statute. The unit
consists of four investigators and one analyst who
provide a myriad of services to the Lafayette Parish
Sheriff’s Office and several other law enforcement
agencies.
In 2006, the CIU processed 301 parole notifications
and 474 bulletins for law enforcement, assisted other
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office divisions with 69 cases,
and assisted with 81 cases for outside agencies. In
addition, CIU personnel conducted more than 400
compliance checks at the residences of convicted sex
offenders and made more than 20 arrests of convicted
sex offenders who were not in compliance with the
registration statute.
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Community Services Unit/Community Liaison
Sheriff Neustrom formed the Community Services
unit in 2006 to consolidate departments that
provide services for the community into one
location. This unit includes crime prevention
programs, victim services programs, the grants
administrator, Crash Course, after-school tutoring
program and our Problem Oriented Policing
(POP) Unit. The Community Services Unit is
located at 527 Evangeline Drive, one block off of
University Avenue. For additional information
about the Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s Office
Community
Services
Unit,
call
337-236-5657 or email Captain Broussard at
[email protected].
Metro Narcotics Task Force is a partnership between
the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Lafayette
City Police Department and also includes personnel
from the Louisiana National Guard’s Counter-Drug
Program. A committee comprised of the Sheriff,
Lafayette Chief of Police, and members of each agency
oversee task force operations. This task force responds
to and investigates complaints of drug-related activity
LAFAYETTE METRO NARCOTICS
Year-End 2006 Statistics
Cases initiated
548
Number of arrests
542
Warrants
52
Weapons recovered
68
Cash recovered
$252,830.00
Vehicles forfeited
10
YTD drugs seized
$2,632,031.00
(street value)
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If you have information about illegal
drug activity, please contact us at
337-291-5550 or send an email to
[email protected].
throughout Lafayette Parish and also works with other
local, state and federal agencies to remove illegal
narcotics from our community. Lafayette Metro
Narcotics currently has agents assigned to the DEA
Drug Task Force and the FBI Gang Task Force.
The Lafayette Metro Narcotics Agency is dedicated
to making Lafayette Parish safer by working to remove
illegal narcotics activity from our community. If you
have information about illegal drug activity, please
contact us at 337-291-5550 or send an email to
[email protected] to provide confidential information to investigators. All tips are
thoroughly investigated.
The Evidence Department is responsible for the
collection, storage, cataloging and disposal of all seized
evidence and other property turned over to the
evidence custodian. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office Evidence Section manages in excess of 80,000
evidence items including, but not limited to, firearms,
controlled dangerous substances (narcotics), DNA
submissions and currency. The process of managing
these items while complying with all applicable laws
requires continuous monitoring of storage integrity,
control and care. Evidence is released or destroyed
according to judicial notification (court order).
District Attorney Investigator The Lafayette Parish
Sheriff’s Office provides one investigator to assist the
15th Judicial District Attorney’s office. This
investigator works with prosecutors and law
enforcement representatives, providing information
and investigative services as cases move forward
through the judicial process.
5:00 AM BRIEFING: OPERATION CLEANUP
OPERATION CLEANUP
in brief
WAR RANTS: OPE RATION CLEAN U P
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office conducted “Operation
Cleanup,” a successful warrant roundup September 20-22,
2006. Forty-four arrests were made and more than $49,000
was collected in restitution and contempt fees during the
three-day operation.
Operation Cleanup developed after Sheriff Neustrom learned of
a similar operation conducted in Newport News, Va. After
discussing the Virginia operation with Major Art LeBreton,
Captain Debbie Brasseaux and Sgt. Dale Thomas, Operation
Cleanup was scheduled and preparations began.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office purchased a two-page ad in
The Daily Advertiser, listing the names of more than 1,700
individuals with outstanding warrants and asking for the public’s
assistance with locating the wanted persons. The ad ran in the
newspaper on the first morning of Operation Cleanup and
included a phone number to call to provide information. The
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office received more than 1,000
phone calls providing valuable information that was used to
apprehend suspects and/or to resolve the outstanding warrants.
More than 60 deputies from several Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
divisions teamed up with existing warrants personnel for the threeday operation. Deputies were assigned to teams, with two shifts per
day, and handled assignments that included answering phone calls,
research (verifying information received), processing warrant
paperwork, delivering warrants to deputies in the field, arrest teams,
transporting individuals arrested to the Lafayette Parish Correctional
Center, and processing arrested individuals into Lafayette
Parish Correctional Center.
After seeing their names in the newspaper ad, several wanted
individuals contacted the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office to
make arrangements to clear their misdemeanor warrant before
being arrested. Qualifying individuals with misdemeanor
warrants were allowed to resolve their warrants by paying
restitution – mainly for charges of issuing worthless checks.
(Resolving a misdemeanor warrant is usually done by paying
fines and/or paying the costs involved with the worthless
check). During Operation Cleanup, 340 warrants were resolved
and $49,381.33 was collected and returned to the victim(s),
most often local merchants.
Sgt. Dale Thomas, warrants supervisor, was pleased with the
results of Operation Cleanup. “The operation was very
successful. We received a better response from the public than
anticipated! We plan to conduct similar operations again,
possibly two per year.”
Operation Cleanup Statistics
Phone Calls Received – 1,075+
Money Collected – $49,381.33
Warrants Resolved – 340
Warrants Worked – 496
Arrests - 44
Individuals With Warrants Resolved – 303
(Note: some individuals had multiple warrants).
For information about Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
warrants please call the Warrants Department at 337-2365830 or visit our website at www.lafayettesheriff.com
and follow the links to the Wanted Persons page.
8
LEFT TO RIGHT TOP - CAPTAIN JOHN
BABIN, CAPTAIN JIM MILLER,
CAPTAIN JULES BROUSSARD.
LEFT TO RIGHT BOTTOM CAPTAIN KIP JUDICE, CAPTAIN DEBBIE
BRASSEAUX, MAJOR ART LEBRETON.
ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
Chief Criminal Deputy
Patrol
Patrol Shifts
Contract Services
Airport Security
Evidence
Metro Narcotics Task Force
Report Desk Officer
District Attorney
Investigator
A.F.I.S.
Community Services
Metro Forensic
Crime Scene
Support Services
FTO Program
Criminal Investigations
Crime Prevention
Programs
UMC Security
K-9
Problem Oriented
Policing
Communications/
Technical Services
S.T.A.R.
After School
Tutorial Education
Victim Services
Programs
Victim Services
Coordinator
Elderly
Assistance
Liaison
Crimes Against
Persons
Criminal Warrants
Intelligence
Crime Analyst
Juvenile
Dispatchers
Switchboard
Technical
Services
Traffic Services
School Crossing Guards
Grants
Administrator
Burglary &
Theft
Family Violence
Prevention
Reserves
in brief
NEW EQUIPMENT FOR SPECIAL REACTION TEAM (SRT)
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office Special Reaction Team (SRT) has received new equipment to assist with its
response to incidents in our community. SRT is available to assist and aid Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office personnel,
or any other law enforcement agency, under high risk or special conditions (hostage incidents, barricaded situations)
and high-risk arrests.
A federal JAG Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance provided more than $28,000 to purchase specialized equipment
for the Special Reaction Team. Items purchased with these grant funds include specialized vests, helmets, communication
equipment and cameras. All of these items will help to make response to incidents safer, more efficient and more effective.
The most visible new equipment item for the Special Reaction Team is a new vehicle - a Chevrolet One-Ton, Dual Wheel
truck equipped with cargo, toolboxes - purchased from the Federal Surplus Property Unit in Baton Rouge. This new truck
will be easier to maneuver when responding to critical incidents, increase team transportation capabilities and improve
capacity to transport gear.
9
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office would like to thank Cajun Custom Auto Refinishing for donating the custom paint job
for the new Special Reaction Team Truck.
Administrative Services is one of the seven divisions
of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is comprised
of Sheriff Michael W. Neustrom’s Special Assistant and
Executive Secretary, the Administrative Receptionist
and Internal Affairs.
Sheriff Neustrom and his Executive Staff
continuously raise our high standards of courtesy,
professionalism and respect, which are exemplified by
the quality of service provided to the public. Sheriff
Neustrom and his Executive Staff share the vision and
goal with all of the divisions of becoming the premier
full-service Sheriff’s Office.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES TEAM
contact: SUZANNE EASON / (337)236-5611
administrative
services
A D M I N I S T R AT I V E S E R V I C E S
in brief
VICTI M I NFOR MATION CAR D DISTR I B UTE D BY LAFAYETTE PAR ISH SH E R I FF’S OFFICE
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office and Crimestoppers are working together to produce a Victims Assistance Card that will
be distributed by Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies to crime victims. Captain Kip Judice, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office Patrol Commander, is leading this project, which is modeled after a similar victim assistance card used by the Baton
Rouge Police Department. “I know that this card will provide important information in a user-friendly format for crime victims,”
says Judice. “It will be similar to adding an information officer for each patrol car.”
The card is designed with six sides, but folds to become the size of a business card in order to be easily carried in a wallet.
Before this new card was developed, when Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to an incident and filed a report,
they provided victims a card with the case number assigned to the particular incident, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office’s phone
number, the deputy’s name and a separate set of documents with victim services data. The new cards will include the information
previously provided on the card, but will also include additional contact information frequently required by crime victims such as
phone numbers and website information for other law enforcement agencies and social service providers.
We hope that this new card will provide a valuable tool to aid crime victims as they recover. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
Victim Services Coordinator can be reached by calling 337-236-5657.
SPECIAL REACTION TEAM
MOCK AIRPORT DISASTER
DUI CHECKPOINT
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contact: MAJOR CARLA GERAMI / (337)236-5820 / [email protected]
TAX OFFICE
taxTA&X civil
divisions
& CIVIL DIVISIONS
TA X D I V I S I O N
One thing that is unique about Louisiana Sheriff’s
Offices is that each is responsible for collecting
property taxes in its parish. Sheriffs in the other 49
states do not have this additional fiscal responsibility.
The Lafayette Parish tax collector sent out 77,993
tax notices that totaled revenues of $92,337,231.16 in
the 2006 tax year. These tax dollars are distributed
among 14 taxing bodies covering 22 different millages,
including two of the surrounding municipalities,
Carencro and Youngsville. The tax division has five
full-time employees with additional part-time workers
during the peak season.
The tax division can now collect and process
payments in record time with a software program
designed specifically for Louisiana’s tax collections. Any
amendments or changes in state requirements for tax
collection are updated annually in the software.
Property tax notices are mailed out each November
and are due to be paid by December 31st of the same
year. Payment may be in the form of cash, personal
checks, money orders, or online with a credit card.
Taxes that go unpaid by the December 31st date
begin to accrue interest penalties levied each month.
Unpaid taxes result in the sale of that property for the
amount of taxes owed. This sale occurs only once per
year and is held on the first Wednesday of May. The list
of property to be sold is published in the local paper
two Sundays prior to the sale date.
Common Misconceptions
A common misconception about tax sales is that a
successful bid will give the purchaser ownership of a
TAX COUNTER
• Purchaser (bidder) must notify property owner by
certified mail of his lien hold.
• Purchaser (bidder) must pay taxes on property for
3 years.
• Purchaser (bidder) must petition the district court
for ownership of property.
Questions about these procedures may be directed
to the Tax Department at 337-236-5880 and by email
to [email protected].
CIVIL DIVISION
The Civil Division of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office is divided into 3 sections:
• Process service (i.e. law suits, jury summons,
divorce decrees, custody matters, restraining
orders, etc.)
• Seizures of property (i.e. vehicles, homes, land)
both movable and immovable
• Garnishments (seizure of wages)
There are 24 employees assigned to the civil division
all handling a variety of services. Nine of these
employees are clerks who receive and record all civil
and criminal paperwork.
Process Service
Once the paperwork is recorded, the civil division
supervisor divides the legal documents among the 14
process servers. Each deputy begins the task of going
SHERIFF SALE
CIVIL PROCESS SERVERS
piece of property just by paying the taxes owed. The
bidder has certain obligations with this purchase before
an acquirement may be made.
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SHERIFF SALE
out into the parish to find the individuals summoned.
In the last fiscal year, these clerks and process servers
handled 111,892 legal documents.
Civil and Tax Division Commander
Process Server Supervisor
Civil Process Clerks (5)
Criminal Process Clerks (3)
Criminal/Civil Process Servers (14)
Tax Collection Manager
Tax Collection Supervisor
Collection Agents
4 full-time/3 seasonal
Seizure of Property
The civil division is also assigned the task of seizing and selling foreclosed property. Sales
occur on Wednesdays at 10:00 am on the second floor of the Lafayette Consolidated Building
located at 1010 Lafayette St. Notice of these sales is published in the local paper twice prior
to the sale date. Successful bidders are to provide certified funds to the sheriff’s office civil clerk
by 2:00 pm on the day of the sale.
Garnishments
Once a judgment is granted to a creditor and wages are garnished, it is the responsibility of
the sheriff to serve the employer with notice that a portion of an employees wage will be seized
to pay a debt. The garnishment clerk for the civil division is assigned the job of setting up a
payment file, collecting from the employers, and distributing funds to the seizing creditor.
The civil division closed the 2006 fiscal year with 2,522 active garnishment files.
During 2006, the Tax
Office implemented a
new scan card system.
This new system has
greatly increased efficiency by placing a bar
code on each and every
tax notice. The bar
codes allow Tax Office
personnel to instantly
retrieve tax records and
track notices and other
documents necessary
for payment.
TAXI NG B ODIES
Lafayette Parish
Government
Lafayette Parish
School Board
Lafayette Parish
Airport Commission
Teche - Vermilion
Water District
Lafayette Economic
Development
Lafayette Parish Tax
Assessor
Civil Software Upgrade
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Civil Division is now utilizing a new software
package for civil processing (civil sales and seizures). The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office worked with the software developer, serving as a Beta site, and also consulted
with the Clerk of Court’s office and the District Attorney’s office to create a package that
would meet their needs and also serve the needs of other civil offices throughout the
state. Major Carla Gerami, Director of Civil & Tax explains, “This new software will
eliminate several manual steps that were previously necessary allowing for little things
that make a difference in service. Civil process servers will have access to more
information prior to serving documents, which will improve their ability to locate
individuals needing to be served. The process of recording has been simplified and the
billing process is much easier and more precise. Future upgrades will allow courts to view
service information and eliminate the need to manually deliver summons from the
courthouse to the civil department.”
Lafayette Parish
Sheriff
Bayou Vermilion
Maintenance
Bayou Vermilion
Bonds & Interest
Lafayette
Centre/DDA
Louisiana Tax
Commission
City of Carencro
City of Youngsville
Lafayette Public
Library
12
SHERIFF NEUSTROM YOUTH GOLF CLINIC
Sheriff Neustrom Youth Golf Events
www.lafayettesheriff.com
The Sheriff Neustrom Youth Golf clinic and
tournament are designed to provide a free summer
activity for the children of Lafayette Parish and to
introduce the kids to the game of golf. Each year the
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office hosts a golf clinic in
June for boys and girls ages 6-17 and a tournament a
couple of weeks later. During the Youth Golf Clinic
participants receive basic instruction about golf
including safety, rules and etiquette. The youth golf
tournament is a two day event hosted by the Hebert
Municipal golf tournament. Last year over 268 kids
participated in the youth golf clinic and tournament
each receiving lunch, a T-shirt and visor and the
opportunity to win door prize.
Let our website become your complete
source for information about the Lafayette
Parish Sheriff’s Office. New features include a
photo gallery and event calendar, access to
recent arrest photos and inmate information
and a warrants section. The site is updated
frequently and also provides information
about our programs and activities with
contact information. Please email us your
comments or suggestions about the site to
[email protected].
SHERIFF NEUSTROM OPEN
The Sheriff Neustrom Open golf tournament is our annual fundraiser for Youth Golf Events. The 2006 event was held
at The Wetlands Golf Course with 175 participants. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office appreciates the sponsors and
participants who make it possible for us to fund free youth golf events. For additional information about the Sheriff
Neustrom Open please call 337-236-5657, extension 31.
LPSO COOKS
13
SHERIFF NEUSTROM OPEN
LPSO VOLUNTEERS
CRASH COURSE TRAILER
CRASH COURSE TRAILER
CRASH COURSE: “A SOBERING EXPERIENCE”
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office’s new DUI Prevention/Education program, “Crash Course,” will be visiting area high schools and community
events. “Crash Course – A Sobering Experience” was developed by the
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office to reduce underage drinking and impaired
driving. The goal is to teach students about the dangers of impaired driving
by providing realistic and highly interactive experiences similar to those
encountered by impaired drivers. Students will experience situations that
should help them to realize the dangers of attempting to drive while
impaired.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputies will bring the Crash Course
mobile classroom to Lafayette Parish schools and present the program to
sophomore students during physical education classes. Crash Course is a
46-foot trailer equipped with large screen televisions, driving simulators,
stereo equipment and DVRs to record the students while driving. The program will include a curriculum of group discussions, videos, computer driving simulators and other activities. Students will be given the opportunity to
discuss situations that they may have encountered and hopefully find solutions that will keep them safe during future experiences.
Crash Course funding is provided by Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Junior League of Lafayette, Louisiana Highway Safety
Commission and the Lafayette Parish School System’s Safe Schools, Healthy Students grant. For additional information about Crash
Course, please call 337-232-9211.
TIPSY TAXI
Tipsy Taxi is a crime-prevention program designed to
complement the education efforts aimed at schools, known
as Crash Course, enforcement activities such as sobriety
checkpoints and increased officer awareness and enforcement of impaired driving statutes.
The fundamental philosophy of Tipsy Taxi is that there
should be a partnership between local law enforcement,
alcohol beverage servers and vendors and the community to
encourage citizens to make correct choices.
After receiving specialized training on the Tipsy Taxi
Program, law enforcement agencies, bartenders, and restaurant employees provide assistance by distributing vouchers
for the program to patrons they feel are too intoxicated to
drive themselves. These vouchers provide patrons with a free
and confidential cab ride to any residence within Lafayette
Parish – rides are available 24 hours a day/365 days a year.
Tipsy Taxi does not take a moral stance on drinking – its primary goal is to remove intoxicated drivers from the streets of
Lafayette Parish. It is designed to be as simple as possible to
encourage use by impaired drivers.
Tipsy Taxi is not funded by tax dollars. Funding is provided through a portion of fines collected for traffic offenses and
private donations. For additional information about this
program call 236-5657 extension 31.
14
MOCK AIRPORT DISASTER
COMMUNITY SERVICES UNIT
SCAM JAM
2006 TIMELINE
JANUARY Juvenile Day Reporting program begins with nine male students ages 12-16 who have been dismissed
from the public school system. The program mission is to provide a safe, structured alternative school and day program
for students who need intensive behavioral modification before returning to a traditional school environment.
FEBRUARY Captain Kip Judice presents “Investigative Aspects of the South Louisiana Serial Killer Case” at the
annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Captain Judice, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol
Commander, teamed with representatives from the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, Acadiana Crime Lab, FBI, East
Baton Rouge Parish DA’s Office and DNA experts to present information covering several aspects of the high-profile,
multi-jurisdiction investigation.
MARCH Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office participates in a mock airport disaster training exercise with airport officials,
Lafayette City Police, Lafayette Fire Department, area volunteer fire departments, Acadian Ambulance, Department of
Public Health, Louisiana State Police and the Red Cross.
Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force arrests four people in the 600 block of Marigny Circle after a search of the residence uncovers a small methamphetamine lab in the bathroom.
APRIL New website feature launched at www.lafayettesheriff.com. Photos and bios of ten fugitives wanted for
serious offenses can be found on the Law Enforcement/Wanted Persons page.
MAY Deputies participate in the law enforcement torch run to benefit Special Olympics. Teams carry the torch from
the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office to Baton Rouge.
JUNE 100 Days of Summer Heat – The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office joins more than 140 law enforcement agencies across the state who will target speeders.
JULY Sheriff Neustrom establishes a new Community Services Unit. Captain Jules Broussard will supervise this group
of deputies that includes Problem Oriented Policing (POP), Victim Services, Elderly Services, Crime
Prevention and the Grants Administrator. Community Services Unit — 527 Evangeline Drive / 337-236-5657 / [email protected].
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office achieves re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
OPERATION CLEANUP
15
PUBLIC SAFETY CHECK POINT
OPERATION CLEANUP
FLAG DAY
2006 TIMELINE
AUGUST – The Lafayette Parish Sheriffs Office conducts a public safety checkpoint on Hebert Road. 390 vehicles
entered the checkpoint and 55 citations were issued.
Deputies increase enforcement of school zones for first day of school. Motorcycles followed buses to handle violations
of bus signals while deputies from the Traffic and Patrol Departments concentrated on school zone violators.
SEPTEMBER Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office website (www.lafayettesheriff.com) has a new look and offers new
information. Site visitors can now view data about recent arrestees, inmates incarcerated at Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center, view and pay taxes online, submit tips to Metro Narcotics and view photos and information
about wanted persons.
Deputies team with other local agencies including MADD and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission to announce
participation in the “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” national campaign for Labor Day weekend.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office wins Wear Red Day competition for the mid -size business category. Geaux Cajuns!
NOVEMBER – Lt. Sheila Lejeune, Food Service Director at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center, is named Food
Service Director of the month by Food Service Director magazine. Lt. Lejeune supervises rotating shifts of nine
deputies and 50 inmate workers who prepare about 3,000 meals each day (more than 80,000 meals each month)
while spending only $2.03/per day per inmate.
DECEMBER – Deputies “Take A Walk in Her Shoes” as part of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) fundraiser for Stuller Place. Proceeds will help to fund this new program that will provide trained forensic nurses to recover evidence from sexual assault victims.
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT / BROUSSARD
TOYS DONATION FOR FAITH HOUSE
DUI CHECKPOINTS
16
SPECIAL REACTION TEAM (SRT)
SRT COMPETITION
CAJUN MAN 1/2 MARATHON
TRAFFIC CONTROL
JUNIOR LEADERSHIP GROUP
MARDI GRAS 2006
CAPTAIN KIP JUDICE AND MCGRUFF
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
TAKE A WALK IN HER SHOES FUNDRAISER
TRIAD/SALT QUARTERLY MEETING
17
CITY OF SCOTT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
SITE BEFORE DEMOLITION
Problem Oriented Policing (POP)
Our Problem Oriented Policing Unit is designed to work with community members to solve problems that
will make our community safer.
POP recently tackled problem areas in a local trailer park characterized by trash and abandoned mobile
homes. Deputies responded to the area and observed trash throughout the trailer park and several
abandoned mobile homes in various states of disrepair. The mobile homes were falling apart and public
access was not restricted, which posed a safety hazard along with quality-of-life issues as these abandoned
mobile homes were scattered among inhabited mobile homes.
Deputies met with the property owner and manager to find a solution to the problems. After a couple of
meetings and assistance from the Justice of the Peace and the Department of Motor Vehicles, the land owner
demolished the abandoned mobile homes and removed the trash from the area.
Residents of the trailer park are thrilled with the work accomplished by the Problem Oriented Policing Unit.
If you have a public safety concern, please contact our Problem Oriented Policing Unit at 236-5657 or email
[email protected]
ABANDONED TRAILER
SITE AFTER DEMOLITION
18
contact: KEITH SIBILLE / (337)236-5674 / [email protected]
finance
division
FINANCE DIVISION
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s Office Finance
Division is managed by Chief Financial Officer Keith
Sibille. This division includes approximately 27
deputies who coordinate all financial matters for the
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, manage computer
purchases and operations, handle records, bonding &
commissary, mobile equipment/fleet operations and the
risk manager who works to keep deputies safe and
reduce our risk for litigation.
The Business Office handles the typical functions of
any business or government agency such as payroll,
accounts payable, purchasing, and insurance for the
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office’s $35 million operating
budget.
Bonding is tasked with collecting fines and bonds
received from the public and all record-keeping and
disbursements associated with these fines and bonds. In
addition, bonding also collects and manages commissary funds (inmates’ personal funds) for the
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Information
Systems section is responsible for operating,
maintaining and updating all computer systems used by
the agency.
During 2006 the Information Systems section
completed many tasks, but here are a few highlights.
JADES - A new addition to the Lafayette Parish
Sheriff’s Office website allows site visitors to search the
jail database of inmates currently housed in the
correctional center as well as those arrested within the
last 48 hours. Friends and family members of arrestees
LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S
OFFICE BONDING
DEPARTMENT'S NEW LOCATION
On December 11, 2006, the Lafayette
Parish Sheriff’s Office Bonding
Department will be moving to the
records area located in the Sheriff’s
Administrative building located on
Main Street. Bonds, cash bail, traffic
fines, contempt fees and commissary
will operate in this area from the
19
and inmates can research information such as bond
amount and cell assignment which will also link to the
visitation schedule along with the guidelines for
visitation.
Also in the IT arena, our patrol cars are now
equipped with remote access to the Lafayette Parish
Sheriff’s Office system via a virtual private network
(VPN) which provides secure high-speed connectivity
to email and Thinkstream, the integrated criminal
justice data system. Previously, deputies had to call in
through dispatch to request this information. In
addition, patrol vehicles are now equipped with global
positioning systems (GPS) linked to street maps so that
they are able to locate destinations more quickly and
find the quickest response routes.
The Records Department is located at 316 W. Main
St. in the main building of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's
Office. Our records department is responsible for
maintaining a centralized record system of all offense
and incident reports filed by Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
deputies. These records include arrest reports, traffic
reports, fingerprint cards, and all necessary files and
systems for criminal information storage, retrieval,
archiving, and disposition. The records department also
conducts fingerprinting for the public when needed for
job applications and permits (Tuesday – Friday only),
provides copies of accident reports, and conducts local
background checks. Fees are charged for these services
and cash, proper identification and proof of residency
are required. Hours of service for records are Monday Friday, 8am - 4:30pm. 337-236-5845.
hours of 8:30 am to 4:15 pm Monday
through Friday. Bonds, cash bail and
contempt fees will be accepted at the
old bonding window, located inside
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center,
after these hours seven days a week.
FOR INMATE RELEASES AT THE
NEW BONDING LOCATION
An individual who submits a cash bail,
bond or fee will be given an ARMMS
Bond or receipt along with a check list
signed by the bonding clerk. The
person will then be directed to bring
the form(s) over to the Lafayette
Parish Correctional Center Intake Area
to be processed. This move is being
completed to allow for needed space
in the intake area.
If you have any questions regarding
this process please feel free to
contact
an
Lafayette
Parish
Correctional Center supervisor.
Patrol vehicles are now equipped with global positioning
systems (GPS) linked to street maps so that they are able to
locate destinations more quickly and find the quickest
response routes.
FINANCE TEAM
Fleet Operations/Mobile Equipment works to maintain the fleet vehicles that are owned
and operated by the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. Fuel, oil changes, cleaning, maintenance
and minor repairs are conducted at our fleet maintenance facility located on Surrey Street near
the airport. Vehicle repairs that cannot be done at this site are scheduled and coordinated by
the fleet manager and staff. Fleet maintenance utilizes inmate labor, supervised by deputies to
accomplish many of the maintenance and cleaning that is required for the fleet of vehicles,
trailers and other specialized equipment.
The Risk Manager is responsible for discovering methods, practices and locations
vulnerable to accidents, injury or civil liability and proposing changes to reduce liability and
increase safety for the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. Our risk manager works with our staff,
insurance company representatives and insurance agencies to analyze risk and develop
appropriate programs to reduce accidents, injuries and the resultant costs inherent in law
enforcement and public safety. These new programs and procedures have helped to achieve
lower insurance premiums for the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office when the industry standard
is for premiums to increase substantially.
OPERATING BUDGET BREAKDOWN
$35,000,000
$24.4 million - Personnel (salaries & benefits)
$3.2 million - Operating services (insurance, maintenance, fuel & utilities)
$800,000 - Materials and supplies
$1.9 million - other charges including prisoner maintenance
THANKS TO HONDA OF LAFAYETTE FOR THE USE OF TWO WAVERUNNERS
20
MAJOR LEBRETON BRIEFS
SHERIFF NEUSTROM DURING
OPERATION CLEANUP
LPSO BUS
RECORDS GROUP
in brief
GRANT FUNDS ADD NIGHT-VISION CAMERAS TO LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE VEHICLES
Using grant funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office recently purchased five
NOPTICs (Nighttime Optical / Thermal Imaging Cameras) that will be mounted on Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office patrol
& STAR Team vehicles. The NOPTICs operate similarly to a spotlight and are mounted in a “piggy-back” position on each
vehicle’s spotlight to assist with stealth surveillance, locate hiding suspects, missing persons and victims, and identify
recently operated vehicles. All of these procedures can now be conducted in complete darkness while the deputy monitors
the activities via an on-board video monitor or computer screen.
These high-tech cameras offer deputies the ability to observe while remaining concealed. The cameras will increase safety
and shorten search time, which could ultimately save lives during critical incidents and harsh weather conditions.
21
DRUG AWARENESS WORKSHOP
LAFAYETTE PAR ISH
SH ER IFF’S OFFICE
TE LE PHON E
DI R ECTORY
Main Switchboard
337-232-9211
TTY Access Number
337-236-5842
Bonding & Traffic Fines
337-236-5444
Business Office /
Payables / Purchasing
337-236-5651
Civil Subpoenas
337-236-5820
K-9 DEMONSTRATION
Community Services Unit
337-236-5657
did you know?
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office conducts presentations for students, parents,
teachers, businesses and community groups on a variety of topics. Streetwise Self
Defense for Women, Drug Awareness, Identity Theft, Neighborhood Watch and K-9
demonstrations can be scheduled by calling 337-232-9211 or emailing the Lafayette
Parish Sheriff’s Office at [email protected].
Correctional Center
337-236-5400
Correctional Center
Administration
337-236-5407
Correctional Center
Intake & Booking
337-236-3940
Deputy of the
Quarter Recognition
1st quarter
FoodNet Award
Marcelle Citron, Foodnet founder, presented Sheriff Neustrom with the FoodNet award
“in Appreciation for Continued Support of FoodNet, the Greater Acadiana Foodbank.”
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office provides inmate workers to assist Foodnet with its annual food
drive, warehouse work at their headquarters and also provides surplus vegetables from the Lafayette
Parish Sheriff's Office garden for distribution to clients.
Administration
BJ Landry
MARCELLE CITRON AND
SHERIFF NEUSTROM
Corrections
Lennis Baudoin
DEPUTY REGINALD TAYLOR
DISPLAYS SRT GEAR
TRAFFIC CONTROL
Enforcement
Chad Canezaro
22
contact: MAJOR ROY FRUSHA / (337) 236-5667 / [email protected]
human
resources division
HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION
The Human Resources Division is tasked with
the responsibility for employee recruitment, hiring
and testing for new applicants and conducts
promotional exams for current employees. The
division is also responsible for advertising job
vacancies, approving and recording employee career
movement within the agency, and the planning and
research function. In addition, the Human
Resources Division reviews all departmental policies
and procedures, and recommends changes as
necessary. Human resources also serves as a liaison
between the Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s Office and
community action groups who may have questions
about employment opportunities for minorities.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s Office employs
about 550 people and is always seeking qualified
applicants for entry-level positions. Occasionally
the Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s Office recruits on a
national basis, but most searches are through local
newspapers and job fairs. As an accredited law
enforcement agency, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s
Office recruits according to national standards;
without regard to race, color, religion, gender,
national origin, or sexual orientation. The hiring
process takes about five weeks to complete and
includes interviews, a polygraph test, extensive
background investigation, physical, drug screen
and a psychological evaluation. For additional
information about the Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s
Office hiring process or current job openings,
please visit www.lafayettesheriff.com, or email
[email protected].
required for
CALEA accreditation. The
accreditation team is responsible for developing
policies and procedures, conducting inspections to
ensure compliance and maintaining files/proofs for
more than 400 standards that CALEA requires.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s
Office employs about 550 people
and is always seeking qualified
applicants for entry level positions.
Accreditation – Commission on Accreditation for
Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)
The accreditation team carries out duties
associated with maintaining the standards that are
Public Information
The Public Information Officer (PIO) is the
liaison between the agency and members of the
news media, issuing all formal releases of
information, coordinating interviews and media
appearances and producing The Sheriff Show
which is televised monthly on public access TV.
In addition, the PIO coordinates all
Crimestopper activities.
The Office of Outside Employment works with
the community and Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s
Office deputies to coordinate and monitor deputies
who work special assignments and security
assignments during their off-duty hours. The
Outside Employment Coordinator is the contact
person for anyone wishing to hire a deputy for an
off -duty assignment and is responsible for
approving or denying the request, inspecting the
site, and monitoring deputies’ job performance for
these assignments.
S.A.L.T. (SENIORS AND
LAW ENFORCEMENT TOGETHER)
COMMUNICATIONS
23
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT - BROUSSARD EVENT
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
“Human Resources is an ongoing effort. The Human Resources
Division processes more than 400 applications each year with many more
background investigations and applications to review and file, testing to
complete and interviews to conduct. Our accreditation office maintains
files and proof of compliance for more than 400 CALEA standards that
are required to maintain our accreditation. Our Office of Outside
Employment schedules and monitors more than 90,000 hours of activity
each year. In addition, we adopt and adjust sound policies, keep extensive
records and communicate constantly with other divisions, treating
everyone with respect and professionalism. I welcome your questions
about our division. Please call 337-236-5667 or email me at
[email protected].”
– Major Roy Frusha, Human Resources Director
MAJOR ROY FRUSHA (MIDDLE) WITH
DEPUTIES HARRINGTON AND GATES
DEPUTIES SUPPORT THE WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES PARTICIPANTS
SHERIFF NEUSTROM WITH
DEPUTY OF THE QUARTER HONOREES
24
contact: ROB REARDON / (337) 236-5407 / [email protected]
25
corrections
division
COR R ECTION S D IVI S ION
The Corrections Division does more than simply
keep inmates behind locked doors and gates. It works
as a network, linking many different entities within the
criminal justice system and outside of that system.
Corrections consists of several different individual
units that work hand-in-hand with one another to
either prevent contact with the criminal justice system,
hold for the system, or reintegrate back out of the
system. The seven units are: Work Release, Home
Detention, Adult Day Reporting, Juvenile Day
Reporting, Leadership and Resiliency, Treatment
Programs, and the Lafayette Parish Correctional
Center. As 98 percent of all individuals in prisons or
jails will be released at some point, there is a need to
create programs both to minimize the number of
individuals that enter the system but also from
returning to the system after incarceration.
According to several national studies 69% of
individuals leaving jails and prisons will be reincarcerated within three years. As a result, the Lafayette
Parish Sheriff’s Office has developed several prevention
programs to minimize the possibility of individuals
coming into contact with the criminal justice system
repeatedly. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office used
national models in the orchestration of the Leadership
and Resiliency and Juvenile Day Reporting programs.
Both programs have a demonstrated track record of
success nationally and assisted in developing a
networking fabric with the Lafayette Parish School
System.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff ’s Office has also
developed programs that transition inmates back into
society after incarceration. Utilizing a three-pronged
attack and several assessment instruments, we place
inmates into a specialized program that will best
benefit the individual’s needs. In several instances we
According to several national
studies, 69% of individuals leaving
jails and prisons will be reincarcerated within three years.
have utilized all three programs to transition an
individual from the highest level of security back into
society. An inmate will, after assessment and approval,
become a work release resident whereby he/she will be
required to secure a job. If the individual demonstrates
a positive work and behavior track they may be
transitioned out to home detention where they are
moved back into their home environment. In this
instance the level of supervision is less restrictive as the
individual demonstrates appropriate behavior. This
situation creates the highest level of success as
individuals acquire a routine of positive behavior over
a significant period of time that they continue to
demonstrate after their jail time is completed.
The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center includes
the administrative section, operations, food service,
medical, transportation, intake and records,
correctional shifts and accreditation.
Administrative personnel handle leave and
attendance documentation, personnel matters and all
other administrative duties necessary for the Lafayette
Parish Correctional Center.
The Operations Department for the Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center includes inmate programs, work
crews, ministry, mail and classification. Deputies
CORRECTIONS DIVISION
Director of Corrections
Leadership & Resiliency
Program
Diversion Programs
Community Corrections
Center Manager
Work Release
Center Manager
Home Monitoring
Manager
Case Managers
Case Managers
Security Deputies
Day Reporting
Manager
Case Workers
Security
Clerks
Program Manager
Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center
Building
Maintenance
Supervisor
Treatment Manager
Case Workers
Jail Commander
Substance Abuse
Personnel
Program Leader
Corrections Shifts
Food Service
Administration
Medical
Transportation
Operations
Intake/Records
Accreditation
Contract Workers
Drivers
Clerk
Juvenile Day Reporting
Case Workers
Bailiffs
Courthouse Security
assigned to the inmate programs section are responsible for administering programs that
include, but are not limited to: education (GED preparation and testing), substance abuse,
job skills and employment assistance upon release. These programs are designed to prepare
inmates for life after incarceration as they return to their communities and seek employment.
Work Crews are assigned the task of transporting and monitoring inmate work crews who
perform tasks both inside the correctional center and within the community. During 2006
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center inmate work crews worked 21,087 hours at various
locations around Lafayette Parish, including picking up 4,183 garbage bags full of trash.
The Ministry Section provides individual and group religious counseling and monitors
the community ministers that provide religious services for Lafayette Parish Correctional
Center inmates.
The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center’s Mail Section receives, inspects and distributes
mail for all inmates.
And finally the Classification Section of the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center is tasked
with classifying and housing assignments for all incoming inmates. The Classification Section
also monitors special management inmates, making adjustments and re-classifying existing
inmates when necessary. An inmate’s medical needs, criminal history, gender and behavior all
contribute to their classification and housing.
Food Service for the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center is a massive task that is
coordinated by one of the best in the business. Lt. Sheila Lejeune, M.S., L.D.N., R.D., has
received numerous awards for her work maintaining food service for the Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center. Meals are prepared for inmates and shift personnel, and, during
emergency events such as hurricanes, for the Acadiana Recovery Center, the special needs
shelter run by the Department of Public Health. The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center is
responsible for feeding inmates and staff three times a day, 365 days a year. During 2006, the
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center prepared 1,169,946 meals. The Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center food service staff, which includes inmate workers, performs this task at
minimal cost. Food service staff, coordinates meals for the general inmate population and
prepares meals for special needs inmates including diabetics and others with health-restricted
diets. In an effort to provide fresh vegetables at a minimal cost, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Deputy of the
Quarter Recognition
2nd quarter
Administration
Randy Mata
Corrections
Tammy Broussard
Enforcement
Debbie Brasseaux
26
Office maintains a garden that is tended by deputies
and inmate workers. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s
Office garden produced more than 71,000 pounds of
fruits and vegetables during 2006. Crops are harvested
by inmates and processed by inmates supervised by
deputies. When crops produce excess amounts that
cannot be processed and stored, the Lafayette Parish
Sheriff’s Office donates the excess amounts to local
non-profit agencies.
The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center Medical
Department includes six nurses on staff along with
several contract nurses, and five contract doctors, and
dentists who provide routine and emergency care for
inmates. The medical department is also responsible
for assisting with the development of and monitoring
of Lafayette Parish Correctional Center policy and
procedures that ensures ongoing compliance with
National Commission on Correctional Health Care
standards.
The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center’s
Transportation Department includes six deputies who
are responsible for transporting inmates to and from
the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. Some reasons
for transport of an inmate include: medical procedures,
court appearances in other jurisdictions or relocation
of inmates to or from another facility. During 2006 the
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center Transportation
Department handled 2,279 transports totaling
117,802 miles.
Intake and Records is probably the busiest of all
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center Departments due
to the fact that this department handles all paperwork
for each arrest, even though those same individuals may
bond out before being assigned to a cell. While the
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center was built to
accommodate 6,000 bookings annually, the facility
handled 12,161 transactions in 2006. Intake and
Records is responsible for all records of inmates currently
incarcerated at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center,
Intake and Records is probably the
busiest of all Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center Departments
due to the fact that this Department
handles all paperwork for arrests.
all court documents for inmates being convicted and
sentenced, and manages all court dockets, court orders
and computes inmate sentences.
Bailiffs are tasked with keeping order in the court
room for both the 72-hour hearing facility located
within the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center and
the 15th Judicial District Court. Deputies are also
assigned to monitor and secure the entrances for the
15th Judicial District Courthouse.
about the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office garden
Deputy Doug Judice manages the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office garden with assistance from one deputy and 8-10 inmate
workers. The garden is currently located on leased property in north Lafayette Parish. Sheriff Neustrom started this garden
in 2001 at a different location in order to provide outdoor work experiences for inmate workers and to provide fresh
vegetables for the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. Vegetables are grown here for a fraction of the cost of purchased
vegetables. Inmate crews from the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center, under supervision of deputies, work to maintain
the 26-acre garden, producing more than 71,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables during 2006. Inmate worker responsibilities
in the garden include cutting and maintaining grass, weeding plant areas, developing and maintaining garden rows by hoe
and rake, planting of crops, digging trenches for drainage, watering crops, harvesting crops and preparing crops for transport.
Crops grown and harvested in 2006 included: banana peppers, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, corn,
cucumbers, eggplant, jalapeno peppers, okra, potatoes, snap beans, turnips, yellow squash, zucchini, purple hull peas,
cantaloupe, and watermelon.
Inmate workers from another crew work under deputy supervision to process vegetables harvested from our garden at the
kitchen of the Sheriff’s Community Training Center – the former St. Antoine School. Most vegetables are processed for
freezing so that the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center’s Food Service staff can serve the vegetables as needed throughout
the year. Excess vegetables that cannot be utilized at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center are donated to local non-profits.
During 2006, donations were made to Food Net, St. Joseph’s Diner, Faith House, and the Lafayette Council on Aging.
27
LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE GARDEN
THE TRANSFORMER by Karen Weisberg
Lt Sheila LeJeune, MS, LDN, RD, has won many honors for her work as
Lafayette Parish Correctional Center Food Service Director. She was recently
honored by Food Service Director magazine. The following is a condensed
version of the article written by Karen Weisberg.
Lt. Sheila LeJeune has implemented multiple menu,
purchasing and sanitation improvements that have transformed a
poorly functioning facility into one that's providing more than
one million meals annually.
LeJeune’s personal mission for the past 23 years has been to
run a ship-shape and cost-effective foodservice operation now
serving more than 1,000 inmates per meal for about $2 a day
($2.04 in September). The Lafayette Health Department has
recognized the staff as operating one of the cleanest commercial
kitchens in the city.
LeJeune and her staff of 10 foodservice personnel and about 20
inmates served about one million meals in 2005, of which 161,107
were special diet meals she developed, including calorie-controlled
diabetic diets, low salt, bland, modified consistency diets renal and
pregnancy diets. From the outset, LeJeune has consistently aimed to
keep food costs low while providing high-quality meals—and she
always has money left over from her $1.2 million annual budget.
She initiated a bidding system—quarterly for bread, weekly
for the more volatile prices of meat and produce, and monthly for
staples. For milk and chemical purchases, the facility tags along
with the school state bids, “since I’m an equal opportunity user,”
LeJeune proudly admits.
“I also do ‘opportunity buys’—overruns or excess items
manufactured for large groups like the military or chain restaurants
that need to be sold. My vendors are very good and will refund my
money if product is not satisfactory.”
Last month, she spent $1.90 to $2.04 per inmate per day for three
meals by taking advantage of the lowest bids within the bidding
system as well as opportunity buys that often trump the low bid.
Seasonal produce from the nearby inmate garden is also
menued. Deputies and inmates handle the processing, freezing
LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE GARDEN
and storage processes in the kitchen of a nearby abandoned
school that LeJeune has refurbished with used equipment.
Along the way, LeJeune created the position of inventory control
officer; working closely with him, she now buys all spices in bulk.
“We make our own seasoning concoction and I’m paying $1.50 a
pound for red pepper,” she explains. “I say, ‘Just send me the sacks,
I have my own containers.’”
Over and above all the systems she’s implemented and the
results she’s affected, LeJeune believes the most important aspect
of her operation is the menu, which she writes. But of almost
equal importance is the tight choreography executed in getting
that meal out to the inmates.
Product must be ordered and, in house, the items pulled out
and defrosted to serve on time, she points out. “I’m directing
traffic, the sergeant on the floor directs production and the
inventory officer has to make it all happen—he’s computertrained and does all the ordering on-line,” she says. “He and I
modify the menu. I believe menu variety is the spice of life; mine
is for a whole two months, versus one day at a time when I
arrived here. You have different things to add in as they come
along with opportunity buys. If you send out a tray that looks
good, it says, ‘We care about you.’ It also keeps the officers safe
without riots over food.”
Three times each day, meals are loaded on 12 carts, each
holding 94 trays, and delivered to pods on five floors. Overall,
about 1,000 inmates are served, as well as deputies and staff in a
small cafeteria, plus 26 people in a drug rehab program who
purchase meals priced at $2. About 145 work-release residents are
served hot meals for breakfast and supper and are provided with
a bag lunch to take out on the job.
28
contact: MAJOR FRANCIS GREEN / (337) 236-5607 / [email protected]
training & professional
development
division
TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL
D EVE LOPM E NT D IVI S ION
Major Francis Green manages Lafayette Parish
Sheriff ’s Office’s Training and Professional
Development Division with a staff of 13 full-time and
two part-time deputies.
The mission of the Training and Professional
Development Division is to provide continuing and
advanced training for Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
personnel and the community. Day-to-day activities
exemplify this ideology as we work at our facility, a
former school located at 111 S. Saint Antoine St.
Our partnerships include providing space for
training, meetings and workshops for more than 21
agencies and programs including:
• The State of Louisiana Parenting Program
• Avec Les Enfants Safe Visitation Center (courtordered child visitation)
• LSU University Medical Center (In-Service,
Orientation and Crisis Training)
• American Red Cross Instructor Training
• Heritage School of Arts
Our Community Training includes providing
public classes in:
• Hunters Education
• Civilian Firearms Safety
• Street Wise Self Defense for Women
• Civilian Range Use
• Range Safety Officers Program (Civilians that
maintain safety on the range)
Law Enforcement Training managed by this
division includes in-service and advanced training for
the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and neighboring
agencies. Advanced training classes are hosted for local,
29
state and regional law enforcement agencies and, at
times, combined with other public safety partners for
the most economical use of resources.
In addition, this division manages the Lafayette
Parish Sheriff ’s Office Shooting Range, and
conducts the Reserve Academy and Corrections
Academy and the Acadiana Law Enforcement
Training Academy (ALETA).
ALETA trains law enforcement candidates from
throughout South Louisiana to become POSTcertified law enforcement officers. The 10-week
academies are conducted in partnership with the
University of Louisiana at Lafayette and include
physical training and conditioning along with
classroom instruction.
The mission of the Training and
Professional Development Division
is to provide continuing and
advanced training for Lafayette
Parish Sheriff's Office personnel and
our community.
The Special Services section supervises inmate
workers assigned to cleaning and maintenance work
and those inmates who assist with the processing of
vegetables from the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
garden. (Vegetables are processed in the kitchen of the
facility, a former school cafeteria, and utilized for meals
at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center).
Questions and comments are welcome! Contact us
at 337-236-5607 or [email protected].
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Deputy of the
Quarter Recognition
3rd quarter
Citizens’ Use of Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Firing Range
Sheriff Mike Neustrom opened the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office Firing Range to citizens in February 2006. Access to the range will be limited to those citizens who qualify
through the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office’s registration process. “It is important to
Administration
Vanessa Mitchell
offer the public a safe facility to practice shooting firearms,” says Neustrom. “By offering
a public practice facility, along with our civilian firearms classes, we hope to reduce
firearm accidents caused by inexperience and improper storage.”
Deputies have been working since early 2005 with inmate workers, local contractors, and
Lafayette Consolidated Government to make repairs and improvements to the range in
Corrections
Jon Fremin
preparation for citizen access. Lafayette Parish Correctional Center Director Rob Reardon
commented, “We appreciate LCG’s assistance with the heavy equipment needed for the
project. Their cooperation was essential to the project’s successful completion.”
Range work included reworking the berm surrounding the shooting area, improving
drainage, cement work, adding sidewalks, improving shooting areas, and adding new
automated turning targets and barricades. Workers constructed a 120-foot-long, 8-foottall concrete wall to separate different areas of the shooting range.
Enforcement
Dale Thomas
4th quarter
Deputies from the training and professional development division and Lafayette Parish
Correctional Center have coordinated this project, utilizing Lafayette Parish Correctional
Center Inmate Labor.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office firing range was established in 1986 and is used not
only by Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies, but also by many local, state and fed-
Administration
Glenda Prejean
eral law enforcement agencies with personnel in Lafayette. The shooting range is located
in north Lafayette near Lajaunie Road. For additional information about this facility and
public access, please call the Sheriff’s community training facility at 337-236-5607.
Corrections
Sarah Leonards
CIVIL SOFTWARE TRAINING
SHOOTING RANGE CLASS
SHOOTING RANGE
Enforcement
Karry Falcon
30
LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
P.O. BOX 3508
LAFAYETTE, LA 70502
Front photo: New programs pictured include Crash Course and Tipsy Taxi;
Left to right: Quality Cab Driver- Kenneth Randle, Chief Albert Glaude, Sheriff Mike Neustrom, Major Art LeBreton and Deputy Elisa Foster.
Serving the Community With Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect