Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard | Listen up Livingston

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Hey, everyone, and welcome back
to another edition of Local Leaders the podcast.

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And look, y'all, I've done
two hundred and fifty one of these

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shows now, and I might be
more excited about this than all of them.

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And I was excited about a lot. We have Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason

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Ard in the studio today. So
first of all, welcome to Local Leaders.

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Oh, thank you, Jim.
It's good to be here. I'm

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excited to uh to kind of you
know, tell everybody about this career of

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yours and in God, I look, I'm gonna take y'all through a process

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here, a life in law enforcement. Really, uh thirty years? Thirty

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years? Does it seem like thirty
years? Yeah? It does, maybe

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thirty one some days. But I
really enjoy what I do. I still

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love to go to work every day. And you know, when you when

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you find your calling, you know, this is what you're supposed to do.

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It just you enjoy, you know, putting a uniform all and you

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you enjoy getting in your truck in
the morning, right, and you know,

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other than the time I have to
get up, yeah, I don't

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really care. You know, I'm
excited about the day and every day in

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my career is different and the same
thing. You've always wanted to be a

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police officer scene always, always,
you know. I started in actually in

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nineteen eighty nine as a Dyna Springs
cadet. I was seventeen years old,

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and I always liked to tell a
story because the guy works for me today,

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Patrick Nab He was a Dyal Springs
officer and I was seventeen. He

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had just started. I think he
was actually reserved, trying to get on

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full time. But when I seen
him in his uniform, I just,

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you know, I was fixated on
him. And I hate to even say

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that about him because he said,
oh, yeah, I'm your hero.

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But but really and truly he was. You know, when you're when you're

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at that age, you're kind of
looking for that that role model. And

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but all he did was one thing. He let me ride in his unit

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one night to McDonald's and back to
the to the Dynal Springs police station,

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and I just I was on top
of the world. Yeah, you know,

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And I still remember putting that cadet
uniform on for the first time.

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I'm looking in the mirror and and
I tell this story and it's so true.

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The only person in the world that
that knew what I felt like at

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that moment was probably Superman. Yeah, you know, and I still feel

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like that today when I put my
uniform on. You know, you put

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it only just you're you're you're a
different person inside. It's a it's a

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sense of pride about you and sure
what you do for the community. And

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uh so you know, it's a
it was just a calling from from very

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young and inn of course in nineteen
ninety three, the story goes that hired

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on by the Sheriff's offer as a
prison guard, and uh and then that's

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started my career. And look back
then, I remember in no offense.

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Uh you know, mister Olden Graves
was a great sheriff. But his uniforms

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are for baby blue and probably the
ugliest uniform I've ever put on in my

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life. But you know, I
still was proud of it. I'm proud

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to put it on. It was
proud to be loose and Paris deputy.

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And you know, my competitive personality
uh kind of kicked in as as I

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grew up through this office and wanted
to do better and wanted to do more.

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Yea, and whenever I would hear
somebody talk bad about the Sheriff's office,

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I'd take it personal. Sure,
And I was like, you know,

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if I got to work two or
three nice on my own to catch

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this bad guy, I'm going to
do it. If you know I got

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to come out early to get all
these papers serves, because back then you

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were everything. You had to do, paper serving, you had to do,

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you know, calls as a road
deputy. And sometimes you had to

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do your own investigations. Wow.
You know, it was just different.

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And but at the end of the
day, it was whenever year your worrior

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supposed to be, things just happened. And uh and I and I come

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in our farmer sheriff Woolly Gray's for
giving me opportunity as I grew. Yeah,

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and I've worked in every capacity to
that office. You know, uniform

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patrol and I was uniform patrol supervisor. A lot of people may not know

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this at twenty five years old.
Yes, for the last twenty five years

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I've been in a leadership role.
But I remember whenever I was promoted.

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I think, I know I did. I don't think, but I know

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that I argued with the sheriff a
little bit. I was like, uh,

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me yeah. I mean we have
some guys that are, you know,

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older, more seasoned, and he
knows there's something about you know,

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how to talk to people, and
I want you to do it. And

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so I was a night supervisor for
for several years and it, uh,

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it was it was different. And
I think all through my career as we

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go through this, I mean I
was actually taught by fire. Yeah,

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the best way to learn, right. I remember I actually rode on a

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Monday and a Tuesday night with a
training officer. Friday night I was by

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myself. Wow. Two nights.
Yeah, and one night I had to

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listen. The next night I had
to handle all the calls, and then

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Friday night I was on my home. Oh wow. And back then it

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was five deputies that worked the whole
parish. Yeah, and one was a

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supervisor, and of course she had
four so it was basically three of us

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on the west side of parish,
two on the east side. And it

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was it was pretty pretty challenging,
but you had to have a lot of

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patience and tongue control. You know. Look, you get one of these

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uh, these big old country boys
from Livingston and sub had a lot to

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drink and you don't talk to him. Right, it's just you and him.

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You're nearest backup, maybe thirty minutes
away. So you learn how to

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talk to people. And back then
they only gave you a pair of handcuffs

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and a gun and that's about all
you had. Yeah, that's it.

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And so I even we didn't even
have portable radios. So when you would

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drive up to a call at night, there was two things you did.

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You rolled your window down, You
took your microphone and hung it out the

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window, and then you turned your
your parking lights on. And I remember

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my training officer telling me that,
and I was like, so, what's

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the deal with the parking lights,
you know? And he goes, well,

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maybe the only way we find you. Yeah, and he's I said,

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well, why are you hanging the
mic out the window? He said,

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because I maybe you may have to
crawl back whoa. And I'm like,

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okay, and uh, but it
was it was Uh. I think

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it helped mold me to who I
am, because that was one of the

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things I always kept in the back
of my mind. Yeah, you know,

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you have to control your temper,
you have to control your your your

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you have to have patience, you
have to control your your your what I

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call your verbal judo. You got
it. You have to control that in

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a way of being able to talk
to people and somebody's really angry and really

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upset at you. And those are
the things that I learned early on in

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my career. And you know that
I got me to from there to investigations.

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I did that for a while.
I really loved that position. And

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then the sheriff pulled me out and
said, look, I really want you

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to go to the training center.
Yeah. So then I went to the

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training center. He saw something he
did and Uh. One of the things

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that a lot of people don't know
about me is the u I had a

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I had a huge fear that was
actually holding my career back. And I

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was very shy. I've heard that
and it blows my mind to this.

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So when I was a road supervisor, they used to make us go and

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do the neighborhood watch with these neighborhoods. So I always would bring a deputy

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with me and it would make me
feel a little more comfortable. Yeah,

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and then as long as everybody was
standing up, I was okay to talk.

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Yeah. So I'd always gather like
like we were in a huddle.

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Talking, but if people were sitting
down, it would make me nervous for

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some reason. So I was not
good at that. I did not speak

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well. And so he knew that
I needed to go through these training classes

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and becoming an instructor. And look, the worst people in the world to

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try to train his law enforcement.
These guys know everything and they're gonna,

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they're gonna, they're gonna analyze everything. So you know, I go through

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my my career as a training officer
and uh. During that time frame from

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being a training officer and backing up
a little bit, I think it was

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ninety seven, I was coming out
of being a supervisor. We created a

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swat team. We didn't have one
at the time, and the Baton Rouge

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unfortunately and lost some of their narcotic
officers and some of some shootouts, and

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we were having a little bit of
uptick and narcotic issues here in Livingston being

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the bedroom community who was back then
and still today, and we just knew

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we needed to do something different,
and so I created that and uh,

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and and to know today was uh. I mean, we we went awards

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in two thousands and so five y'all
were they top swat team in Louisian.

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Yeah, two thousand and five.
Yes, actually the last competition I was

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involved in. Yeah, and I
figured I'd go out with a bank there.

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Yeah, and you know, my
shoulders started hurt and my age started

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showing a little bit, but anyway, it was, it was it was

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nice to know that we did that
and watch those guys performed today. So

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the difference is this. I went
to a you know, sometimes I get

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to go to some of these calls
with these guys, but I went to

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one not long ago and I watched
them take one of our drones and clear

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this house. Yeah, and I
was just truly amazed. And you know,

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you know, you have these this
equipment we were and you know,

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I'm involved with him. I watch
them train and be able to see some

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of that from what we do today
to what we had to do with what

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we had back then, right about
tremendous And these guys are very very well

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advanced, and well, I want
the top training for these guys, and

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I know that it was limited with
us because of our budget restrictions. And

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you know, mister oldam Grays are
talking about him again to did something that

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was phenomenal back and probably I think
it was somewhere in the eighties where he

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passed a half cent sales tax.
Yeah, it's probably a half cent from

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Kmart and down the springs right and
it was a half center basically nothing,

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but it was something. And today
that half center has turned into something big.

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Yeah, and it has allowed us
to be able to serve and protect

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our community a lot better. I
can buy better equipment for these guys.

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I can put them in vehicles that
are more reliable, and we can actually,

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you know, buy the top of
the line stuff that these guys need

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to do their job every day.
And I think that's why, you know,

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when we get into these numbers,
probably in a little bit, we're

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able to do the job we do
absolutely And I'll tell you what if if

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you're from Livingston Parish and you're not
proud of what we have here, you

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gotta be crazy, because I'm gonna
tell you you would. Uh. You

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know, every just about everything is
steady, the art. You just built

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a beautiful training center and we'll get
into that. But I'm very proud of

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of of our Sheriff's department overall,
and the equipment and the training and and

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all of those things that go into
enforcing the law. You mentioned that you

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started off as a prison guard and
you kind of worked your way through those

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ranks. Uh. And it was
quick. It was almost two year stints

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between the time you were a guard
to the time you became a road deputy.

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That was about three years. Then
you became a supervisor in the night

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shift that was two years. A
couple of years later you moved into investigations.

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And at this time you're, you
know, twenty seven years old.

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Yeah, just amazing. When I
was twenty seven, you didn't want me

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investigating no crime, I believe me. I was. I was still figuring

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out life. But you were on
a roll. And you mentioned Willie Graves

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and and of course historic Sheriff here
uh and uh you did you helped develop

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that first SRT team. Uh.
And then at some point you were promoted

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to chief Deputy of operations. Major
deal. Yes, it was, you

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know, it was it was.
It was a very rewarding time for me,

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but it was it was a sense
of accomplishment because in my career and

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my focus, I just wanted to
be an investigator. Yeah, and maybe

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a supervisor one day, maybe the
chief detective one day. And that's where

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my vision was at and it was
he seen something in me that was a

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little different, and so he guided
me in those right directions and gave me

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those opportunities. And it was right
around Hurricane Katrina in two thousand and five

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that I think, Uh, and
throughout your career, whenever you work and

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you know, a lot of people
say, you know, how did you

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get noticed by your sheriff, And
I said, I was a hard worker,

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and it takes you a little while, but then you go back,

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you start thinking. And somebody just
the other day told a story that was

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the reason I became a supervisor on
the street. Yea one story and it

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was pretty unique incident. So my
supervisor actually was was out that night and

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he asked me to kind of take
the reins or whatever, and I was

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like, okay, whatever, trying
to make me feel good. He probably

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told everybody else the same thing,
Yeah, but he did. He told

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me to do that. And I
picked up a guy that was a that

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was gonna ride with me that he
was reserved, and I think he had

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been riding maybe one or two nights. I picked him up on South Walker

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and as we're coming up to the
red light and Walker, they called in

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a shooting in progress, which at
the time was the old Junior food Mark.

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Now I think it's on the run, but had the red light across

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from Walgreens. They have a shooting. Suspects hit one ninety and headed east

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toward Livingston. Well, I'm right
there, so I get and there happens

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to be a volunteer fireman that's following
them. So as he's calling in his

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location, it goes to dispatch because
he's on the phone with him, and

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then they're telling me over the radio
and we're about a mile behind these guys

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the whole time. Yeah, it's
four black guys and they random plate calling

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in somewhere out of Baton Rouge.
We've identified as the shooters. We follow

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00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:33.120
them up. They get up to
Walker North right past Springfield Road, first

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house on the left. They pull
in the driveway. We get a nine

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on one call. They're trying to
break in the door of this lady who's

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home by herself with her kids.
As I pass this residence and I'm I

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pass it on purpose because I can
see them to kind of get a lay

213
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of the land. One of'ems
at the door just like she said,

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00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:54.679
and there's three standing in the yard. One of'em has a gun in

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his hand, and I turn around
and come back with, Okay, we've

216
00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:03.639
fixing to get into a shootout here. Yeah, and so it was kind

217
00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:05.320
of funny because the guy went to
it was riding when we went try to

218
00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:09.399
grab my shotgun. I said,
no, sir, that's mine. Yeah,

219
00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:13.559
you take this guy. I got
the shotgun. But but anyway,

220
00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:16.120
we drove up, the guys hit
the woods, I set up a perimeter,

221
00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:18.799
went on for about four hours.
We wound up catching all four of

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them. Yeah, And I remember
the sheriff coming out there and keeping in

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touch with me every night. And
wasn't long after that he promoted me.

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I'm telling that story because it wasn't
long after Hurricane Katrina where he recognized something.

225
00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:37.360
Yes, and we've been through a
lot of disasters and it's just something

226
00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:39.840
I had figured out how to run
those and how to keep our parish safe.

227
00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:43.159
And so wasn't long after that he
told me so to look at once,

228
00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:46.879
you'd come to the courthouse and administrative
and I'll kind of be just an

229
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assistant. This is before he actually
promoted me. Yeah, so that I

230
00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:56.159
told you earlier. I've always learned
by fire, right right, So just

231
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imagine you're basically running an SR team
most of the time and training deputies.

232
00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:05.519
The next day you're at the office
in a suit and tie, and two

233
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days later he tells you, okay, the news media be here in a

234
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minute. You're in the new public
information officer as well. Wonderful. Okay,

235
00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:16.559
So yeah, you just had to
learn. I'm sure some of those

236
00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:20.159
interviews were horrible, but I had
to learn how to do that. And

237
00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:24.360
then, of course, and oh
six, which is short distance later,

238
00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:26.679
is it was actually January six he
brought me in and said, hey,

239
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you're the new chief Operations. Wow. And so that's where my career and

240
00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:37.440
my administrative started at that moment.
So, and then we had Hurricane Gustaff.

241
00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:41.320
And right after Gustaff is when he
promoted me the chief deputy. Yeah,

242
00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:48.320
second in command of the entire Sheriff's
office. That's how you at thirty

243
00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:52.720
or maybe wow, I was thirty
eight when I ran for sheriff. So

244
00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:56.600
it was I think I was chief
deputy for about three years maybe maybe maybe

245
00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:00.919
four. Yeah. So, and
you know that was right after I went

246
00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:06.039
to the FBI National Academy and graduated, came out We had Goostaff hit right

247
00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:08.480
when I got back, and you
know that's where I got to vision for

248
00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:11.600
our new training center. Yeah.
A lot of people don't know the story,

249
00:16:11.639 --> 00:16:15.919
but during Gustaff, we have a
detention center. It has six hundred

250
00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:18.840
and forty seven beds. We had
just completed it. Yeah, no inmates

251
00:16:18.840 --> 00:16:23.519
had moved in yet. Yea.
So Gustaff hits and you know, of

252
00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:26.360
course this is devastating our parish and
all around us. Well, we became

253
00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:32.720
a hub. So immediately we started
housing first responders in this detention center.

254
00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:37.279
Yeah, and we wound up with
six hundred staying in this detention center.

255
00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:41.559
And during that time frame, I
remember having that conversation with the sheriff and

256
00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:45.600
a couple other people said, when
we need something like that, we need

257
00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.840
like a rescue center. And so
I started working on that year after year

258
00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:53.080
after year, and Garrett Graves Cassidy
and it just kept falling through. Wow.

259
00:16:53.360 --> 00:17:00.200
And so in twenty nineteen I met
sat down with us and Jamie Felder,

260
00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:03.160
who was my CPA at the time, and said, look, you

261
00:17:03.160 --> 00:17:06.240
know, we gotta make this happen. She said, well, you can

262
00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:08.400
afford to bond some money. We
just gonna have to tighten some things up

263
00:17:08.839 --> 00:17:11.559
and may not be able to give
you know, pay raises for a little

264
00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:15.519
while. But you know, we
need this facility. So I prayed the

265
00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.839
battle I could do everything, and
said, you know what, we're gonna

266
00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:21.039
do this. So we went through
the architect work or what have you.

267
00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:25.000
We basically designed a twelve million dollar
building. Yeah, okay. Jamie was

268
00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:26.759
like, well, I hate to
break it to you, but you probably

269
00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:30.680
afford about eight million. And I'll
say, okay. So we bonded about

270
00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:33.920
it. I think it was eight
point five. Yeah, and we bonded

271
00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:37.240
the money. And so we get
ready to send it out forbid. And

272
00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:41.160
whenever we get ready to send it
out forbid, this is in twenty March

273
00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:45.160
of twenty twenty. Yeah, everybody
knows that day, March or twenty twenty

274
00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:49.880
COVID hills. Yeah, so COVID
hits. Of course, these contractors are

275
00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:52.440
pushing back. We don't know what
this is gonna be. Nobody did right

276
00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.920
the first couple of months, we
had no clue what we were dealing with.

277
00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.720
And so just I had this gut
feeling, and you know, Jamie

278
00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:00.559
and I kept talking, said,
you know, we need to push this

279
00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:03.480
through. Let's just go with it, and we did, and lo and

280
00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:07.960
behold, the low bid comes back
at five point two and we're like,

281
00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:12.359
whoa, you know, hey,
hated for the contractors, but this is

282
00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:17.759
really good for the Sheriff's office and
so the citizens and the citizens, right,

283
00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:22.400
So we move forward and this company
starts working on it, and we

284
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start moving forward with this training facility
and you know, and and and daring

285
00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:30.720
COVID because we didn't know a whole
lot. You know, there's some things

286
00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:34.200
that we needed to do. And
so one thing that I have figured out

287
00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:40.880
and along with some of my my
staff is uh is is FEMA is probably

288
00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:44.359
the most aggravating people in the world
have to deal with. But once you

289
00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:48.000
learn them, and once you know
what they expect and you can communicate with

290
00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:52.359
them, you can actually get a
little bit better roadmap and the paint a

291
00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:56.480
better picture. So what we did
at that time was it was important for

292
00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:02.000
us to set up like eateries for
these deputies because what I didn't know was,

293
00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:04.680
well, you know, Gym's my
deputy and you go take a call

294
00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:08.359
at this house or I mean,
we don't know what this h this pandemic

295
00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:11.960
is yet are you going to get
something on a uniform, you're gonna bring

296
00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:17.200
it back to your you know,
your family. H So, you know,

297
00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.440
we say, okay, you know, maybe maybe we set up some

298
00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:22.720
eteries and stuff. So we did. So we called a lot of Mama

299
00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:26.160
Pop restaurants to out our parish and
we set up an account with him,

300
00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:27.480
and tell these deputies, look,
I'm gonna feed you three meals a day.

301
00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:30.200
I don't want you to go home
and get a sandwich. I don't

302
00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:33.839
want you to go home at all
your family. I want you to stay

303
00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:36.160
on the road. I want you
to you know, take your calls,

304
00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:38.519
and we're gonna have these eateries set
up. And of course there's an amount

305
00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:41.839
like you can't be over eight bucks. But we set these up, you

306
00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:48.319
know with Dukes and don Seafood,
Children's Grocery, g and Jay's and Livingston.

307
00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:52.559
There's several other little Mama Pop restaurants. And I just wanted to make

308
00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:56.880
sure that, you know, we
were doing the right thing. Beyond that,

309
00:19:56.119 --> 00:20:00.480
we actually I call a scudra king
and I said, look, if

310
00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:03.920
I get these deputies to come to
my training facility and they you know,

311
00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:07.880
take showers there and they take the
uniforms. Can you you know, clean

312
00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:11.559
them every day and bring them back? He said absolutely. So I did

313
00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:15.799
all this stuff. We documented it
and and it was a lot of other

314
00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:18.400
things that we had to keep documenting. We stayed in touch with female.

315
00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:22.400
Well come come around twenty twenty one, very unexpected, we get a check.

316
00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:26.799
Yeah, twelve million dollars, all
right, and we had no clue

317
00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:27.799
for getting it. And I was
like, whoa wow, you know,

318
00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:34.440
yeah, so the mail I didn't
expect. I'm jumping and I could look.

319
00:20:34.519 --> 00:20:37.839
I give kudos to my staff because
they worked really hard with that.

320
00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:41.920
And we just we had a good
plan and we we we thought about it.

321
00:20:42.039 --> 00:20:45.319
We we did everything we could.
And there was a lot of things

322
00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:48.440
that came up, you know,
during COVID, A lot of different challenges,

323
00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:52.640
a lot of these things that you
know, people were dealing with with

324
00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:55.559
these businesses and uh, and I'm
glad we were able to help them.

325
00:20:55.799 --> 00:21:00.160
You helped them, probably kept a
lot of them in business, and you

326
00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:03.039
have them from going out of business. I have. I know, Scooter

327
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:04.480
King was told me a couple of
times, and you know, thank you

328
00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:07.079
would have never survived if you wouldn't
have did what you did. And and

329
00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:12.119
honestly, sitting here today, that
wasn't my plan to keep businesses going.

330
00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:15.559
I'm not gonna try to take credit. But it was when you when you

331
00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:18.519
have a vision and you have a
plan, you follow those kind of things

332
00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:22.640
and you pray about stuff, you're
gonna be led in the right direction.

333
00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.200
And that's what we did, yes, And we were blessed and other people

334
00:21:26.279 --> 00:21:32.440
were blessed during that time frame when
a lot of businesses shut down, closed

335
00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:34.799
and ever reopened. We were able
to keep businesses open. And you know,

336
00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:37.680
it's just it was a great thing
to be able to do that.

337
00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:41.960
It really Yeah, And you hit
the nail on the head when you said,

338
00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:47.319
you know, we really didn't know
back then exactly. We had no

339
00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:49.079
idea if I breathe on this person, am I going to kill them?

340
00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:53.400
You know, we didn't know that. And uh, and so everything was

341
00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:59.759
on the fly, and you being
over the sheriff's office, one employee could

342
00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:03.599
get the entire shriff's office sick,
right, and so there's all these considerations

343
00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:07.920
I could not imagine. Uh.
And when I think back on, you

344
00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:12.000
know, when I was diving into
your career, one thing that I can

345
00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:18.960
honestly say is it is. There's
just about nothing you haven't experienced, from

346
00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:25.799
from the twenty sixteen flood to COVID
to all the other storms, ice storms,

347
00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:29.519
you name it. Uh, you've
been through it. That's a huge

348
00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:33.480
thing because now you know how to
react to it and and and all of

349
00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:37.079
those sorts of things. That's very
very important to me, and I'm sure

350
00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:42.680
very important to anybody who is looking
for someone to lead whatever whatever it is,

351
00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:48.319
whether it's a business, a sheriff's
office, there's just done a whole

352
00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:53.519
lot you hadn't experienced. Unfortunately.
No, I mean it runs the absolutely

353
00:22:53.640 --> 00:22:56.759
runs the gamut, and it's impressive. Yeah, it's uh, you know,

354
00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:00.319
like I said, it's it's uh, the probably the most challenging that

355
00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:03.279
I've dealt with. The two top
things that I've dealt with that was the

356
00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:07.119
most challenging was the flood and probably
COVID because you know COVID loll again,

357
00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:11.799
it was just one of those things
that wasn't obviously wasn't expected, didn't really

358
00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:17.599
know a whole lot. I wasn't
a fan of the mask. I remember

359
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:22.079
kind of looked being looked down upon
them by some state people whenever they came

360
00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:23.599
to the office and all of them
have mask on, but me at a

361
00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:27.200
press conference just didn't you know,
let's look, man, how's this little

362
00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:30.680
mask? And keep me even doing
anything? And really and truly at the

363
00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:33.079
time, give give me COVID so
I can get it over with, right,

364
00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:36.200
because we first found out, well, if you get COVID, then

365
00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.039
you're done with it, yea.
And then was it a year later we

366
00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:41.960
found out well you could get it
twice, and then there's different variations of

367
00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:45.880
it. But you know, it
was just one of those things. And

368
00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:49.400
I was proud of our parish at
that time, yeah, because of the

369
00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:53.319
unknown, but we were able to
stay afloat and be able to continue to

370
00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:56.799
see these somebody because there was a
lot of businesses struggling during that time.

371
00:23:57.400 --> 00:24:00.759
But I was glad to see that
people try to keep them busy and we

372
00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:04.119
had to learn how to do things. Definitely, that's right and came out

373
00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:07.160
I think on top of the end, you sure did. And and I

374
00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:14.359
want to talk about just quickly some
uh you know, some certifications and things

375
00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:18.480
that you've received over the years that
uh, look and you know this is

376
00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:22.559
something important to mention folks. If
you if you want to look at the

377
00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:25.519
full list, because let me tell
you, it's like the Dead Sea Scrolls.

378
00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:30.279
He's got a lot of certifications,
awards, training certificates, and all

379
00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:33.519
these sorts of things as you would
expect on a thirty year career. But

380
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:37.799
there's a few I highlighted that I
did want to mention and talk about.

381
00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:44.440
One of them that really spoke to
me, and primarily because I'm also a

382
00:24:44.519 --> 00:24:49.880
graduates program was Leadership Livingston. You're
a supporter of business. You know,

383
00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:56.279
the Chamber of Commerce does some really
great things for our community. And you

384
00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:00.039
were a Leadership Livingston graduate and probably
saw part to this parish. You didn't

385
00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:03.200
even know, you know, even
as share well you probably knew they existed,

386
00:25:03.319 --> 00:25:07.119
but well, you know, most
of us didn't. Surprisingly I did.

387
00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:11.079
I didn't know all of it,
yea, And it was very I

388
00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:15.519
don't know. I really enjoyed Leadership
with Livingston. I was. That was

389
00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.279
actually the first class I got to
go through. And it was kind of

390
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:22.799
funny because Layton Ricks and myself was
kind of newly elected yea, So we

391
00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:26.920
had a competition who would go to
the most classes kind of deal. But

392
00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:30.720
you know, those the field trips
and seeing like the original Courthouse in Springfield

393
00:25:32.359 --> 00:25:33.720
was a big thing for me,
and I knew it was there, and

394
00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:37.559
I know back when I worked the
streets, I probably went by it a

395
00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:40.880
couple of times forget about little things
like that. And then some of the

396
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:44.559
businesses that we that would come to
speak and some of the leadership here in

397
00:25:44.599 --> 00:25:48.960
the parish was was really entertaining to
me. And not only that, I

398
00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:52.880
loved the network of it and uh
and since then I became a really good

399
00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:59.880
partner with the chamber and they've been
good friends of me. And so all

400
00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:03.319
though my golf tournament is better than
theirs, yeah I would agree, Yeah,

401
00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:07.400
how was at both They have a
really good golf tournament too, and

402
00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:11.079
they put on some really good uh
educational classes and some of their leadership classes

403
00:26:11.119 --> 00:26:15.119
are really good. Yeah, I
agree one hundred percent. And uh.

404
00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:18.839
Incidentally, Layton Rex did a podcast
with him just a few days ago,

405
00:26:19.079 --> 00:26:22.440
and he uh, you know,
one of the things that he went out

406
00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:29.359
of his way to credit was,
uh, how working with you during these

407
00:26:29.480 --> 00:26:34.680
disasters, because you work closely with
him during those uh really really was a

408
00:26:34.759 --> 00:26:38.799
benefit for him. And he was
very complimentary of you for that, uh,

409
00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:44.759
as as I expected, but we'll
move on a little bit to some

410
00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:48.839
of your certifications. You know,
he didn't even mention this one, but

411
00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:52.319
Denham Springs kauantas Club Peace Officer of
the Year in two thousand. Oh wow,

412
00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:56.000
big deal. That's a big deal. That's that's uh, as I

413
00:26:56.079 --> 00:26:59.799
say back in the gap a little
bit. Yeah, So, yeah,

414
00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:03.519
I was very honored to receive that
award. And I was actually a detective

415
00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:07.480
at the time, and I was
right before I moved in into training training

416
00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:14.079
center. And I still remember the
state trooper was O'Neill, wascomb it got

417
00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:17.799
along with me, and the Dynal
Springs police officer was Paul Goldman, who

418
00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:21.599
actually wast to me. He's one
of my school resource officers. So I've

419
00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:25.200
seen I've seen that picture not long
ago. Wow, very good. Well,

420
00:27:26.359 --> 00:27:32.000
you know two thousand and five Lake
Charles Police Department Gratitude Award for assistance

421
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:33.880
during the Hurricane Rita. This one
spoke to me and I'm gonna tell you

422
00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:42.400
why. Twenty sixteen we flooded like
everybody else around us and ended up on

423
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:49.319
Highway sixteen right there by Carter's Rosefory. You know, all that and thousand

424
00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:52.839
other people on that road. And
we're on an island. You can't get

425
00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:59.839
in or out. And after a
few days we started singing law enforcement.

426
00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:04.319
But it was from all over the
state of Louisiana, and uh Carter's Uh

427
00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:08.720
fortunately could still open and close.
They were, you know, limited on

428
00:28:08.839 --> 00:28:12.799
what they could do, but God
bless them because they were they were gonna

429
00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:18.359
make it happen as far as people
being able to get food. One day

430
00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:21.200
I talked to one of the officers
and one over there and he was from

431
00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:23.920
Lake Charles marking it and I said, uh, I said, mean,

432
00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:26.640
y'all must uh, y'all must be
making a ton of money coming all the

433
00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:30.319
way out here, you know,
protecting us. And look they were looting

434
00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:33.839
everywhere, you know how it was. And uh he said, oh,

435
00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:37.720
man, we're down here because we
want to be And uh, I'm gonna

436
00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:41.359
tell you that touch me and you're
the same way. As a matter of

437
00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:45.799
fact, so much so that you
were honored with that gratitude award from the

438
00:28:45.880 --> 00:28:49.400
Late Charles Police Department for your work
during Hurricane Rita. That's a big deal,

439
00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:52.880
man. That's uh, you know, that's what we That's just what

440
00:28:52.279 --> 00:28:56.359
we did. And uh, it
was. It was crazy because We've been

441
00:28:56.440 --> 00:29:02.319
all over. There's usually not a
disaster in Louisiana. From probably ninety five

442
00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:06.240
ninety seven till today that I hadn't
been boots on the ground anywhere is in

443
00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:10.359
Louisiana and in some cases Texas and
Florida, because you know, you you

444
00:29:10.519 --> 00:29:14.119
go help those that need help,
because they help us. Yes, And

445
00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:18.599
so the brotherhood it is, it's
it's definitely a brotherhood. And the flood

446
00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:25.119
was was crazy, but I can
remember it like it was yesterday. Whenever

447
00:29:26.119 --> 00:29:30.880
the Friday it got to be that
evening, every single person that was with

448
00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:36.240
the ability to drive, yeah,
was gone from our train. It was

449
00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:38.359
when we had a double wide trailer
and I was sitting on the porch of

450
00:29:38.440 --> 00:29:42.720
it. I was the only person
there because everybody else was out rescuing,

451
00:29:42.839 --> 00:29:47.319
so we had to have somebody stay
at the at the center. Of course,

452
00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:49.240
I'm on the phone trying to make
sure we can get military. I

453
00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:52.920
mean, I see this. I've
been launching it all morning that Friday morning

454
00:29:52.960 --> 00:29:59.240
and seeing this, uh this,
this mother nature just recapit upon us.

455
00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:03.319
Yes, and so I'm sitting there
and just you know, God, I

456
00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:06.240
don't know what we're gonna do.
You know, we all the deputies I

457
00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:07.920
have. I got volunteers showing up
and they're like, I don't have a

458
00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:10.839
boat. And I just said,
look, go here, go here,

459
00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:14.039
and I'm sure somebody would be there
with the boat. Just rescue people.

460
00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:17.000
Yeah, And that's what we did. Our community just came together. But

461
00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:21.720
it was right before dark and I
see this truck coming up the driveway.

462
00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:25.000
It's not marked and it's got a
little backtoe on the back of it.

463
00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:29.279
And these four guys get out and
they said, hey, Sheriff, how

464
00:30:29.319 --> 00:30:32.480
are you today. I said,
well, I've been better. They said,

465
00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:33.759
well, we're uh and I can't
remember the deputy's name, and I

466
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:38.440
should, but he said, we're
from Weapster Parish. Yeah, and we

467
00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:42.319
came down here to help you.
And I said okay. I said yeah,

468
00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:45.359
we worked all night. I said, well, I don't really have

469
00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:48.000
any words for you to sleep,
but I can probably get you some cots

470
00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:51.039
over here or whatever. He said, no, sir, we didn't come

471
00:30:51.079 --> 00:30:53.559
to sleep. We came to work. Ooh, I love thou. Look,

472
00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:57.759
so I know I get it up. So five days later, I

473
00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:00.920
see these guys again and they've been
just like me. They hadn't had any

474
00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:04.000
sleep yea, And every now and
then their sheriff would call a check on

475
00:31:04.039 --> 00:31:11.039
them. And so that's what inspired
me to run for the association president.

476
00:31:11.319 --> 00:31:15.599
Yeah. And I've had people,
some of my peers, my buddy sheriffs,

477
00:31:15.640 --> 00:31:17.279
like either you ought to run,
you want to do this, and

478
00:31:17.319 --> 00:31:19.839
I'm like, I'd rather just be
right here to Livingston where I'm supposed to

479
00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:23.880
be. Yeah. They did so
much for us, and I don't think

480
00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:29.880
there was an agency in Louisiana that
wasn't here in Livingston Paris, either Livingston

481
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:32.960
or some of the East Baton Rouge. But they were here in our parish,

482
00:31:33.400 --> 00:31:37.960
protecting and serving our community. How
could I not give back? And

483
00:31:37.079 --> 00:31:41.440
the only way I could give back
was to maybe do that. So I

484
00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:47.680
ran for it's actually sergeant of arms. I won the election. I was

485
00:31:47.799 --> 00:31:52.599
voted in by the other sixty three
sheriffs. And every year they give you

486
00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:55.680
a grade and they actually let you
go to the next position until you ultimately

487
00:31:55.799 --> 00:31:59.720
become the president. Yea. And
of course Jason Art has the best luck

488
00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:01.880
in the world. If everybody wants
to know the year I was a president,

489
00:32:01.960 --> 00:32:07.960
it was twenty twenty in twenty twenty
one, but it was the experienced

490
00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:10.640
I have gained. I didn't realize
that I would be able to give back

491
00:32:10.759 --> 00:32:15.640
the way I did. And lo
and behold. I took office, actually

492
00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:20.279
swore in in twenty twenty July of
twenty twenty, and if everybody remembers the

493
00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:23.319
biggest hurricane Laura, it's late Charles, like a month later. Yeah,

494
00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:29.559
and so I'm the president and it
just took out, you know, Cameron

495
00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:32.720
Parish and Capel Shoe Parish and just
goes all the way up to Arkansas.

496
00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:39.680
And it was so I guess rewarding
to me to be able to give back

497
00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:45.480
to those sheriffs. And after all
this is said and done, and the

498
00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:50.119
smokes kind of cleared up. I
was out getting interviewed by the secretary at

499
00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:52.640
the Association and she said, so, sheriffs, what is your what is

500
00:32:52.680 --> 00:32:57.079
your goal as the president this year? I said, my goal's done.

501
00:32:57.160 --> 00:33:00.119
You can send me to the house. You know. I wanted to do

502
00:33:00.279 --> 00:33:01.960
for them what they've done for me. And I got to accomplish that in

503
00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:07.160
the first month. Yeah, and
you know, it was very emotional time

504
00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:09.599
for me because that's what I wanted
to give back, and that was my

505
00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:15.759
expertise I said, I can handle
any disaster, and so to be able

506
00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:19.519
to help my fellow sheriffs, to
guide them with you know, some of

507
00:33:19.599 --> 00:33:22.119
our expertise were dealing with FEMA,
uh, you know, and those type

508
00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:24.960
of deals. And one of the
biggest things that happened, I think it

509
00:33:25.079 --> 00:33:30.960
was two days before was everybody remembers
the flood and me going out and I

510
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:34.240
actually kind of gotten a little bit
of a spat with FEMA over some trailers,

511
00:33:34.519 --> 00:33:37.359
yeah, for my deputies, which
she fought like thirty five the forty

512
00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:44.480
trailers for these deputies to house them
and followed their guidelines and at the end

513
00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:46.279
they told me, you know,
you had to just keep waiting, keep

514
00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:50.559
waiting. I said, I'm not
waiting. We're gonna move forward and I'll

515
00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:52.720
go through the proper process. I
know what I'm doing is right. And

516
00:33:52.839 --> 00:33:58.319
of course they fought us for years
getting us reimbursement, and then they realized

517
00:33:58.359 --> 00:34:01.240
somewhere along the way that they're gonna
have to somehow give me reimbursement. Well,

518
00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:06.200
my hat's off to Garrett Grays because
he worked really hard on this as

519
00:34:06.240 --> 00:34:14.199
well. And so right when that
hurricane hit, we received our check and

520
00:34:14.760 --> 00:34:17.400
not only did he help us get
that, but he also changed the law

521
00:34:17.719 --> 00:34:22.320
yea, to where we can us
and leaders in law enforcement, your sheriffs,

522
00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:25.800
your chief that we can make those
decisions as based on, you know,

523
00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:30.239
the safety of our deputies and the
safety of our community. So to

524
00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:32.559
be able to get that and have
that law changed and be able to put

525
00:34:32.679 --> 00:34:39.719
that stuff into place and to play
during that hurricane while these agencies were going

526
00:34:39.800 --> 00:34:43.960
through so much, it just it
was really rewarding to know that we have

527
00:34:44.039 --> 00:34:46.079
actually changed the game for them to
be able to get there. Look,

528
00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:50.679
the only thing, the only thing
that I was focused on is I didn't

529
00:34:50.760 --> 00:34:53.079
want these deputies to leave, right, you know it didn't want another hurricane,

530
00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:55.039
Katrine. I mean, I have
a lot of people here from Saint

531
00:34:55.079 --> 00:34:59.159
Bernard. Yeah, and it's because
they lost everything. Sure, and I

532
00:34:59.239 --> 00:35:01.840
have some deputies here that worked for
Saint Bernard' chair's office for the best deputies

533
00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:07.039
I have, And I just didn't
want that to happen here in Livingston.

534
00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:09.639
You know, we have something special
here. I love my community, I

535
00:35:09.719 --> 00:35:14.480
love what we do, and so
all that came to play. And again,

536
00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:16.280
you know, if you if you're
doing what God calls you to do,

537
00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:20.599
you know, Jim, this is
what happens. That's right, and

538
00:35:20.679 --> 00:35:22.800
it was just amazing to be able
to turn around and and and have us

539
00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:28.400
blessed communities that turn around and blessed
us. I agree one hundred percent.

540
00:35:29.960 --> 00:35:36.000
Livingston Parish Public Schools. They they
actually awarded you in twenty seventeen for outstanding

541
00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:40.519
service and dedication to those local area
schools. And just quickly on that,

542
00:35:42.039 --> 00:35:46.400
Uh, you know, you've kept
our schools safe. In my opinion,

543
00:35:46.480 --> 00:35:52.719
we would thank god we haven't had
these these issues that you know nationally that

544
00:35:52.840 --> 00:35:57.159
people see. Uh, and and
uh, you've done a good job of

545
00:35:57.239 --> 00:36:00.880
that. We have SROs in our
in our school and look, I put

546
00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:06.039
three kids through public school and uh
and of course his parents were all parents,

547
00:36:06.159 --> 00:36:09.400
clue you and uh we sent our
kids off and you know, you

548
00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:15.280
hope and pray every day that nothing, nothing horrible with relation to your school's

549
00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:19.559
happened. But uh, you kept
him safe and you got awarded for it.

550
00:36:19.719 --> 00:36:22.559
Yeah. Well, and in twenty
twelve, the first thing that I

551
00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:29.239
did after I became sheriff was bring
our first school resort school resource officers to

552
00:36:29.320 --> 00:36:32.039
the Sheriff's office. And he actually
still works here today. His name was

553
00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:36.679
Aaron Bond. He was actually at
East Baton Rouge deputy, and I brought

554
00:36:36.760 --> 00:36:39.840
him over here and put him in
the Watson area, and uh, Jimmy,

555
00:36:40.159 --> 00:36:44.159
let's see, let me get the
name right, John Watson. His

556
00:36:44.320 --> 00:36:46.719
brother is the mayor, which is
Jimmy Watson. I call him Jimmy Durbin

557
00:36:46.760 --> 00:36:52.800
every now and he gets mad at
But so so John was a superintendent,

558
00:36:53.239 --> 00:36:58.679
and he and I sat down and
we came up with an agreement to to

559
00:36:58.760 --> 00:37:02.039
split the salary yea, and bring
the first school resource officer in and that

560
00:37:02.239 --> 00:37:06.440
kind of built where we are today. We actually now have sixteen in our

561
00:37:06.480 --> 00:37:09.960
schools, and two of those of
Dental Springs Police Department. And my hats

562
00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:14.760
off to George Landry. I believed
in the program too, U and at

563
00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:19.480
the time it was Chief Walmac I
believe and so we and I think they

564
00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:22.039
already had a school resource officer whenever
we started, so they were kind of

565
00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:25.280
ahead of the ball game. And
so anyway, it was really good to

566
00:37:25.480 --> 00:37:30.159
to bring them. But what I
really wanted these school resource officers to do.

567
00:37:30.280 --> 00:37:32.679
It wasn't necessarily a safety thing.
Of course, that comes natural,

568
00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:36.719
sure, but it's also how can
we get in these schools and kind of

569
00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:40.400
mentor these kids. And uh,
and We've seen so many stories where I've

570
00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:45.159
had deputies have some maybe some unruly
kids that for some reason were attracted to

571
00:37:45.239 --> 00:37:51.280
that uniform. And and these guys
I stories of them helping these kids read

572
00:37:51.920 --> 00:37:54.000
and staying after and making sure they're
and their reading comes up, their grades

573
00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:59.239
get better, and so and also
identifying bully in or victims of bully in

574
00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:02.519
and build that relationship with your kids
where they can report crime or you know,

575
00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:06.280
drug use. So unfortunately we have
some of that in the schools.

576
00:38:06.400 --> 00:38:08.760
Yea. And so those are those
are kind of my goal and what I

577
00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:13.800
was trying to accomplish. Well,
like you said earlier, I've had two

578
00:38:13.880 --> 00:38:17.320
kids graduate the public school system here. Both of my kids graduated Walker And

579
00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:21.760
when some of those school shootings were
going down, and at the time,

580
00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:24.639
I tried to actually pass attacks.
And nobody likes to hear about that,

581
00:38:24.760 --> 00:38:28.639
but it's true. I mean my
vision was, I mean, we need

582
00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:30.400
to get a deputy in every school. Yeah, I have a daughter going

583
00:38:30.440 --> 00:38:34.159
to school right now, and I'm
look, when I passed by that school,

584
00:38:34.199 --> 00:38:37.440
which after them shootings, I passed
by that school every day. Yeah,

585
00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:39.840
I made sure I passed by it
and looked at see her vehicle and

586
00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:44.880
what I would see when I would
see a walker officer at that school made

587
00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:47.079
me feel better. Yes, And
so I said, you know, we

588
00:38:47.199 --> 00:38:51.519
just we got to do more.
And that was my inspiration. And of

589
00:38:51.599 --> 00:38:53.360
course the people spoke. They didn't
what they wanted to do, but they

590
00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:58.119
still wanted us to do something.
And so we just went back to the

591
00:38:58.239 --> 00:39:01.159
drawing board and said we'd come up
with another plan approach the school system and

592
00:39:01.239 --> 00:39:05.320
said, look, you know,
if y'all go in half, I'm willing

593
00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:08.119
to do sixty forty. And let's
put some money aside and a budget,

594
00:39:08.199 --> 00:39:13.639
and let's create a school security detail
where these deputies are awful work and they

595
00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:16.360
can actually go sit at the school
watch over our school. They can actually

596
00:39:16.360 --> 00:39:19.840
stay in touch with what's going on
in our court system. And a lot

597
00:39:19.880 --> 00:39:23.079
of people don't understand this, but
every day when we have court family court

598
00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:30.239
and there's the custody battle over kids, sometimes there's confrontation in the courtroom that

599
00:39:30.400 --> 00:39:34.920
winds up in front of the principal
somewhere on our campus and which becomes very

600
00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:37.880
dangerous. And so you don't want
to get between a father and his kids,

601
00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:40.199
and you don't want to get between
a mother and their kids, yea,

602
00:39:40.360 --> 00:39:45.000
And so we're usually those people,
and so those kind of things happen.

603
00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:50.559
So looking at all that we created
this program and it just took off,

604
00:39:51.159 --> 00:39:53.360
I've been very fortunate because I think
I have the number is twenty two

605
00:39:53.800 --> 00:39:59.280
new reserves and some most of them
came from Baton Rouge City that actually were

606
00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:02.280
retiring, very capable and came over
here and they worked in school details.

607
00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:07.320
So I got really highly trained guys
and it just it worked out. And

608
00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:13.760
so now on any given day,
you probably have anywhere between thirty or forty

609
00:40:13.840 --> 00:40:16.760
deputies watching our schools. Now,
a lot of people don't understand to make

610
00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:21.639
up of our school system. We
have fifty two sites, yes, forty

611
00:40:21.719 --> 00:40:25.239
seven with kids every day. That's
a big responsibility. And to be able

612
00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:29.159
to ride around this parish and see
these units at these schools, and I

613
00:40:29.159 --> 00:40:31.159
don't want these kids to feel like
they're in prison, but I want them

614
00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:37.440
to feel and the parents to feel
that their kids are safe and they can

615
00:40:37.360 --> 00:40:40.960
focus on getting their education. Yeah, and uh, and look, nothing's

616
00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:45.159
one hundred percent. I'm not sitting
there telling you we one hundred percent got

617
00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:49.280
your kids coverage, because I would
just be lying. But ninety percent we

618
00:40:49.440 --> 00:40:51.880
got it, yea, And I
feel like that, Uh, you know,

619
00:40:51.960 --> 00:40:55.920
we're doing the best we can and
you just can't predict human behavior.

620
00:40:57.280 --> 00:41:00.159
Because we could, we wouldn't have
any incidents. So anyway, I'm very

621
00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:05.000
proud to be able to have a
partners partnership with the school system. And

622
00:41:05.119 --> 00:41:08.760
one of the things that we didn't
realize we would be able to do was

623
00:41:08.880 --> 00:41:13.800
truancy is a problem. Yeah,
and the school systems constantly trying to get

624
00:41:13.880 --> 00:41:16.599
us to help them and it's just
you know, from personnel issues on our

625
00:41:16.679 --> 00:41:22.840
side to their side. But we
didn't realize that doing this would give us

626
00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:27.440
extra funds because obviously we can't put
you know, we hadn't been able to

627
00:41:27.480 --> 00:41:30.679
have fifty deputies every day, sure, but it's actually have we budgeted for

628
00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:35.840
that. So now we're able to
actually pay these school resource officers when they

629
00:41:35.880 --> 00:41:40.039
get off of work extra duty to
go out and do these truancy compliance checks.

630
00:41:40.760 --> 00:41:45.719
And we've seen a huge change already
in our attendance with these children.

631
00:41:46.199 --> 00:41:50.239
And that's what it was, That's
what it's about. So I'm glad to

632
00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:52.519
have that partnership with our school system. They want they want what's bets for

633
00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:55.719
our kids as well and h and
I'm just want to focus on their safety

634
00:41:57.280 --> 00:42:01.239
and try to make sure we create
a school system that is not only a

635
00:42:01.280 --> 00:42:05.840
good education, but but it's safe, a safe campus, a safe place

636
00:42:05.960 --> 00:42:07.880
to go to school and get your
education. I have to worry about what's

637
00:42:07.920 --> 00:42:12.639
going on, you know, into
neighborhood, next door and that kind of

638
00:42:12.679 --> 00:42:15.519
stuff. So I think we have
a good a good uh A plan in

639
00:42:15.599 --> 00:42:17.760
place and it's working, and I
hope it continues to work. I agree

640
00:42:17.920 --> 00:42:22.480
one hundred percent and uh and we'll
move on. And one thing with you

641
00:42:23.000 --> 00:42:29.119
was, uh, you've got a
lot of training with the FBI good.

642
00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:34.159
You know, I would imagine their
courses are pretty pretty good. As a

643
00:42:34.239 --> 00:42:37.239
matter of fact, you've you've done
a lot of leadership training with them.

644
00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:43.880
You were an FBI National Academy graduate
back in two thousand and eight. UH

645
00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:49.239
US Department of Justice and I terrorism
training. Uh. Something you wouldn't think,

646
00:42:49.639 --> 00:42:52.159
you know, you would have an
issue with here in Livingston Parish.

647
00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:55.840
And and maybe that's because you've got
some training in that area, but got

648
00:42:55.920 --> 00:43:01.840
that in twenty twelve, FBI Academy
Law and Forcement Executive Training twenty fourteen,

649
00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:08.840
Homeland Security Training Tactical Operations in twenty
fifteen. So you you know, I

650
00:43:08.920 --> 00:43:12.239
told y'all it was like the Dead
Sea squirrels, and it is. He

651
00:43:12.480 --> 00:43:16.159
just a lot of certifications, a
lot of training, and experience matters.

652
00:43:16.400 --> 00:43:24.199
Experience is important leaders. People that
are leading your organization, their subordinates underneath

653
00:43:24.280 --> 00:43:28.760
them are looking for that. They're
looking for someone that knows how to lead,

654
00:43:29.239 --> 00:43:31.960
and those certifications will get you there. Uh. You're president of the

655
00:43:32.679 --> 00:43:37.920
Louisiana Sheriff Association, as we mentioned
from July twenty twenty to July twenty twenty

656
00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:43.960
one. So you're even uh you
know, in a mayor speaking leading other

657
00:43:44.280 --> 00:43:49.119
other sheriffs and you know in that
organization and committing of your time and all

658
00:43:49.159 --> 00:43:52.039
those sorts of things. Uh.
Board member, I liked this one for

659
00:43:52.119 --> 00:43:59.159
the Louisiana Association of Challenge Adults and
Walker h great organization. It is a

660
00:43:59.199 --> 00:44:01.599
great organization. Eight families are involved
in that, and you know, anything

661
00:44:01.679 --> 00:44:05.159
we can do to help our community
in it, it takes you know.

662
00:44:05.199 --> 00:44:07.239
I got a lot of boards that
I serve on I try to do the

663
00:44:07.280 --> 00:44:09.519
best I can. You know,
you can't serve on them all, but

664
00:44:09.599 --> 00:44:13.519
there's some that actually really touched my
heart and I want to do everything I

665
00:44:13.599 --> 00:44:15.559
can to try to help them out. One hundred percent lifetime member of the

666
00:44:15.679 --> 00:44:20.360
NRA, I love that. Hell
yeah, Look, my grandfather told me

667
00:44:20.400 --> 00:44:24.079
a long time ago, he said, give to two organizations, and you

668
00:44:24.199 --> 00:44:30.119
actually give to both of them.
U the NRA never never, always support

669
00:44:30.159 --> 00:44:34.039
the n ORA and always support St. Jude. And you do both of

670
00:44:34.079 --> 00:44:36.559
those as well as a matter of
fact, chipping in for Saint Jude,

671
00:44:36.639 --> 00:44:40.360
your sponsor for that, and you
help with that. But I want to

672
00:44:40.360 --> 00:44:45.719
talk about the Christmas Crusade for a
second. Big deal. It is Christmas

673
00:44:45.800 --> 00:44:49.039
Crede is a huge deal and it's
been around for many, many years.

674
00:44:49.119 --> 00:44:52.280
It actually was starting under Sheriff Odam
Graves and carried on by sheriff would have

675
00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:55.800
Graves and then of course we carry
them on that tradition because it's such an

676
00:44:55.880 --> 00:45:00.840
impact to our community. A lot
of people really don't underst and what impact

677
00:45:00.920 --> 00:45:04.880
it is. But there's a lot
of families every year that would not have

678
00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:07.519
a Christmas if it wasn't for this
program and We're linked up with a lot

679
00:45:07.559 --> 00:45:12.079
of our churches and a lot of
other nonprofit organization. I know Mighty Moms

680
00:45:12.199 --> 00:45:15.079
is kind of a partner with us
and some of those, and it's just

681
00:45:15.239 --> 00:45:17.199
something that we we like to do. And unfortunately, in our line of

682
00:45:17.239 --> 00:45:22.679
business, we don't get to do
a lot of positive stuff sometimes other than

683
00:45:22.760 --> 00:45:24.159
in people's eyes. We get to
chase the bad guys and put them in

684
00:45:24.280 --> 00:45:29.000
jail and bring justice, and that's
what our job is. But these deputies

685
00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:35.719
see so many bad things and there's
so many families that are suffering. These

686
00:45:35.760 --> 00:45:38.840
deputies go in these homes and to
be in Christmas time is a big thing

687
00:45:38.920 --> 00:45:43.719
for them. And if you've never
followed us, I want you to please

688
00:45:43.800 --> 00:45:46.039
go back and look in the pass
of what we've done for this community with

689
00:45:46.159 --> 00:45:50.039
the Christmas Crusade. But what I
want you to focus on is we have

690
00:45:50.199 --> 00:45:53.760
some pictures of the day we deliver
these toys, and look at the units

691
00:45:54.679 --> 00:45:59.880
in the vehicles, Emmer deputies that
are off duty, yes, coming out

692
00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:02.280
to be able to deliver these toys
these families and just so you know how

693
00:46:02.360 --> 00:46:07.159
many, it's anywhere being four to
six hundred normally on average about six hundred

694
00:46:07.239 --> 00:46:13.280
families, six hundred locations that we're
gonna be at that morning, and we

695
00:46:13.400 --> 00:46:17.519
usually have everything delivered between seven and
twelve twelve o'clock. Wow, okay,

696
00:46:17.599 --> 00:46:23.000
so in about a six hour period. And it's just so it's just a

697
00:46:23.119 --> 00:46:28.000
great day. But it also is
something that we work on. This is

698
00:46:28.079 --> 00:46:30.440
not a something we work on for
two weeks. This is a year round

699
00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:35.679
process. And my wife, Erica, masterminds this program and she, you

700
00:46:35.760 --> 00:46:37.559
know, we were talking about it
yesterday's we need to have a meeting,

701
00:46:37.639 --> 00:46:40.559
and of course I'm in the middle
of election and I'm still the sheriff,

702
00:46:40.599 --> 00:46:45.760
and I'm like, okay, I'll
make time. But really and truly,

703
00:46:46.159 --> 00:46:50.679
it takes a lot of time.
So we have an average of about between

704
00:46:50.719 --> 00:46:54.039
twelve hundred and sixteen hundred kids that
we have to shop far, so her

705
00:46:54.079 --> 00:46:58.719
and I do our Christmas very early
because we don't have time to Christmas shop

706
00:46:58.760 --> 00:47:02.280
once crusade starts. It starts now, yeah, and she's already pre ordering,

707
00:47:02.480 --> 00:47:07.000
talking to you know, different local
businesses and trying to get our toys

708
00:47:07.079 --> 00:47:09.000
ordered. And it was kind of
funny is every year she sends out a

709
00:47:09.079 --> 00:47:14.639
email she's just sending out about two
weeks ago asking parents because now my kids,

710
00:47:14.679 --> 00:47:16.719
I have one married. Yeah,
and he just gave me my first

711
00:47:16.719 --> 00:47:20.760
grandchild, a little boy in them
miles, very happy. He came home

712
00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:22.159
a couple of weeks ago. He
was premature, but he's doing great.

713
00:47:22.199 --> 00:47:25.800
He's healthy, he's born more hair
than me, yeah, a lot more

714
00:47:25.840 --> 00:47:30.840
hair than you. Yeah, definitely. But he's a beautiful, beautiful kid.

715
00:47:30.880 --> 00:47:34.719
And my daughter will be graduating Southeastern
in December. She wanted to go

716
00:47:34.800 --> 00:47:37.719
at extra semester because it's cheap for
her, right, no, no,

717
00:47:37.039 --> 00:47:40.880
no, no, no fun intended
with her dad. So but anyway,

718
00:47:42.440 --> 00:47:45.679
I get that, believe me.
Yeah, so our kids are older,

719
00:47:45.199 --> 00:47:50.559
and so she sends out this email
to all the deputies that have kids,

720
00:47:50.800 --> 00:47:53.000
and hey, what's the hot item? What are your what is your kids

721
00:47:53.159 --> 00:47:57.760
wanting for Christmas? And it's important
for us to know that because I don't

722
00:47:57.760 --> 00:48:00.719
want Jim Chapman's kids not to have
what the neighbors kids have. You know,

723
00:48:00.840 --> 00:48:04.880
we need to know what's important.
So she keeps up with all that

724
00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:07.840
stuff and then you know, pre
ordering for that many kids. And and

725
00:48:07.920 --> 00:48:15.360
then so the Saturday after Thanksgiving it
will be at all three Walmart locations will

726
00:48:15.360 --> 00:48:20.119
be at bass Pro taking monetary donations
and new toys, and it kind of

727
00:48:20.119 --> 00:48:23.280
starts a process and then people come
in and they actually apply for the program,

728
00:48:24.519 --> 00:48:27.960
and then that takes about a two
week process there, and then we

729
00:48:28.119 --> 00:48:30.880
takes another week to bag the toys. And it's just amazing to see.

730
00:48:31.000 --> 00:48:35.039
I don't know if you've ever seen
it, but it's amazing to see.

731
00:48:35.079 --> 00:48:38.360
It's like a little miniature Walmart.
And they work. Look they worked sixteen

732
00:48:38.440 --> 00:48:43.239
eighteen hours a day bagging these toys
to get it ready. And then we

733
00:48:43.480 --> 00:48:46.280
picked the friday usually it's a Friday, and then we all show up and

734
00:48:46.320 --> 00:48:52.679
they deliver these toys and the best
ones are the one the deputies come in

735
00:48:52.880 --> 00:48:54.199
and they say, hey, look
I was at last night. I had

736
00:48:54.239 --> 00:48:59.639
to rest this guy and he had
a family. They're needy. We want

737
00:48:59.679 --> 00:49:01.159
them, we want to bring the
kids. I want to bring those toys

738
00:49:01.159 --> 00:49:05.039
of these kids. Yeah, because
it definitely knows these kids maybe seen him

739
00:49:05.039 --> 00:49:07.159
in a bad light, right,
and it gives them an opportunity to go

740
00:49:07.239 --> 00:49:09.960
back and say, look, I'm
not such a bad guy. Uh what

741
00:49:10.159 --> 00:49:15.480
have you? And that really is
rewarding to me to see that, And

742
00:49:15.719 --> 00:49:19.800
and the only story that I like
to tell because I try to be real

743
00:49:20.360 --> 00:49:22.400
private with people's personal lives. I
don't want to put their business on the

744
00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:30.760
street. But the most rewarding time
for me was my wife had this little

745
00:49:30.760 --> 00:49:34.239
girl come in with her mom.
I think she was about either seven or

746
00:49:34.320 --> 00:49:37.000
nine in that in that age,
and she looked at the little girl and

747
00:49:37.039 --> 00:49:40.000
said, what do you want Santa
Claus to bring you for Christmas? And

748
00:49:40.079 --> 00:49:44.320
said the little girl just kind of
looked around, and she said she leaned

749
00:49:44.360 --> 00:49:46.199
over her mom sitting aside was kind
of whispers because if he would just bring

750
00:49:46.639 --> 00:49:52.519
my mom a Christmas tree, it
would be the best Christmas ever. Obviously

751
00:49:52.559 --> 00:49:55.199
we went bout a Christmas tree light
And but those are the type of people

752
00:49:55.239 --> 00:49:59.880
you're helping. It's like these kids
understand that you know, Mama can a

753
00:50:00.039 --> 00:50:04.639
forward this and they even putting mom
before them. Sure, So those are

754
00:50:04.639 --> 00:50:07.280
the kind of people here helping.
And it's so it's just it's just a

755
00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:10.280
great program. And we could not
do that program, Gym if it wasn't

756
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:15.159
for these businesses in this parish,
the citizens of this parish. They keep

757
00:50:15.239 --> 00:50:21.719
that program ticking because all that is
is self money we raised and every now

758
00:50:21.800 --> 00:50:23.880
and then we'll do a fundraiser,
but normally we don't have to do a

759
00:50:23.920 --> 00:50:28.800
fundraiser for crusade. Yeah, now
we get we get we get that many

760
00:50:28.880 --> 00:50:32.599
donations and people believe in the program. And it's just rewarding to be able

761
00:50:32.639 --> 00:50:37.079
to do that, it really is. And and it also you know,

762
00:50:37.199 --> 00:50:42.559
I've given where I could admit for
many years to that program. And uh,

763
00:50:42.920 --> 00:50:46.440
one thing that I really enjoyed doing
from a citizen perspective is interacting with

764
00:50:46.519 --> 00:50:52.159
the deputies during that time. And
uh, they're at all the walmarts and

765
00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:55.679
several other locations in the area.
So check that out. And you mentioned

766
00:50:55.840 --> 00:50:59.639
uh, well you mentioned college.
Look, I got three girls of l

767
00:51:00.119 --> 00:51:02.400
well, two girls and a boy
to LSU. And it ain't cheap,

768
00:51:02.639 --> 00:51:07.840
No, it's not. And you
have a program a scholarship that you offer

769
00:51:07.239 --> 00:51:12.719
that's a huge deal. It is
you know, it was the inspiration for

770
00:51:12.760 --> 00:51:15.199
that is the Louisiana Sheriffs Association gives
a way of scholarship. Yep. Each

771
00:51:15.239 --> 00:51:21.480
sheriff gets a gets a five hundred
dollars scholarship to give to one student in

772
00:51:21.559 --> 00:51:24.800
the parish. We have a lot
of students here. Yeah, yeah,

773
00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:29.159
And I'm like, well, you
know, five hundred dollars one scholarship,

774
00:51:29.559 --> 00:51:31.760
we need to do more. So
I kind of started a scholarship fund and

775
00:51:31.920 --> 00:51:35.719
it actually kind of took off,
and so we've been able to give a

776
00:51:35.800 --> 00:51:37.599
whole lot more. I don't even
know what the number is, but a

777
00:51:37.639 --> 00:51:39.840
lot more scholarships. And I think
we average probably ten or fifteen a year.

778
00:51:39.960 --> 00:51:44.159
We have so many talented kids here, and we have so many that

779
00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:45.760
get great scholarships, and uh,
and you know, every now and then

780
00:51:45.840 --> 00:51:50.400
you'll you'll have one. There's a
few success stories where you know, my

781
00:51:50.719 --> 00:51:53.719
grandmother's raising me, and you know, I'm I'm a hard worker. I'm

782
00:51:53.719 --> 00:51:57.480
working, I have two jobs,
but I'm going to college and just need

783
00:51:57.519 --> 00:52:00.960
a little help and to be able
to give those guyships. And then you

784
00:52:00.039 --> 00:52:02.400
know here from that kid, two
or three years later, they're still in

785
00:52:02.480 --> 00:52:06.599
college, they're fixtion a graduate to
become nurses. Yeah, and you just

786
00:52:06.719 --> 00:52:08.719
had a little small, you know
portion in there that you just kind of

787
00:52:08.760 --> 00:52:14.159
helped them, and so that was
inspiration behind it. And I just I

788
00:52:14.280 --> 00:52:17.159
just couldn't sleep at night knowing we
gave one scholarships to these kids, and

789
00:52:17.320 --> 00:52:22.119
and God bless the Sheriff Association.
You know, they have sixty four sheriffs

790
00:52:22.199 --> 00:52:24.239
to try to, you know,
put these this money toward. Sure so,

791
00:52:24.679 --> 00:52:28.039
but we just have so many giving
people here in our parish too,

792
00:52:28.320 --> 00:52:35.000
we really do. And uh and
just another another example of your community involvement

793
00:52:35.519 --> 00:52:37.840
and all of those sorts of things. And that's important for for a sheriff's

794
00:52:37.840 --> 00:52:43.639
office to to maintain in touch with
that community. You've done a great job

795
00:52:43.960 --> 00:52:47.480
of that over the years. Uh, and have have been accessible, which

796
00:52:47.559 --> 00:52:52.239
is important. And uh and your
deputy is also accessible. Uh. You

797
00:52:52.360 --> 00:52:55.679
mentioned you mentioned your children. Of
course, you and your wife Erica.

798
00:52:55.800 --> 00:53:00.039
You have two children, Abigail and
Toby, right, Uh. And uh.

799
00:53:00.400 --> 00:53:06.480
When you run for office, which
you know, one thing about your

800
00:53:06.599 --> 00:53:08.440
job is it's different than saying my
job. I don't have to be re

801
00:53:08.559 --> 00:53:14.000
elected every four years, you know
you do. And and uh, when

802
00:53:14.039 --> 00:53:16.119
you run for office, it means
your family's kind of also running for office.

803
00:53:16.239 --> 00:53:20.639
Right, everybody's got to buy in. Everybody's got to be on board.

804
00:53:21.280 --> 00:53:22.880
Uh. It's it's something that's Uh, it's it's a lot on the

805
00:53:22.960 --> 00:53:27.639
family. And but you have to
have their support. And Eric has always

806
00:53:27.639 --> 00:53:32.719
supported my my decisions, say,
she always supported, but she's always she

807
00:53:32.840 --> 00:53:37.360
always stood beside me, and you
know she she's a wife. And uh,

808
00:53:37.480 --> 00:53:39.400
the kids, Uh, they were
kind of young when we started out,

809
00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:44.159
but they are very you know,
proud to be involved. And they

810
00:53:44.239 --> 00:53:46.239
love the Shaff's office like anybody else. And yeah, they've kind of been

811
00:53:46.320 --> 00:53:50.920
brought up in the in the political
world, so to speak. And and

812
00:53:51.159 --> 00:53:54.000
uh so it's it's really nice to
have a family that believes in you and

813
00:53:54.199 --> 00:53:59.559
and understand what your mission is it
really is. And uh and you mentioned

814
00:53:59.599 --> 00:54:01.360
your face thirdlier, and I want
to talk about that for a second.

815
00:54:01.480 --> 00:54:08.079
Now, how critical would you say
your faith in God has been in your

816
00:54:08.159 --> 00:54:12.960
success? You know, you mentioned
you're in law enforcement. You see a

817
00:54:13.000 --> 00:54:16.239
lot of bad things. Face important
part of that, right, it really

818
00:54:16.400 --> 00:54:20.760
is. You know, look,
I'm I've always believed that, you know,

819
00:54:20.880 --> 00:54:24.280
Christianity is obviously a sign of hope. Yea. And so if you

820
00:54:24.400 --> 00:54:29.880
look at our units, we actually
have a badge number on it and a

821
00:54:29.920 --> 00:54:31.760
lot of people think it's the deputy's
badge. It's called it's thirteen four.

822
00:54:32.199 --> 00:54:36.920
Yeah, Well thirteen four is actually
only thirteen four. And in that verse

823
00:54:37.000 --> 00:54:40.320
it tells you how we are servants
of God and we protect you from the

824
00:54:40.400 --> 00:54:45.559
wrong doors. Yeah, but we
are God's servant first, and I really

825
00:54:45.639 --> 00:54:50.480
believe in that, and I believe
that we are just not far off of

826
00:54:50.760 --> 00:54:54.519
a pastor. Okay, but let
me explain that they deal with a lot

827
00:54:54.559 --> 00:55:00.320
of stuff, and they are they
have opportunities just like we do and law

828
00:55:00.400 --> 00:55:04.719
enforcement. But normally when we deal
with people there at their bottom. Yeah,

829
00:55:05.079 --> 00:55:07.199
and I feel like that we have
an opportunity to change a life,

830
00:55:07.239 --> 00:55:10.639
if you know, whenever we uh
get to a scene and then we're in

831
00:55:10.719 --> 00:55:16.239
the middle of of people's family affairs
when it comes to uh they're going through

832
00:55:16.239 --> 00:55:20.400
a divorce or civil issues and all
this kind of stuff. So it's really

833
00:55:21.639 --> 00:55:25.320
to me rewarding to be able to
maybe turn someone to to that and uh

834
00:55:25.440 --> 00:55:29.519
to having faith. And I've just
always uh, you know, I was

835
00:55:29.559 --> 00:55:30.920
brought up that way. And you
know old story they say, your grandma

836
00:55:31.159 --> 00:55:36.440
drug you to church, And yes, I was drugged to church every day,

837
00:55:37.000 --> 00:55:40.599
and I remember we went I went
to sat some Baptists with my grandmother.

838
00:55:40.719 --> 00:55:44.119
And if you didn't act righte,
she'd have, you know, make

839
00:55:44.159 --> 00:55:45.960
you pick your switch and all that
kind of stuff. But you know,

840
00:55:47.519 --> 00:55:50.679
it was just something that I was
brought up in. You know, I

841
00:55:50.800 --> 00:55:54.960
was brought up in the Southern Baptists
family and we are now members of Live

842
00:55:55.000 --> 00:55:59.280
Oak Church. Used to Belabokh methods. Now it's Liaboak Church and Eric and

843
00:55:59.360 --> 00:56:01.480
I was married there. And you
know, I've I've been baptized. I

844
00:56:01.679 --> 00:56:07.239
actually baptized a beach rit Baptist Church
which is on sixty three. I don't

845
00:56:07.280 --> 00:56:12.360
think it's called beach Ridge anymore.
And it's over kind of north Walker,

846
00:56:12.480 --> 00:56:15.239
north Hoaston area. Yeah, and
so you know, look it it's uh,

847
00:56:15.320 --> 00:56:21.360
in what we do every day,
I make a lot of decisions and

848
00:56:21.480 --> 00:56:27.800
somebody's in. All our decisions mostly
affect people's lives. And when you have

849
00:56:27.920 --> 00:56:30.159
to make a decision on maybe what
to do with a deputy that has done

850
00:56:30.199 --> 00:56:35.400
something against policy, he's even maybe
broken the law whatever, you know,

851
00:56:35.639 --> 00:56:39.039
you have to pray about those decisions. Yea, and my decisions are gonna

852
00:56:39.039 --> 00:56:42.880
be prayed about. And uh and
I look, I always ask God,

853
00:56:42.880 --> 00:56:45.400
I said, look, please treat
treat me like an idiot, slap me,

854
00:56:45.559 --> 00:56:49.599
get my attention something, to make
sure that I'm making the right decision

855
00:56:49.639 --> 00:56:52.199
here. And because if I can't
sleep at night. I know I didn't

856
00:56:52.199 --> 00:56:54.760
make the right decision right, right, And you've got to have a peace

857
00:56:54.880 --> 00:56:59.400
with that. And I just believe
that I'm here because God wanted me to

858
00:56:59.440 --> 00:57:02.719
be here. He's given me a
lot of visions that I have continued to

859
00:57:04.239 --> 00:57:07.719
just like the training facility, that
was a vision from a long time ago

860
00:57:07.840 --> 00:57:13.559
that came to pass. And I
believe that you have those visions and you

861
00:57:13.679 --> 00:57:16.760
need to you need to focus on
them. So look, I'm having no

862
00:57:17.280 --> 00:57:25.440
problem standing up for our country,
standing up for God and family and our

863
00:57:25.519 --> 00:57:30.360
constitution. I'm really big on that, and that's what we were founded on.

864
00:57:30.639 --> 00:57:34.039
And and since we're on this topic, this is something that really bothers

865
00:57:34.079 --> 00:57:37.719
me. You have a lot of
we have a big election coming up.

866
00:57:38.840 --> 00:57:42.280
You got a lot of people are
gonna have new seats, right, You

867
00:57:42.360 --> 00:57:45.760
have a lot of Paris council seats
that are vacant. You have home for

868
00:57:45.800 --> 00:57:50.840
a new parish president, senators,
representatives, we have a lot of those.

869
00:57:51.320 --> 00:57:55.519
Okay, hold them accountable, yea. They should stand up for God.

870
00:57:55.840 --> 00:57:59.599
They should stand up for our country, They should stand up for family

871
00:57:59.719 --> 00:58:04.119
value, use, they should stand
up for our freedom of this country and

872
00:58:04.239 --> 00:58:07.440
a lot of times they don't want
to talk about. Yeah, ask those

873
00:58:07.519 --> 00:58:10.840
questions and make sure that that's what
you're voting for, because I'm telling you

874
00:58:10.920 --> 00:58:16.519
we're in the time now that this
country is in some trouble. And if

875
00:58:16.559 --> 00:58:20.039
you don't think the border is real, folks, is real. We've seen

876
00:58:20.039 --> 00:58:22.000
it here in Livingston Paris. I
mean, we've seen a population increase,

877
00:58:22.840 --> 00:58:27.400
we see in these the drugs we're
seeing on the street is not normal here.

878
00:58:27.639 --> 00:58:30.559
Yeah, I mean there's a lot
of things going on here and this

879
00:58:30.760 --> 00:58:32.239
is a very important time. So
there will be a lot of new people

880
00:58:32.320 --> 00:58:37.719
elected, except for your sheriff,
it'll be the same guy that's been working

881
00:58:37.800 --> 00:58:39.960
hard and boots on the ground,
and we're going to continue to do what

882
00:58:40.079 --> 00:58:44.159
we've always done here, and that
is serve and protect this parish. Yeah

883
00:58:44.480 --> 00:58:46.159
and uh, and keep this parish
what it is and safe place to live,

884
00:58:46.239 --> 00:58:52.639
work and raise your family's right.
And so please hold your public officials

885
00:58:52.679 --> 00:58:57.519
accountable to that, because if you
want somebody who's going to fight for your

886
00:58:57.559 --> 00:59:00.599
freedom and fight for the right things
of what you believe in, you got

887
00:59:00.679 --> 00:59:04.559
to ask those questions and hold them
accountable. And that's that's that's one of

888
00:59:04.639 --> 00:59:07.159
the things. So I have no
problem speaking about Jesus. I have no

889
00:59:07.320 --> 00:59:13.360
problem speaking about anything. And so
I think that that's obviously what's going on

890
00:59:13.559 --> 00:59:16.159
in our in our society. And
ask you know, why things are happening

891
00:59:16.199 --> 00:59:19.320
the way to happen, And I
said, well, you start taking prayer

892
00:59:19.360 --> 00:59:21.880
out of school, you start taking
prayer out of this, pray out of

893
00:59:22.000 --> 00:59:25.000
that. Yeah, these things of
things happen. I agree one hundred percent.

894
00:59:25.239 --> 00:59:30.800
And uh and I also agree with
you in a very important election this

895
00:59:30.000 --> 00:59:35.119
go round and uh, and people
really need to pay attention. Uh.

896
00:59:35.280 --> 00:59:39.639
And I'll just say this, you
know, don't look social media for me,

897
00:59:40.679 --> 00:59:45.480
uh has been a good tool for
business, bad tool for getting uh,

898
00:59:46.159 --> 00:59:50.079
inaccurate information, which there's a lot
of it out there, and a

899
00:59:50.159 --> 00:59:53.719
lot of those keyboard warriors and and
folks of that nature, and you know,

900
00:59:54.159 --> 00:59:59.320
we don't even knowledge I don't even
knowledge them anymore. I learned just

901
00:59:59.480 --> 01:00:05.079
not to engage, which is hard, but I've learned. So. Uh.

902
01:00:05.960 --> 01:00:09.719
You know, make sure you're making
your own decision. Don't let somebody

903
01:00:09.760 --> 01:00:15.960
else make a decision for you or
tell you something that is inaccurate. Make

904
01:00:15.000 --> 01:00:19.119
your own decision. Approach One of
these candidates, whoever it may be,

905
01:00:19.280 --> 01:00:22.320
and ask them, ask them,
they'll answer whatever question you got. Do

906
01:00:22.480 --> 01:00:27.280
your research, do your research.
Yeah, that's right, great advice,

907
01:00:27.400 --> 01:00:31.280
and and uh, look you've done
a lot over your career. We've talked

908
01:00:31.280 --> 01:00:37.400
about it thirty years new nine one
one center, two new substations. Right,

909
01:00:37.599 --> 01:00:39.760
we have one in Walker, right, right, we have one in

910
01:00:39.840 --> 01:00:44.840
Walker and we're in the process of
building one on Tickfil River. Those marine

911
01:00:44.880 --> 01:00:49.599
guys have never had anywheres to actually
have an office, and so we're very

912
01:00:49.679 --> 01:00:54.400
proud to have that location. We
actually even have one of the slip areas

913
01:00:54.480 --> 01:00:59.719
for the Springfield Fire Department because they're
on a river. And if you're not

914
01:00:59.840 --> 01:01:02.000
on a river in Livingston Parish,
you're not understanding our waterways here. We

915
01:01:02.079 --> 01:01:06.960
have more naprical waterways in Liveston Parish
and anywhere's in Louisiana. Yeah, we

916
01:01:07.119 --> 01:01:10.039
have a huge water life. Yeah. I mean these boats on the weekends,

917
01:01:10.079 --> 01:01:14.400
they are just packed. And uh, those marine guys work every weekend

918
01:01:15.000 --> 01:01:16.639
and day and day out. And
now it's getting where even during the week

919
01:01:16.920 --> 01:01:22.199
and it's it's a it's a it's
becoming a big thing in that area.

920
01:01:22.760 --> 01:01:27.280
So a lot of people don't even
realize what's going on down there, but

921
01:01:27.320 --> 01:01:30.199
there's a lot of people that do. There's a lot of traffic comes on

922
01:01:30.320 --> 01:01:32.079
the water and they look, it's
just not Livingston Parish. There's people from

923
01:01:32.199 --> 01:01:37.440
all over Stay Louisiana comes to those
waterways and a lot of them have vacation

924
01:01:37.519 --> 01:01:40.679
homes and retirement homes yeah on that
water and UH and it's it's so it's

925
01:01:40.679 --> 01:01:44.079
a lot of fun times on the
water, to a lot of good eateries

926
01:01:44.239 --> 01:01:47.119
on the water, and so it's
nice to be able to build that UH

927
01:01:47.320 --> 01:01:51.679
station. And I have two more
that I'm working on that I want to

928
01:01:51.880 --> 01:01:54.239
be able to accomplish. I'd love
to have us a substation somewhere around the

929
01:01:54.320 --> 01:01:59.280
French Settlement area of Marpuah. We
need one down that way, and we

930
01:01:59.400 --> 01:02:04.119
also need one in the North Denham
Watson area. Yeah. So those those

931
01:02:04.159 --> 01:02:07.199
are my future projects that I'm focusing
on. And of course we have the

932
01:02:07.239 --> 01:02:10.440
one at the Walker Building, which
is a Walker town hall on the third

933
01:02:10.480 --> 01:02:14.880
floor. Yeah, and we kind
of picked that because it was centrally located

934
01:02:15.400 --> 01:02:19.960
and it gives us a little more
room and the deputies really are are getting

935
01:02:20.000 --> 01:02:22.000
some good use out of it,
So it's uh, it's it's nice to

936
01:02:22.039 --> 01:02:24.840
be able to have those and be
able to build upon what we're going to

937
01:02:24.880 --> 01:02:29.639
be doing here at the parish in
the future. Very good and uh and

938
01:02:29.800 --> 01:02:32.440
you just mentioned you know, you
are a forward thinker, which I really

939
01:02:32.559 --> 01:02:38.880
like, and and you're constantly advancing
as technology advances, and look one of

940
01:02:38.960 --> 01:02:44.280
your I mean, for me,
I just absolutely love this so much so

941
01:02:44.519 --> 01:02:49.960
that I talked about it on another
podcast that I do that is a global

942
01:02:50.119 --> 01:02:54.079
podcast. So you're worldwide famous now
because I brought up the Livingston Parish Sheriff's

943
01:02:54.199 --> 01:03:00.360
Office app that you just release that
is my favorite probably told everybody ever in

944
01:03:00.440 --> 01:03:06.159
into you need definitely the app man
that it's it's just great because at the

945
01:03:06.199 --> 01:03:08.679
palm of your hands, you have
so much information in this robust app.

946
01:03:09.000 --> 01:03:12.400
And we want to we want to
continue to grow on that app. And

947
01:03:12.960 --> 01:03:15.719
you know when we first released it, you know you've got a lot of

948
01:03:15.960 --> 01:03:19.760
weather updates. Yeah, yeah,
well we'll take those, you know,

949
01:03:19.840 --> 01:03:22.320
the weather updates is what we kind
of started with. And yeah, so

950
01:03:22.519 --> 01:03:28.079
now we're actually doing our news releases
and we're process of training some of the

951
01:03:28.960 --> 01:03:31.519
dispatchers because what I want to do
is to have that twenty four hour coverage

952
01:03:31.599 --> 01:03:36.440
for people. And what I'm working
toward is I want to know before I

953
01:03:36.519 --> 01:03:39.480
get on I twelve if the traffic's
backed up, are rerouted. You know,

954
01:03:39.599 --> 01:03:44.760
if you go to your subdivision there's
four police cars there, you can

955
01:03:44.800 --> 01:03:46.119
look on the app and say,
oh, were they there because they had

956
01:03:46.199 --> 01:03:49.639
you know this or this going on? Now, some stuff we can't put

957
01:03:49.679 --> 01:03:52.440
out, but I think if anything
is they danger to your neighborhood or anything

958
01:03:52.480 --> 01:03:57.079
you should be concerned about. We
need to be able to get more communication

959
01:03:57.920 --> 01:04:00.000
to our citizens. So that's kind
of where that app apps going, and

960
01:04:00.119 --> 01:04:03.639
it'll get bigger and better as we
go. And so I think the big

961
01:04:04.119 --> 01:04:09.000
thing we're working toward obviously, eventually
we'll have another disaster. Whether you like

962
01:04:09.119 --> 01:04:13.679
it or not, it's coming.
And so we're just working those tools to

963
01:04:13.719 --> 01:04:15.480
be able to say more in touch
with our citizens. And I'm very proud

964
01:04:15.480 --> 01:04:17.760
of that app is just going to
get bigger and better as we do them

965
01:04:17.800 --> 01:04:24.280
too. And if you want to
download that app, will link the download

966
01:04:24.360 --> 01:04:28.039
to the app in the description and
you can learn more about it, download

967
01:04:28.119 --> 01:04:31.559
it. It'll keep you updated and
it's got so many features and tools that

968
01:04:31.719 --> 01:04:38.280
you'll find interesting and just another another
example of forward thinking with the Sheriff's Thank

969
01:04:38.320 --> 01:04:42.280
the Sheriff's Department. I do want
to get into a couple of other things

970
01:04:42.400 --> 01:04:45.119
before we wrap up. We've been
going like an iron ten minutes. But

971
01:04:45.280 --> 01:04:47.840
look, I mean thirty years,
you know, you can only do as

972
01:04:47.880 --> 01:04:51.360
you can do. One of the
things that is really making the Facebook buzz

973
01:04:51.519 --> 01:04:56.239
right now is the breast cancer wrap
Police. You know, Oh lord,

974
01:04:56.440 --> 01:05:00.599
what's out yet? Oh it's out. Somebody's son and put a picture out

975
01:05:00.639 --> 01:05:04.239
there. But let me tell you, everybody loves it. And my wife

976
01:05:04.320 --> 01:05:09.960
has spent her entire wife actually in
breast cancer research. So I showed that

977
01:05:10.119 --> 01:05:13.480
to her and I said, tell
all your friends, you know, uh

978
01:05:14.159 --> 01:05:20.199
so just a beautiful neat little uh
police in it that is pink and uh

979
01:05:20.599 --> 01:05:26.599
and important it is. And so
I'm in me. I love the point

980
01:05:26.639 --> 01:05:30.880
out where where who needs the credit
here? And so Chief de friend who's

981
01:05:30.920 --> 01:05:35.480
the police chief of Livingston, kind
of started something last year with a fundraiser

982
01:05:35.559 --> 01:05:40.280
for the breast cancer awareness I asked
us to get involved, have us to

983
01:05:40.320 --> 01:05:42.840
be a part of it, and
I noticed he had like some pink badges

984
01:05:43.519 --> 01:05:45.960
had a few things put on his
unit or whatever, and you know me,

985
01:05:45.119 --> 01:05:47.639
I'm like, we can do better
than that. You know, we

986
01:05:47.719 --> 01:05:51.480
want to do something big and better. So of course one of the things

987
01:05:51.519 --> 01:05:55.280
we don't want is we don't want
our taxpayer thing. And all you wasted

988
01:05:55.320 --> 01:05:58.800
all this money on this unit and
was able to get a sponsor. It

989
01:05:58.840 --> 01:06:02.320
was actually Baton Rouge General that sponsored
this. This vehicle helped this rapid and

990
01:06:02.480 --> 01:06:06.199
it's uh, it's it's very pink. Yeah, like maybe pepto bismol.

991
01:06:06.239 --> 01:06:09.440
Pink. Here, we catch your
eye. Here, we catch your eye.

992
01:06:09.559 --> 01:06:11.760
But at the end of the day, it's about a good cause.

993
01:06:12.440 --> 01:06:15.639
And so we're we're getting ready to
kind of start pushing out. We're gonna

994
01:06:15.639 --> 01:06:18.599
you're gonna sit it at some football
games. I actually think that the Libodnham

995
01:06:18.639 --> 01:06:24.599
game that's coming up next week or
maybe two Fridays will actually be there.

996
01:06:24.639 --> 01:06:28.000
We're gonna be giving out some pink
rally towels with our union. I think

997
01:06:28.079 --> 01:06:30.880
Livingston PD is gonna have a few
things on their unit. They're gonna be

998
01:06:30.960 --> 01:06:34.400
there. You'll start seeing some deputies
with some pink badges. I think we

999
01:06:34.960 --> 01:06:42.119
bought some of those farm and so
we we encourage everybody if to get involved

1000
01:06:42.159 --> 01:06:45.880
in that, make your donation.
We're gonna actually have a QR code on

1001
01:06:45.000 --> 01:06:48.280
that unit. You can actually don't
do this while you're driving, but you

1002
01:06:48.400 --> 01:06:51.960
happen to be beside the red light
and you're driving, you're not driving,

1003
01:06:53.000 --> 01:06:57.800
you're actually parked, you can scan
it and actually make a donation. Wow.

1004
01:06:58.440 --> 01:07:00.559
So those are the little things that
we're trying to accomplish, and we

1005
01:07:00.639 --> 01:07:03.039
want to make sure we do what's
best. But I know there's a lot

1006
01:07:03.079 --> 01:07:05.199
of people in this paris. I
know I have some in my office that's

1007
01:07:05.199 --> 01:07:09.199
actually dealt with breast cancer. Yeah, and so we just want to do

1008
01:07:09.280 --> 01:07:13.320
what we can because this community here
in Livingston, we believe in giving back

1009
01:07:13.800 --> 01:07:18.440
and we believe in the cause.
But you wouldn't believe how many people people's

1010
01:07:18.519 --> 01:07:21.639
family here has been touched by that. Yeah. And just like the Saint

1011
01:07:21.719 --> 01:07:24.760
Jude. I mean, we had
a lot of kids in our parish that's

1012
01:07:24.800 --> 01:07:27.000
been to Saint Jude, and a
lot of people don't understand how many.

1013
01:07:27.440 --> 01:07:30.079
And you really you you you you
hear about Saint Jude. You understand Saint

1014
01:07:30.159 --> 01:07:35.719
Jude until you really hits home when
you have somebody close to you that actually

1015
01:07:35.760 --> 01:07:41.320
goes through that, and we've had
several friends that actually been through that that

1016
01:07:42.079 --> 01:07:45.639
horrible, probably process. But at
the end of the day, you just

1017
01:07:45.760 --> 01:07:47.920
hear Saint Jude makes it so much
better, and it just makes you feel

1018
01:07:48.000 --> 01:07:50.599
so much better when you get there. And I've walked through Saint Jude several

1019
01:07:50.719 --> 01:07:57.920
times and you talked about you know, my my faith and God and stuff.

1020
01:07:59.320 --> 01:08:00.320
The only way you can if you've
never been to Saint Jude, the

1021
01:08:00.360 --> 01:08:04.039
only way I can describe it.
Have you ever walked into like a big,

1022
01:08:04.159 --> 01:08:08.480
big church that when you walk in
you feel the presence of God as

1023
01:08:08.480 --> 01:08:12.199
soon as you enter the doors.
That's what Saint Hugh's feels like. As

1024
01:08:12.239 --> 01:08:14.800
soon as you walk in. There's
so many miracles going on. You're just

1025
01:08:14.920 --> 01:08:17.880
surrounded by it and you can't help
but fill it. You know, I

1026
01:08:18.239 --> 01:08:24.119
agree, And it'll change you.
It'll change who you are, just going

1027
01:08:24.199 --> 01:08:27.439
through that facility and seeing those kids. Yeah, well, look on on

1028
01:08:27.600 --> 01:08:30.920
the pink car. The unit will
be out, you know, you know,

1029
01:08:30.159 --> 01:08:32.600
contacts. If you have something going
on, you want to try to

1030
01:08:32.680 --> 01:08:35.359
make it, buy your business,
look and look, this is for the

1031
01:08:35.399 --> 01:08:40.119
whole month of October. Ye,
not no political scheme for me. We

1032
01:08:40.279 --> 01:08:43.119
were kind of planned this the whole
year. We really want to give back.

1033
01:08:43.600 --> 01:08:45.920
If you know, anytime in October
you want to do something, let

1034
01:08:46.000 --> 01:08:48.640
us know. If we can fit
you in, we will absolutely you know,

1035
01:08:48.720 --> 01:08:51.439
come to your business. And that's
what these guys are gonna be doing.

1036
01:08:51.439 --> 01:08:56.800
And it's it's a great outreach for
for our office to be able to

1037
01:08:56.840 --> 01:09:00.680
get in the community and then get
involved. Yeah, and uh so check

1038
01:09:00.760 --> 01:09:04.680
that out. Uh we want to
talk about and as I said, that's

1039
01:09:04.760 --> 01:09:09.279
kind of making its rounds on Facebook. Maybe may not be the official announcement

1040
01:09:09.319 --> 01:09:13.760
for somebody out there, guys.
Uh So, in addition to that,

1041
01:09:14.279 --> 01:09:17.479
you know when we brought up Facebook
and and how you got to be careful

1042
01:09:17.520 --> 01:09:21.399
what you read and listen to folks. And that's Jim Chapman saying that's not

1043
01:09:21.680 --> 01:09:26.880
not share forward. But uh,
I see misinformation out there all the time

1044
01:09:27.039 --> 01:09:31.279
on many different subjects and many different
people, you know, and I want

1045
01:09:31.279 --> 01:09:35.279
to address those if that's okay with
you, just a few of them,

1046
01:09:35.399 --> 01:09:41.439
and uh one of them is is
uh let's talk about there was a deputy

1047
01:09:41.680 --> 01:09:46.800
that uh some misinformation from maybe a
new source was being spread and and uh,

1048
01:09:47.640 --> 01:09:51.439
you want to address that a little
bit. And sure, so was

1049
01:09:51.479 --> 01:09:56.640
a while back we had a new
station. It actually came out and wanted

1050
01:09:56.640 --> 01:10:00.520
to do a story and it was
about a deputy. And like I mentioned

1051
01:10:00.520 --> 01:10:02.039
the deputy's name only because he said, you know, we could mention his

1052
01:10:02.159 --> 01:10:05.880
name. And as Deputy Richard Foster, he worked for me, he's works

1053
01:10:05.920 --> 01:10:11.199
in our prison, and he was
accused of a molestation of his of his

1054
01:10:11.359 --> 01:10:15.359
kids. And so this news outlet
actually came out and said, you know,

1055
01:10:16.199 --> 01:10:21.119
we want to you to make a
comment on this u certain situation.

1056
01:10:23.239 --> 01:10:27.640
And so I got with his attorney, which was Glenn Westmoreland, worked for

1057
01:10:27.680 --> 01:10:32.880
Sherman mac and we make sure we
explained this process was a My deputies investigated

1058
01:10:32.920 --> 01:10:39.840
these allegations. It was unfounded.
Yeah, the FBI investigated these actizations.

1059
01:10:39.920 --> 01:10:45.000
It was unfounded. The Louisiana State
Police investigated these actizations and they're unfounded.

1060
01:10:45.479 --> 01:10:49.800
So much so that the judge gave
custody to these kids four years ago.

1061
01:10:50.159 --> 01:10:56.960
Yeah, and in court because they
had been coached by their mother and that

1062
01:10:57.079 --> 01:11:02.439
was all in open said in open
court. And so this was very just

1063
01:11:02.600 --> 01:11:06.479
one of them things we gave all
this information to them, This is not

1064
01:11:06.600 --> 01:11:11.520
a story. And you know,
you don't need to be mentioning this guy's

1065
01:11:11.600 --> 01:11:15.680
name. I don't like mentioning his
name because he has kids, yeah,

1066
01:11:15.880 --> 01:11:17.640
with the same last name, and
it doesn't it's not hard for another kid

1067
01:11:17.680 --> 01:11:21.279
to figure out who's who. And
so I'm very protective of victims. I'm

1068
01:11:21.319 --> 01:11:26.359
very protective of making sure we get
justice. And sometimes the integrity of that

1069
01:11:26.479 --> 01:11:30.520
case is what you what you're protecting, obviously, and and uh, I

1070
01:11:30.680 --> 01:11:34.439
was very upset that they would do
a story that didn't have no meaning to

1071
01:11:34.520 --> 01:11:38.640
it. And they knew this when
they ran the story. So there was

1072
01:11:38.720 --> 01:11:42.319
new allegations that came up here in
that time frame. And I said,

1073
01:11:42.319 --> 01:11:44.880
Okay, we'll do it this way. How about the Louisiana State Police.

1074
01:11:44.880 --> 01:11:46.960
We'll let them investigate it. I'm
not going to touch it. Yeah they

1075
01:11:47.039 --> 01:11:53.159
did unfounded. Yeah, this guy
has been a good deputy, uh,

1076
01:11:53.319 --> 01:11:57.319
and he's been a good father and
he has no reason to be going through

1077
01:11:57.399 --> 01:12:01.239
this. And however, sometimes tis
fake news. Wants to paint a picture

1078
01:12:01.840 --> 01:12:06.000
and whatever it falls in their narrative. And if you watch that story,

1079
01:12:06.279 --> 01:12:11.880
it was right before qualifying, and
they wanted to bring in another deputy that

1080
01:12:12.000 --> 01:12:17.680
was arrested years years ago, almost
four years ago, for acusations that he

1081
01:12:17.760 --> 01:12:21.319
did, and uh, he deserved
to be arrested. And I were talking

1082
01:12:21.319 --> 01:12:26.720
about mister Perkins here, who not
only was he arrested, but convicted basically

1083
01:12:26.800 --> 01:12:30.279
life in prison. If I had
my way, he'd be buried under prison.

1084
01:12:30.359 --> 01:12:33.439
So obviously we can't do that.
But you know, even in that

1085
01:12:33.640 --> 01:12:36.520
situation, you know a lot of
people wanted me to talk, wanted me

1086
01:12:36.600 --> 01:12:40.159
to say certain things. Well,
hey, it's not my investigation. It

1087
01:12:40.239 --> 01:12:44.399
was Attorney General's investigation, which we
helped with. You know, we worked

1088
01:12:44.399 --> 01:12:47.119
alongside them when they did the search
warrant. We was there. We you

1089
01:12:47.199 --> 01:12:50.760
know, received a lot of evidence
to actually belonged to the Sheriff's office.

1090
01:12:51.520 --> 01:12:55.920
Our guys went through that evidence and
we gave them a lot of evidence that

1091
01:12:56.079 --> 01:12:59.319
was used in the prosecution, which
at the end of the day really didn't

1092
01:12:59.319 --> 01:13:02.199
have to because he actually went ahead
and and and pled and uh committed,

1093
01:13:02.279 --> 01:13:04.199
you know, said he was guilty, what have you, And he's where

1094
01:13:04.199 --> 01:13:10.159
he needs to be. So it
was like to me, it's not even

1095
01:13:10.239 --> 01:13:15.119
a story, But you're doing all
this for what you know, you know

1096
01:13:15.279 --> 01:13:19.399
this guy, if there was anything
at all in the career when I was

1097
01:13:19.520 --> 01:13:23.640
here that wouldn't have been brought where
he had any kind of criminal accusations,

1098
01:13:23.640 --> 01:13:28.000
I obviously have been dealt with,
but none of that was actually there,

1099
01:13:28.399 --> 01:13:32.239
And so I'm just very thankful that
the AG's office was able to get what

1100
01:13:32.319 --> 01:13:36.600
they got and move it forward and
we were able to investigate this guy and

1101
01:13:36.640 --> 01:13:41.399
put him away. So and you
know, back to the other deputy,

1102
01:13:41.439 --> 01:13:43.920
it's just it's a shame that they
would they would do that. So but

1103
01:13:44.000 --> 01:13:46.239
I want to the people that are
listening to this to know this. There's

1104
01:13:46.359 --> 01:13:50.720
anything ever comes through the Sheriff's office, anything, any kind of complaint,

1105
01:13:51.119 --> 01:13:55.439
we look at it. We're going
to investigate it. And one of the

1106
01:13:55.560 --> 01:14:00.640
things I always put before fake news
and keyboard warriors and you I'm not going

1107
01:14:00.680 --> 01:14:03.640
to get into a war with them
because it just it's it's not what I

1108
01:14:03.760 --> 01:14:08.359
do. But I am going to
protect our victims. I'm going to protect

1109
01:14:08.359 --> 01:14:12.560
our identity. I'm gonna do whatever
I can to protect an integrity to the

1110
01:14:12.600 --> 01:14:15.439
case so we can get justice.
And if I got to take a few

1111
01:14:15.479 --> 01:14:17.279
bullets for that, I'll take it. Yeah, if I got to take

1112
01:14:17.319 --> 01:14:19.560
the hits. I'll take it.
And other people say, well, you're

1113
01:14:19.560 --> 01:14:24.319
not being transparent, Well I am, but I also got to protect these

1114
01:14:24.399 --> 01:14:28.039
victims. I don't want them their
identification to get out. And look,

1115
01:14:28.079 --> 01:14:30.960
we live in a world today where
everybody has a cell phone and it's so

1116
01:14:31.239 --> 01:14:38.520
easy to figure out who Jim Chapman's
kids are just by your name, and

1117
01:14:38.720 --> 01:14:41.159
you know all our kids, they
know who the parents are. And it

1118
01:14:41.279 --> 01:14:45.079
just look, we have enough bullying
issues that we're dealing with in our schools

1119
01:14:45.439 --> 01:14:47.760
and other things. So I'm going
to protect those cases. And uh,

1120
01:14:47.840 --> 01:14:50.680
and look, you go look at
our track record. We've made some really

1121
01:14:50.760 --> 01:14:56.399
good cases and we can continue to
do that. And look, my guys

1122
01:14:56.479 --> 01:15:01.079
have done a lot. If you
just talking ab our crime. Five million

1123
01:15:01.199 --> 01:15:06.239
dollars of illegal narcotics taking off our
street already five million dollars in illegal narcotics

1124
01:15:06.359 --> 01:15:12.600
taken off of our streets here in
Livingston. Another twenty million dollars twenty million,

1125
01:15:12.920 --> 01:15:16.960
Yeah, and stolen items returned to
the citizens of Livingston Parish that didn't

1126
01:15:16.960 --> 01:15:20.479
because we let in grass grow under
defeat folks, because we work hard,

1127
01:15:20.720 --> 01:15:25.439
we believe in what we're doing here. These deputies. They live here,

1128
01:15:25.520 --> 01:15:29.119
their kids go to school here,
and I'm going to do everything I can

1129
01:15:29.199 --> 01:15:31.920
and protect our kids, protect this
parish and keep it a safe place.

1130
01:15:32.479 --> 01:15:36.039
We are not Baton Rouge. Look, I have great friends over there.

1131
01:15:36.920 --> 01:15:42.199
I know a lot of business owners
over there that's even my supporters, and

1132
01:15:42.680 --> 01:15:45.359
Baton Rouge is a good place.
But they have an issue over there.

1133
01:15:45.439 --> 01:15:48.359
They're having some serious crime problems.
We don't have that here. Last year,

1134
01:15:48.439 --> 01:15:56.520
I had one homicide one year one
y'all. Since I've been unbelievable every

1135
01:15:56.600 --> 01:15:59.159
year. I mean, we have
four one year, the most I've ever

1136
01:15:59.279 --> 01:16:00.840
had in one year. I think
it's thirteen, or might be fourteen,

1137
01:16:00.880 --> 01:16:04.159
but I think it was thirteen in
one year. Most of those are domestic

1138
01:16:04.239 --> 01:16:09.600
related. Some of them are going
to be drug related shootings, and so

1139
01:16:09.800 --> 01:16:13.680
we just don't deal with the gang
violence and the things that other people are

1140
01:16:13.720 --> 01:16:16.840
dealing with. And yes, we
do have crime here, but most of

1141
01:16:16.960 --> 01:16:20.600
us is going to be related to
drugs and drug related crimes. And that's

1142
01:16:20.640 --> 01:16:26.680
why we've created different divisions. We
recently, when I very took office,

1143
01:16:26.720 --> 01:16:31.159
we created that burglary and Theft unit
because that's mostly what we deal with here.

1144
01:16:31.159 --> 01:16:34.000
And that is the top crime in
Livingston, Paris at burglary and theft,

1145
01:16:34.159 --> 01:16:39.960
yeah, which is linked to drugs. Sure right, And so those

1146
01:16:40.079 --> 01:16:43.560
guys work so hard. And look, I came up in the world when

1147
01:16:43.600 --> 01:16:49.000
I was in investigations. I worked
everything. I might work a forfeiture crime

1148
01:16:49.319 --> 01:16:54.359
of I'm sorry for a forgery crime. I may work a homicide, I

1149
01:16:54.399 --> 01:16:57.640
may work a burglary the next day, I may have to go deal with

1150
01:16:57.720 --> 01:17:00.279
neighbors with a civil issue. I
mean, we did at everything and to

1151
01:17:00.359 --> 01:17:05.720
be able to take these detectives now
and they actually have expertise and domestic violence

1152
01:17:05.920 --> 01:17:13.239
expertise, and drug cases expertise,
and burglaries expertise and homicide and uh and

1153
01:17:13.520 --> 01:17:16.239
then we have you know, the
secret crimes with expertise and that to make

1154
01:17:16.319 --> 01:17:20.000
sure that those detectives make good cases. And look, those cases aren't easy.

1155
01:17:20.159 --> 01:17:24.600
Yeah. I talk about this,
uh quite frequently, and I just

1156
01:17:24.720 --> 01:17:30.359
were talking about it yesterday with somebody. Those those uh positions when it comes

1157
01:17:30.399 --> 01:17:34.399
to secret crimes are usually the ones
that burn out quicker than anybody. They're

1158
01:17:34.439 --> 01:17:39.600
having a look at images and things
every day. Some of my IT guys

1159
01:17:41.000 --> 01:17:44.479
they they they signed up to be
an it person, right, right,

1160
01:17:44.640 --> 01:17:48.439
But they want up helping investigate and
dumping phones and with that there's images and

1161
01:17:48.560 --> 01:17:50.920
involving these crimes and they're like,
man, we ain't sign up for this.

1162
01:17:51.680 --> 01:17:55.800
Yeah, I can't. I can't
do this no more. I get

1163
01:17:55.880 --> 01:18:00.159
it. But unfortunately that's our job, and so you gotta be you got

1164
01:18:00.239 --> 01:18:02.399
to be careful. And so sometimes
those cases are very difficult. They are

1165
01:18:02.399 --> 01:18:06.199
always very difficult cases. And there's
times where you're relying on a four year

1166
01:18:06.279 --> 01:18:13.199
old with no physical evidence to convict
someone that's maybe thirty or forty years old.

1167
01:18:13.319 --> 01:18:15.760
Wow, And it's stressful because a, you know, we did it

1168
01:18:17.800 --> 01:18:20.920
and all you have is at kids
testimony. Yeah, and now you got

1169
01:18:21.000 --> 01:18:25.119
to try to put something together that
may have happened when they were two years

1170
01:18:25.159 --> 01:18:28.680
old, right, Or you have
somebody that came in from thirty years ago

1171
01:18:28.760 --> 01:18:33.399
they were a victim of this.
So them cases are very difficult. But

1172
01:18:33.520 --> 01:18:39.760
if you look at it, we've
made some some some of those cases that

1173
01:18:39.840 --> 01:18:42.520
have been very challenges. We made
some some really good cases and have some

1174
01:18:42.640 --> 01:18:45.319
really good prosecutions. I have two
hundred and ninety one sex offenders live and

1175
01:18:45.359 --> 01:18:48.119
lives in parish. Two hundred and
ninety one five of them is kind of

1176
01:18:48.159 --> 01:18:51.399
what I call I twn to win. They have warrants on them, we

1177
01:18:51.479 --> 01:18:58.760
can't find them, we will and
uh and so I get more complaints from

1178
01:18:58.800 --> 01:19:02.960
those two hundred one people one of
my guys, YEA, than any other

1179
01:19:03.239 --> 01:19:10.880
division in the office because we keep
them in compliance. If they don't change

1180
01:19:10.920 --> 01:19:14.119
our address within twenty four hours of
them moving, they're going to jail.

1181
01:19:15.000 --> 01:19:17.840
And they don't like it. And
I'm sorry you was convicted in court.

1182
01:19:18.199 --> 01:19:21.960
You have you now have to follow
the rules and those rules for you as

1183
01:19:21.960 --> 01:19:27.199
a law and so those are the
kind of things that we take all that

1184
01:19:27.359 --> 01:19:30.439
serious. And so and I've said
this and I'll say it again, Jim,

1185
01:19:30.720 --> 01:19:35.680
I will put my deputies three hundred
and fifty eight up against anybody when

1186
01:19:35.720 --> 01:19:43.359
it comes to investigations, fighting crime
and just serving a community. They are

1187
01:19:43.479 --> 01:19:46.000
good at what they do. They
wilieve in what they do. And obviously

1188
01:19:46.079 --> 01:19:50.800
I have my ten or fifteen percent
to can be teenagers sometimes right headaches who

1189
01:19:51.520 --> 01:19:57.640
but but they will leave in serving
their community. I think we do a

1190
01:19:57.760 --> 01:19:59.840
rually. I know we do a
good job with that. I have a

1191
01:20:00.000 --> 01:20:03.039
great administration team. I'm surrounding myself
with and uh, and I know that

1192
01:20:03.159 --> 01:20:06.239
what we do is is good things. You know, we're not perfect,

1193
01:20:06.560 --> 01:20:12.680
We're not. But I I encourage
everybody to call me if they have a

1194
01:20:12.760 --> 01:20:16.119
complaint. I call everybody back.
Sometimes I get really busy. I mean,

1195
01:20:16.119 --> 01:20:18.600
I call you back for a week, but you're gonna talk to somebody

1196
01:20:18.720 --> 01:20:21.760
that's gonna be handling that situation as
soon as you call. Yeah. And

1197
01:20:21.960 --> 01:20:25.880
those are the things that we have
in place, and so we we take

1198
01:20:25.960 --> 01:20:30.039
everything very serious. We always have. You can look at our stats we

1199
01:20:30.239 --> 01:20:34.000
have. We get, we get
our bad guy. And to be able

1200
01:20:34.039 --> 01:20:40.920
to sit here and tell you my
entire career we have since I before I

1201
01:20:41.079 --> 01:20:45.399
was shared when we have one inside
big deal here, and that's the Barbara

1202
01:20:45.439 --> 01:20:48.239
Blunt and that's the only thing we
have. Is really that's an unsolved case

1203
01:20:48.399 --> 01:20:50.960
for us when it comes to a
homicide, because we know she was murdered.

1204
01:20:51.000 --> 01:20:56.079
There's no doubt that she was and
so and and that has bothered and

1205
01:20:56.239 --> 01:21:00.319
haunted me for years. And we
look at that case, not us once

1206
01:21:00.359 --> 01:21:02.359
a year when it's the anniversary and
may we look at it almost once a

1207
01:21:02.439 --> 01:21:05.720
month when we continue to get tips
on that and and that's because of a

1208
01:21:05.800 --> 01:21:10.039
lot of people put that information out. And you know what, Overton Big

1209
01:21:10.479 --> 01:21:13.720
Africa that he's helped us a lot
with that case, and he's continued to

1210
01:21:13.760 --> 01:21:16.119
help us with that case. We're
gonna solve that case before I retire as

1211
01:21:16.159 --> 01:21:19.479
sheriff, and I don't want that's
gonna be. I'm gonna solve that case.

1212
01:21:19.600 --> 01:21:23.079
That case is very solvable and it's
going to happen. Well, it

1213
01:21:23.119 --> 01:21:28.159
won't be anytime soon. I can't
tell you no, thank you. I

1214
01:21:28.279 --> 01:21:31.199
want to say this and and just
two quick things, uh, and we'll

1215
01:21:31.279 --> 01:21:34.640
wrap it up here. But I
think this is important, So thank y'all

1216
01:21:34.680 --> 01:21:38.319
for sticking with us. We've been
going a little while, but this is

1217
01:21:38.399 --> 01:21:42.840
important. I want you to hear
it because this speaks to what you're really

1218
01:21:42.920 --> 01:21:45.880
who you are as a person.
Chaff for it in my opinion and a

1219
01:21:45.920 --> 01:21:49.600
lot of other people's. Uh.
There was a Facebook post and it says

1220
01:21:50.199 --> 01:21:55.720
on September twenty, twenty twenty two, Stephen had a very serious and complicated

1221
01:21:55.840 --> 01:22:00.680
surgery with his spinal cord and this
is Sloan Stephen erdie after almost two years

1222
01:22:01.239 --> 01:22:08.520
in surgery. The post consultation left
my family facing absolute uncertainty. My first

1223
01:22:08.600 --> 01:22:13.039
phone call was directly from our sheriff
or to our sheriff. Rather later that

1224
01:22:13.199 --> 01:22:17.800
night, I mean late like eleven
PM. While sitting in the trauma critical

1225
01:22:17.880 --> 01:22:21.520
care unit at ol OL, the
nurse came in and said there were two

1226
01:22:21.600 --> 01:22:26.399
men waiting outside to come and see
Stephen, not knowing who, and after

1227
01:22:26.479 --> 01:22:29.199
a long day, I said send
them back. When they entered the room,

1228
01:22:29.279 --> 01:22:31.920
my heart sank, eyes filled up
with tears and solidified what I already

1229
01:22:32.000 --> 01:22:36.600
need to be true about our sheriff. Our Sheriff Jason Ard and Chaplain Daryl

1230
01:22:36.680 --> 01:22:42.199
Courtney walked to my husband's bedside,
held his hand and began to pray.

1231
01:22:42.800 --> 01:22:45.079
They went out of their way to
come to us, to be there for

1232
01:22:45.279 --> 01:22:48.119
us and pray with us. The
following weeks and months were challenging and trying,

1233
01:22:48.520 --> 01:22:53.039
but there were never any hesitation in
his voice. Take care of your

1234
01:22:53.199 --> 01:22:57.279
family, and we will take care
of the rest. I can assure you

1235
01:22:57.439 --> 01:23:00.439
that each and every one of his
deputies in their family, he's from the

1236
01:23:00.479 --> 01:23:03.399
bottom of the top or his family, and here ours he is ours.

1237
01:23:03.960 --> 01:23:08.079
I'm pride and honored to serve for
and work for a sheriff. I say

1238
01:23:08.119 --> 01:23:13.840
this with uh. I say this
because he's not afraid to go to boots

1239
01:23:13.880 --> 01:23:19.079
on the ground and walk right alongside
any of us. That's huge. Yeah,

1240
01:23:19.119 --> 01:23:21.439
that's true. I should have read
that before you did. Yeah,

1241
01:23:21.880 --> 01:23:29.960
yeah, it's it's to me.
I would imagine if I was in your

1242
01:23:30.039 --> 01:23:32.479
place. That's about the biggest compliment
you can get. It is. Uh.

1243
01:23:32.600 --> 01:23:36.119
Look, there's no doubt I love
my deputies. They do a great

1244
01:23:36.239 --> 01:23:39.600
job, and they are part of
a family. You know, we call

1245
01:23:39.680 --> 01:23:44.039
the LPSO family. And you know
I do everything I can to take care

1246
01:23:44.079 --> 01:23:47.119
of them, so they'll do everything
everything they can to take care of our

1247
01:23:47.159 --> 01:23:50.479
community. Yeah, and I believe
that that's that's what we do here.

1248
01:23:51.119 --> 01:23:56.319
Yeah, it really is. And
you mentioned it earlier. But Romans thirteen

1249
01:23:56.479 --> 01:24:00.319
four for he is God's servant for
your good. But if you do wrong,

1250
01:24:00.720 --> 01:24:03.000
be afraid, for he does not
bear the sword in vein, for

1251
01:24:03.159 --> 01:24:09.159
he gets the servant of God,
an avenger who carries out God's wrath on

1252
01:24:09.319 --> 01:24:12.920
the wrong door. As you,
brother, well, I appreciate that.

1253
01:24:13.039 --> 01:24:18.680
I love it. And uh,
look early voting uh thirtieth tomorrow. I'm

1254
01:24:18.720 --> 01:24:26.680
dropping this today and uh. And
of course the the The actual election day

1255
01:24:27.079 --> 01:24:30.000
is the fourteenth, I believe October
fourteen, Yeah, October to fourteenth.

1256
01:24:30.199 --> 01:24:33.399
It starts Saturday. And I just
want to say this, Jim, Yes,

1257
01:24:33.439 --> 01:24:38.119
sir, I said it earlier.
We have really important elections coming up

1258
01:24:38.399 --> 01:24:42.239
and uh, and I'm concerned about
one election and that's the sheriff race.

1259
01:24:42.439 --> 01:24:46.439
Yeah. Everybody knows that my brother
Jeff is running for parish president. Yeah.

1260
01:24:47.560 --> 01:24:51.119
We have a process in this parish, and the processes, the people

1261
01:24:51.159 --> 01:24:55.520
will go and they will vote for
who they want to vote for. And

1262
01:24:55.600 --> 01:24:59.760
I've always said this, whoever the
people elect is who the sheriff will work

1263
01:24:59.800 --> 01:25:04.079
with, and so they'll make the
right decision. Do your homework, do

1264
01:25:04.199 --> 01:25:08.840
you know, study everything, make
sure you elect your right senator, your

1265
01:25:08.920 --> 01:25:13.560
right representative, your right parish president. Elect the same sheriff. And we're

1266
01:25:13.600 --> 01:25:15.640
gonna do the best job we've always
We've always done a good job. We're

1267
01:25:15.640 --> 01:25:18.880
going to continue to do the best
job we can. And moving forward,

1268
01:25:18.960 --> 01:25:23.720
we have great things that have happened
in this parish and we are continuing to

1269
01:25:23.800 --> 01:25:27.119
grow. We've already did a lot
of great things. When you do your

1270
01:25:27.159 --> 01:25:29.880
research, you'll see that. And
we have so many great things coming,

1271
01:25:30.520 --> 01:25:36.239
and so just look, go vote
and don't not vote and complain. You

1272
01:25:36.319 --> 01:25:40.199
can't to me. If you don't
vote, you can't complain. That's right.

1273
01:25:40.439 --> 01:25:44.720
Yeah, you assume everything's okay.
It's gonna be fine. And they

1274
01:25:44.760 --> 01:25:47.000
don't need my vote, right look, everybody needs your vote that you want

1275
01:25:47.000 --> 01:25:50.359
to supports right in. Look,
and so you know there's there's two locations

1276
01:25:50.439 --> 01:25:55.520
now, and I don't want people
to get confused. So the library on

1277
01:25:55.640 --> 01:25:59.560
Eaton Church Road and then on Springs
right on one ninety and Eatan Church Road

1278
01:25:59.760 --> 01:26:03.199
around about there's library. On the
backside of the library is absentee voting here

1279
01:26:03.239 --> 01:26:06.399
on the west side. I spent
a big deal for us and we did

1280
01:26:06.439 --> 01:26:10.359
it for the first time. We
had a good turnout for APPS. Stee

1281
01:26:10.399 --> 01:26:13.000
voting is a lot more convenient on
the drive all the way to Livingston.

1282
01:26:13.399 --> 01:26:16.119
But if you do want to go
to Livingston, it's by the newest Accessor's

1283
01:26:16.199 --> 01:26:20.119
office. So it's out on sixty
three the new Regis Star Voters office right

1284
01:26:20.199 --> 01:26:26.000
beside the Accessor's office in Livingston.
That's also APPSITEE voting. So I start

1285
01:26:26.079 --> 01:26:30.079
Saturday. Of course we'll be closed
on Sunday and starts bake open on Monday

1286
01:26:30.119 --> 01:26:33.079
and goes all the way through the
following Saturday. And so that is whenever

1287
01:26:33.119 --> 01:26:36.399
it's time to vote. So get
out there and early vote. And I

1288
01:26:36.520 --> 01:26:41.359
know there's two big things going on
on election Day and right now. And

1289
01:26:41.479 --> 01:26:44.359
I'm very jealous that I'm not one
of the guys in the woods with my

1290
01:26:44.520 --> 01:26:47.159
bow hunting right now. So it's
when I got up this morning, it

1291
01:26:47.239 --> 01:26:50.520
was nice and cool. No,
we're boots on the ground right now.

1292
01:26:50.720 --> 01:26:55.119
But I know your husbands and even
some of these ladies like to go hunting.

1293
01:26:55.239 --> 01:26:59.319
But you need to go vote.
In October fourteenth, we have a

1294
01:26:59.359 --> 01:27:01.600
big Elice game. Yeah, we
have a home game and they're playing Auburn.

1295
01:27:01.720 --> 01:27:04.720
Everybody's gonna be going to tailgate.
Go vote before you get out to

1296
01:27:04.920 --> 01:27:09.600
baton rouge because we all know you
get out there tailgating, it turns into

1297
01:27:09.640 --> 01:27:11.920
a really good game. And the
next thing you know, the polls are

1298
01:27:11.960 --> 01:27:16.239
closed and it's all great. We
have so many available, so many availabilities

1299
01:27:16.319 --> 01:27:19.960
for you to go and vote.
Use that, I mean, go do.

1300
01:27:20.079 --> 01:27:24.840
The early voting is very convenient.
And again, if you're not voting,

1301
01:27:25.159 --> 01:27:28.000
you shouldn't have a right to complain. That's right. I've said that

1302
01:27:28.079 --> 01:27:30.680
in my entire life. I got
you know, it's a it's a true

1303
01:27:30.720 --> 01:27:33.680
statement. And I just want to
say thank you, thank you for all

1304
01:27:33.800 --> 01:27:38.039
you have done, not only in
your twelve years a sheriff, but your

1305
01:27:38.119 --> 01:27:43.319
thirty years in law enforcement. It
takes a special person, y'all to go

1306
01:27:43.439 --> 01:27:50.319
out there every day and protect and
serve. And look these days, the

1307
01:27:50.479 --> 01:27:56.319
guys that are behind that badge,
they're legit. They're doing it because they

1308
01:27:56.399 --> 01:27:59.119
love it, and they're doing it
because they want to protect you. And

1309
01:27:59.359 --> 01:28:03.840
you lead at charge and I appreciate
it, and I know the parish does

1310
01:28:03.960 --> 01:28:09.000
too, and so thank you very
much. It's been an honor. I

1311
01:28:09.199 --> 01:28:13.119
kept you for an hour thirty h
and I appreciate you hanging in with me.

1312
01:28:14.039 --> 01:28:16.399
Thank you so much. Yeah sure, and please share this if you

1313
01:28:16.520 --> 01:28:21.800
hear it, share it out there
and spread the word on this podcast.

1314
01:28:21.920 --> 01:28:27.720
And until next time, I'm Jim
Chapman reminding you love your community, support

1315
01:28:27.880 --> 01:28:31.399
local business and current sheriffs, and
keep leading. Thank you very much,