Volunteer award
Congratulations to SRO Deputy Chris Batchelor, on receiving St. Basil Knights of Columbus Council #10721 "Volunteer of the Month Award".
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Shenandoah Neighborhood Watch Appreciates Deputies
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Dear Sheriff Neustrom
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Dear Sheriff Neustrom:
I would like to start off by thanking the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department for their assistance in the planning and implementation of our Neighborhood Watch program. As you may already be aware, our neighborhood is not within the city limits of any smaller municipality, and is simply part of rural Lafayette Parish. Our neighborhood had increasing problems with thefts and criminal damage to property, and simply used the Lafayette Parish Sheriff s Department as a means of reporting the incidents.
After much frustration, our neighborhood decided it was time to take action and put a stop to our neighborhood problems. Sergeant Tom Stith with the Community Services Unit has been more than helpful and cooperative in assisting with getting the Neighborhood Watch up and running, and keeping it maintained.
Sergeant Stith and Deputy Elisa Foster came to our first Neighborhood Watch meeting armed with flyers, pamphlets, and a well of information which they shared with us. They gave us instruction on personal safety, securing our homes, monitoring the neighborhood and keeping ourselves safe in doing so, and dealing with certain situations that may arise, as well as how to work with the Sheriffs Department in resolving our problems, including a pro-active approach at deterring crime.
Our neighborhood also had a block party several months after starting our program, at which Sergeant Stith, his lovely wife, and Deputy Darrell Doucet attended. Sergeant Stith and Deputy Doucet presented some of our Neighborhood Watch Block Captains with the signs we had ordered and that were delivered to the Sheriff s Department, and made sure to get to know
the neighbors, listen to their concerns, and generally let the neighborhood know that the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department is backing us in our endeavor.
I also wanted to add that Sergeant Stith and his wife attended the block party on their own personal time and we are very thankful to them for their presence and for Sergeant Stith's respectable work ethic. He is an asset to the Sheriff's Department, Actually, Sergeant Tom Stith, Deputy Darrell Doucet, and Deputy Elisa Foster, are all assets to your Department.
I initially had some doubts about the Neighborhood Watch program and its effectiveness. However, after just a few weeks, our neighborhood was seeing a decrease in criminal and mischievous activity, and after just a few months, the neighborhood is relatively quiet.
When the Shenandoah Neighborhood Watch began, our neighborhood was having approximately 3 to 4 incidents (give or take a few) per week. Our neighborhood now has zero incidents per week with just an occasional problem reported. It appears that with a little pro¬active involvement, we are able to deter problems in our neighborhood.
Again, I thank the Lafayette Parish Sheriff s Department, Sergeant Tom Stith, Deputy Darrell Doucet, and Deputy Elisa Foster, as well as all of the patrolling deputies, in helping to continue to make our neighborhood a safe haven for our families!
With kind regards, I remain
Very truly yours,
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Marguerite Fitzgerald, Shenandoah Neighborhood Watch Coordinator
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Home : Community Relations : News & Recognition
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Press Releases
Deputies Honored at January Award Ceremony
Friday, January 16, 2004
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office honored several recent retirees and Deputy of the Quarter winners at a quarterly award ceremony held Thursday afternoon. Sheriff Mike Neustrom presented plaques to the following Deputies who have recently retired from LPSO - Deputy Sanford Menard, Corrections, 15 Years of Service; Sgt James Walters, Corrections, 18 Yrs; Deputy Warren Guilbeau, Enforcement, 19 Yrs; Deputy Eddie Estillette (Deceased award accepted by family), Corrections, 20 Yrs; Deputy James Picard, Corrections, 20 Yrs; Sgt Bonnie Boudreaux, Civil & Tax, 23 Yrs.
Sheriff Neustrom presented a special award to Detective Don Cobb (See Photo) who retired from the Enforcement Division after 30 years of service. Congratulations to all of these retired Deputies and thanks for your many years of service!
Deputy of the Quarter winners recognized for outstanding service included:
Administration - Yvonne Gary – as receptionist for the 2nd floor, Yvonne “handles even the most difficult situations with aplomb, dealing effectively with the angry or distraught equally well,” an impressive trait that is a valuable asset to the Sheriff’s Office. In addition to her primary responsibilities, Yvonne always makes herself available to help co-workers’ with projects (ex: making follow-up phone calls, typing mailing lists, helping with large mail-outs, etc.).” She is someone who “can be counted on for assistance in any matter, as she has proven herself to be a hard worker as well as a responsible, courteous, and professional employee.”
Corrections - Lt. Kevin Broussard – Lt. Broussard is a 17-year veteran of LPSO and the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. He began his career as a floor deputy, then moved to Operations, and is currently the Supervisor for the Intake/Booking/Records Department. During his years of service, he has developed good working relationships with the public as well as co-workers. He has proven himself to be “one of those employees you cannot do without” and is considered someone “you can depend on.”
Enforcement - Deputy Tom Stith – In November 2003, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office sought to use the parish’s abatement law to target an area long known for its high crime rate (especially drug-related offenses), and Deputy Stith was temporarily reassigned from the Patrol Division to the Intelligence Unit to assist with this project. Deputy Stith was given the task of gathering data from numerous sources to be used in future court proceedings. Deputy Stith “took to this assignment with enthusiasm and a work ethic that went far beyond what was expected.” With little assistance, he completed the research; compiled hundreds of pages of documentation, formulated this data into a manageable form, outlined each area of concern, and created a guide to make the material understandable to court officials. In providing this information “in a truly courteous, professional, and respectful format,” Deputy Stith demonstrated that he “clearly understands the spirit of the law.”
Photo 1 - Sheriff Mike Neustrom and William "Don" Cobb
Photo 2 - Deputy Tom Stith, Yvonne Gary, Sheriff Mike Neustrom and Lt Kevin Broussard
Donna Delahoussaye
Media Relations/Project Coordinator
Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
337-236-5814/337-232-9211
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