20 Year Service Award Recipient
Congratulations to Sgt Larry Brown for 20 years of dedicated service to LPSO and the Citizens of Lafayette Parish.
Sgt Brown is a supervisor within the LPSO Criminal Divison.
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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 : Press Releases
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Press Releases
Internet safety tips for families
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sheriff Mike Neustrom addresses rise in use of social networking Web sites with Internet safety tips for families
During the past five years the use of social networking Web sites has become a part of everyday life for many people including children. Sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter allow people to form online communities where they can create networks of people with similar interests to more easily communicate and share information with others.
According to a recent study, 87% of children between 12 and 17 years of age use the internet. Of those 55% use social networking sites and almost half of them visit social networking sites once a day or more. Unfortunately, these same sites have also become havens for child predators.
This past February, MySpace reported that during a two year time period they have turned over the names of 90,000 sex offenders banned from its site. In March, Facebook reported that they have removed 5,500 sex offenders from their site during a nine month time period.
The real danger lies in the fact that children are sometimes naive to the fact that everything they post online becomes public information, and that the person they connect with online isn't always who they say they are.
This is the dark side of social networking. Along with
favorite bands and best friends, kids are posting phone numbers, class schedules, and other personal information that makes them vulnerable to anyone who wants to track them down.
Last year new security standards were set by both MySpace and Facebook in an attempt to further protect minors from sexual predators. Some of the changes include banning convicted sex offenders from the site, putting limits on older users' ability to search profiles of members under 18, and finding better ways to verify users' ages and identities.
Even with these protective measures, your child's best protection is you. As a parent you can help your child navigate through the internet safely, so that they can benefit from the wealth of information available to them online.
Sheriff Neustrom offers the following tips to prevent cyber predators from entering your lives:
Children and teenagers should be supervised at all times when surfing the Internet. Put your computer in an open area where you can see what they are doing online.
Spend time online with your child and establish ground rules for his or her internet use.
Keep an open line of communication with them and talk to them about the issue of cyber crime. They need to understand the dangers, but they also need to trust you enough to tell you what is going on, or if something makes them feel uncomfortable.
Block and report anyone that sends you unwanted or inappropriate communications.
Help your kids understand what information should be kept private. For example, phone number, address or pictures showing specific whereabouts.
Remember people aren't always who they say they are.
Kids should never arrange to meet anyone they meet online, no matter what.
Tell your child not to share his or her password with anyone except a parent.
If you are not already, become computer literate yourself. Learn how to block objectionable material and check your child's history if necessary.
Understand privacy settings and use them to restrict who can access and post to your child's Web site.
Think of the internet as a tool as powerful as getting behind the wheel of a car. You only hand over the keys to the car after education, training, and adult supervision. The same should hold true for your child using the internet, except here your child has the key to the world with the click of a mouse. It is up to you as a parent to help them navigate safely.
Lt. Craig Stansbury
Public Information Officer
Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
337-236-5876
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