Sheriff’s Office holds Appreciation Dinner for its Reserve Division and receives a donation from the Meraux Foundation for helping with their public events

Sheriff Pohlmann with Rita Gue at the Appreciation Dinner for Reserves.

A cake for the Reserve Division.

The Reserve Division of the Sheriff’s Office, a volunteer officer group that continues to build back up, was the beneficiary of a donation from the Meraux Foundation at an Appreciation Dinner for the 28 officers involved.

“We appreciate it when others want to help us protect St. Bernard Parish and our men and women deputies who do the job each day,’’ Sheriff James Pohlmann said. He added that the Reserve Division is special because the officers volunteer without pay and help supplement department manpower.

“It is incredible the job you do,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann told members of the Reserve Division during the Dec. 9 Appreciation Dinner.

He said the group, coordinated by Capt. Charles Borchers, supplements regular officers patrolling the streets of St. Bernard as well as working special events such as festivals.

Sheriff Pohlmann also said he is grateful to the Reserve Division members who donate their time, saying their standard for qualifying is the same as for full-time deputies and noted several members have been hired to be regular deputies.

Floyd and Rita Gue of the Meraux Foundation were guests and announced they were making a cash donation to the Reserves for the work the division does at their events held for the public. It was the third year they have donated to the Reserve Division.

Mrs. Gue told Reserve Division officers, as well as Sheriff Pohlmann, Chief Deputy Sheriff Richard Baumy, “I am proud to be a part’’ of helping the Reserves re-build.

Reserve Division officers have worked many public events held on their property, she said, including the Sugar Festival in Arabi, the Jambalya Festival and the Blues in the Parish Festival, both held at Docville in Violet. “I think of all the hours they have worked,’’ Mrs. Gue said of the volunteer officers.

Centurion Arms and Vinson Uniforms donated gift certificates given to Reserve officers at the Appreciation Dinner.

Any St. Bernard Parish resident interested in applying to be a member of the Reserve Division can contact Capt. Borchers at (504) 278-7628 for more information.

Applicants must have a clean police record, be a high school graduate who is 21 or older and have a desire to serve their community.

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Sheriff gives safety tips for holiday season; Also reminds parents to be cautious about children’s activities during school break

People out shopping during the heightened excitement and stress of Christmas and New Year’s activities can easily become targets for criminals, St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Whether St. Bernard residents are in the parish or elsewhere during the holidays as they shop for gifts or visit others, the sheriff said they should take precautions to avoid becoming a victim of theft or robbery.

“Remember to pay close attention to your surroundings in and outside of stores.’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.
“It’s possible someone may be watching to take advantage of those people distracted while busily rushing from place to place,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“Holidays are a time when people often are on the go and could let their guard down,” he said. “Just remember to follow common sense safety tips to reduce the chances of anything going wrong.’’

Here are some tips for having a safe and happy holiday time, Sheriff Pohlmann said:

Pay attention to where you park while shopping and, at night, park only in areas that are well-lit, and then lock all doors. Once in a store, men should protect their wallets from pickpockets and women should remember not to leave their purses unattended in shopping carts and don’t put them down on counters or floors where they can be taken.

Always escort young children to a restroom because minors could be photographed, molested or even abducted if left alone in public restrooms. If shopping in a large store or mall establish a meeting place in case parents and children become separated.

If possible, all parties should have cell phones to contact one another. Tell your children in advance that if they become separated from you they should go only to a store clerk or security officer for help, and not to a stranger who doesn’t work in the store.

When leaving a store for a vehicle, scan the parking lot for any suspicious activities, people standing in a group in one area or sitting in a vehicle watching patrons leave. At night, you may want to ask a store officer to escort you. If walking alone, leave from a door nearest your parked vehicle, have your vehicle keys in hand and, once inside, lock the doors before leaving your parking space.
It is also a good idea to walk around your car and look inside it at night when you are in a crowded parking lot. It could prevent you from getting inside and finding someone waiting in the vehicle to rob you.

Also, when children are out of school for holiday breaks, parents need to be proactive and ask where they will be and establish times for them to check in, just as they would in summer.

Cell phones are the best method of directly staying in touch with teen-age minors who are away from their parents, but if they are going to another teen-ager’s home parents should insist on knowing the telephone number of an adult who will be there.

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Sheriff Pohlmann and Maj. Clark tell D.A.R.E. program graduates they must make the right choices in life and told parents drug enforcement efforts are aimed at saving their children from a life

D.A.R.E. essay winners and others in 5th-grade at Lynn Oaks are shown at the graduation. 1st-place winner Emma Gonzales and 2nd-place winner Andrew Nata, both holding trophies, are in front. Behind them are students Jon “Nik” Wilson, Maci Ross, D.J. Melerine and Keira-Raven Hood and Principal Kim Duplantier. In back are teacher Chris Wilder Jr., D.A.R.E. program coordinator Lt. Lisa Jackson, D.A.R.E. officer Sgt. Darrin Miller, Sheriff James Pohlmann, Maj. Chad Clark and Capt. Ronnie Martin.

Students at Chalmette Elementary perform the D.A.R>E. theme song for relatives.

Students sing the D.A.R.E. program theme song for relatives.

First-place D.A.R.E.essay winners are shown at Chalmette Elementary. In front are Aleyah Harrison, Kayla Esteen, Paige Augustine and Peyton Hall. In back are D.A.R.E. officer Sgt. Darrin Miller, Sheriff James Pohlmann, Maj. Chad Clark and D.A.R.E. program coordinator Lt. Lisa Jackson.

Sheriff James Pohlmann told children graduating the 5th-grade Drug Abuse Resistance Education program they must concentrate on making the right choices to have productive lives, including listening to their parents and teachers and deciding who they should and shouldn’t associate with.

And he praised parents for turning out for D.A.R.E. graduation ceremonies at schools and encouraged them to continue staying focused on their children, including talking often with them and looking for warning signs to help prevent drug use or be alerted to them actually using drugs.

Children at Lynn Oaks School in eastern St. Bernard and Chalmette Elementary were recognized for completing a 12-week program in Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., taught by instructors from the Sheriff’s Office – a program aimed at trying to keep kids from using drugs including tobacco and alcohol or taking part in violence or bullying others.

Educating children early on about the hazards of drug abuse is the best hope to reduce future use and a life tortured by drug addiction and criminal acts to support a drug habit. Sheriff Pohlmann said he supports drug education programs for every school grade in order to reach kids at the earliest ages.

“How do you stop the crime problem,’’ the sheriff asked children and parents? You’ve got to stop the drug problem.’’

He said St. Bernard Prison is full of people who made bad choices in life, getting involved in drugs, and later committing crimes to find money for their addiction but in the process getting arrested.

“It comes down to making the right choices,’’ including choosingthe right friends to hang with, the sheriff said.

Pointing to the children graduates in the two schools, Sheriff Pohlmann said they are the reason “our deputies go out each day and try to get drugs off the streets of this parish.’’

The sheriff said many people have family members affected by illegal drugs.

“Drugs destroy your life, your family and your community,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Maj. Chad Clark, commander of the Special Investigations Division including the Narcotics Unit, said it takes the kind of education effort given by Sheriff’s Office drug resistance instructors at parish schools to affect the drug problem in America as well as solid law enforcement to stop drug dealers.

“We can’t arrest ourselves out of this problem,’’ Clark said, noting there are more than 100,000 deaths in America each year from drug-related causes, including some in St. Bernard Parish. The resurgence of the drug heroin is concerning law enforcement and health care officials nationwide, he said. Clark added the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office has seized much heroin this year.

But Clark said overdose deaths have been going down in the parish because of a combination of factors including law enforcement diligence.

Several hundred 5th-grade students graduate each semester from the D.A.R.E. program given by St. Bernard sheriff’s officers Lt. Lisa Jackson, commander of the program, and Sgt. Darrin Miller. The D.A.R.E. program, held in both public and private schools, was re-established in 2009, four years after Hurricane Katrina.

“Learn the warning signs of drug use,’’ in young people, Sheriff Pohlmann said to parents, including:

– Loss of interest in things they used to do such as sports, dance or reading.
– Hanging around with new groups of friends unknown to parents.
– Sudden attitude or mood swings.
– Sudden problems connected with school and academics.

Talk regularly with your children and be familiar with their friends, the sheriff said.

If parents see signs of possible problems, don’t be hesitant to ask what is happening. “It’s not something they will grow out of and it needs to be addressed,’’ the sheriff said.

Maj. Clark told children they have received the tools they need to begin making right choices. Clark also pledged to parents narcotics officers will continue to do their best to rid the parish of drug-dealers.

He also said parents can call the SID Division at 271-DOPE (3673) to make an appointment if they want to discuss any particular problem involving their children and drugs.

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Sheriff’s Office cuts ribbon on FEMA-funded new sub-station on Paris Road in Chalmette and another on West Judge Perez Drive near the parish line in Arabi; A third opened on St. Claude

Two long-awaited new sub-stations have officially opened on Paris Road in Chalmette and on West Judge Perez Drive near the parish line in Arabi, funded by FEMA, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

They join a sub-station which opened on St. Claude Avenue at the parish line in December 2014 to form a means to help close off streets into and out of the parish if necessary, the sheriff said.

Sheriff Pohlmann, speaking Dec. 9 at a ribbon-cutting held at the new station at 4700 Paris Road, said the Sheriff’s Office has achieved getting three new stations without spending any money, thanks to creatively using a pool of funds provided by FEMA and a donation of the land on Paris Road by the Meraux Foundation.

And closing an old station being leased for years on Paris Road will provide money to pay for utilities, insurance and ongoing maintenance on the new buildings, the sheriff said.

The combined cost of the two buildings was $2.215 million, including a minimal cost overrun of about 1.6 percent.

Those in attendance for the ribbon-cutting included Sheriff’s Office employees, representatives of FEMA and the contracting, engineering and architecture firms which did the job.

“This is something we have been trying to accomplish for quite a while,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “We had a limited amount of money and needed to make sure we spent every dollar wisely. We weren’t sure we could accomplish this (using only FEMA money) and in fact we couldn’t have without the land donated by the Meraux Foundation.’’

Floyd and Rita Gue of the Meraux Foundation were both present for the ribbon-cutting on the Paris Road building

Sheriff Pohlmann also credited the success of the project to Maj. Pete Tufaro, project manager for the department, who pushed the idea of getting three new sub-stations with a pool of FEMA money. “This started as a vision by Pete,’’ the sheriff said. Head of Administration Col. John Vickers was also heavily involved.

The opening of the new stations also means “we have completed our infrastructure re-build (made necessary) by Hurricane Katrina,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The three new sub-stations becomes part of the Sheriff’s Office crime suppression strategy and should give residents “peace of mind’’ that the parish can be effectively shut down in case of an emergency, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The new stations in Arabi replace the two sub-stations which stood there prior to being damaged in Hurricane Katrina, the sheriff said.

Both the Paris Road station, which houses the Field Operation Bureau or the patrol division as most know it, and the one at 7001 West Judge Perez Drive at Aycock Street which houses the Special Investigations Division, are about 5,000 square feet.

They join an 8,193 square-foot sub-station which opened in December 2014 at 6501 St. Claude Ave. next to the Jackson Barracks National Guard base. It houses the offices of the sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Bureau, Juvenile Investigations Bureau, Crime Scene investigations including facilities to process evidence, the sex offender registry and investigation of domestic violence cases.

When the sub-stations in Arabi were first opened in the 1990s, Sheriff Pohlmann said, they were a psychological deterrent to criminals from outside St. Bernard who could see police were there and would know if they committed a crime they would have to leave the parish past those stations.

“The whole concept was to protect our borders,” Sheriff Pohlmann said. “I know it worked then as a crime prevention measure,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “It still has that potential and could be essential for us.’’

Sheriff Pohlmann especially thanked FEMA, the Governor’s Office for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or GOHSEP, and officials of CDM Smith Inc., which handled the project while working with FEMA and the Sheriff’s Office. Drayfus Guient of CDM Smith and grant consultant Douglas Landry were present.

John Connolly, FEMA Louisiana Recovery Office Public Assistance Emergency Management Specialist, has said the Sheriff’s Office created its vision of how to use the FEMA money available to get the most value for the department, in this case getting all three new sub-stations.

Dwight Butler of FEMA was present for the ribbon-cutting with Connolly as well as Glenda Bocking of GOHSEP. Joe Crowley was there from the Perez APC architectural firm, as was Jeff Hymel of Dynamic Constructors LLC.

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The public can drop off Christmas toys for a Toys for Tots program at the Sheriff’s Office sub-station at 7001 W. Judge Perez Drive.in Arabi

Capt. Ronnie Martin, left, and Maj. Chad Clark are shown with one of three Toys for Tots bins located at the Sheriff’s Office sub-station at 7001 W. Judge Perez Drive in Arabi.

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More than 50 St. Bernard residents turn out for the Sheriff’s Office crime prevention program Refuse to be a Victim; tips given on recommended locks

Capt. Charles Borchers shows an item he recommends for use at homes.

Dep. Eric Eilers talks to residents about being aware of their surroundings.

You might look funny walking around your vehicle and peering inside while in a crowded parking lot at night but it could also keep you from getting inside and discovering a criminal is waiting for you.

That was one of the numerous tips Capt. Charles Borchers and Dep. Eric Eilers had for more than 50 St. Bernard Parish residents who turned out Dec. 3 for the Sheriff’s Office free crime prevention program called Refuse to be a Victim.

Sheriff James Pohlmann was on hand to thank residents for participating and told them they can be assured the Sheriff’s Office “is out there, paying attention and catching the bad guys.’’

Capt. Borchers, longtime crime prevention director for the department, and Eilers engaged participants and gave tips on items such as locks, lighting timers and alarm systems recommended for use at homes and businesses and other strategies for being aware of your surroundings to avoid becoming a crime victim.

Call Borchers at (504) 278-7628 or Eilers at 278-7799 to start a Neighborhood Watch group in your area or learn about other free programs the Sheriff’s Office holds for residents.

Borchers stresses in the course that, “You have to have a mental plan of action’’ at home or when traveling in order to be alert for potential criminals. Seminar topics include safety at home, as well as phone, technology, travel and personal security.

He recommends double cylinder deadbolt locks with large screws put an inch into a large, solid frame so a door can’t be easily kicked open.

Use strong locks and place peep holes on home doors, Borchers said. Light-timers, alarm systems, video surveillance and motion lights are all sound anti-crime strategies, he said.

Borchers and Eilers went over various situations with participants, such as asking what they would do if they are home and someone came to the door saying they had a package for them to sign for – but there wasn’t a delivery truck outside.

Or what if a stranger comes to your door and asks to use a phone?

Borchers said if there is no delivery truck near-by it is reasonable to ask someone wanting you to sign for a package to leave what they have at your door while they stand at the sidewalk.

Same thing for someone asking to use a phone. Tell them to give you the number and you will call, he said. “You don’t have to let a stranger in your home, especially if you are alone’’ because it is better to be safe than sorry.

Borchers and Eilers also said alarms system that make a loud noise seem better than silent alarms because would-be burglars don’t want anything that attracts attention.

Residents should consider having sticker bushes near windows at home to discourage anyone from trying to get inside that way.

Refuse To Be A Victim is nationally recognized. It was developed in 1993 in response to requests from women nationwide for crime prevention seminars and became co ed in 1997. Thousands of men and women have benefited from the program’ message, which has been endorsed by members of the law enforcement community nationwide.

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Six of seven suspects now apprehended from two Chalmette carjackings on Nov. 23 and 24 and arrest warrant issued for the seventh

Sheriff James Pohlmann said six of seven suspects involved in carjackings in Chalmette on Nov. 23 and 24 are now apprehended and an arrest warrant has been issued for the seventh.

No one was injured in either incident

Two juveniles, a 16-year-old male and a 15-year-old male, both from eastern New Orleans, were arrested Wednesday in the Nov. 24 carjacking in which one pointed a gun at a woman as she sat in a Cadillac Escalade at a residence, then made her get out and they stole the vehicle. They have been booked with armed robbery, a more serious charge than carjacking, because they used a gun to take the vehicle, the sheriff said. No bond has been set.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a third man in that incident, Sheriff Pohlmann said. His name hasn’t been released.

The arrests followed New Orleans police linking the juveniles to possession of stolen property taken from carjacked vehicles in New Orleans and St. Tammany Parish.

Sheriff’s deputies spotted the stolen vehicle minutes after the carjacking and pursued them into New Orleans, with the driver fleeing at a very high speed, the sheriff said. The vehicle was crashed at Claiborne Avenue and Franklin Avenue, with the two males fleeing on foot and escaping.

In the Nov. 23 carjacking, a 16-year old Violet male, the fourth and final suspect, surrendered Tuesday after learning of a warrant issued for his arrest, Sheriff Pohlmann said. He was placed in the parish juvenile detention center.

Two other Violet juvenile male suspects in the incident, which happened on a street as a man pulled up in an Infinity at a residence, were caught the night of the carjacking.

A fourth, Melvin Pernell, 17, of Violet, surrendered last week and is being held as an adult in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of a $50,000 bond, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

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