Turn in unused or unwanted prescription drugs at Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30 at the Walgreens at Paris Road and Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette

Sheriff James Pohlmann is urging people not to let their unused or unwanted prescription medications such as pain-killer pills fall into the wrong hands.

Instead, turn them in to the Sheriff’s Office this Saturday at the Walgreens parking lot at Paris Road and Judge Perez Drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on National Drug Take-Back Day.

“This has been a highly successful program for us,’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “Its aim is to get rid of unused or no longer needed drugs from medicine chests so no one else finds them and uses them or sells them on the streets,’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“Don’t let young people get hooked on pills they find while visiting you,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said, and “don’t throw medication in the garbage where it can be found or down the toilet where it can end up affecting wildlife or seafood in marshes.’’

“Instead, bring any medication you don’t use to us so it can be destroyed properly.’’

The Take-Back Day is held in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and State Police efforts.

The effort is important, the sheriff said, because studies show young people often first abuse prescription drugs after stealing them from medicine chests at the homes of relatives or at parents of friends.
Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit officers will be at Walgreens to collect prescription medication. They can be brought in bottles or in bags.

Residents are reminded they can also call the sheriff’s 271-DOPE hot line (271-3673) at any time they want to turn in prescription drugs between official drug take-back days. A Narcotics Unit agent will call them back to make arrangements.

They should also call the sheriff’s 271-DOPE hot line anonymously at any time to report suspected illegal drug activity. All calls will be acted upon.

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AARP members hear Refuse to be a Victim lecture

Members of the St. Bernard Chapter of AARP heard a lecture from a sheriff’s deputy about the Refuse to be a Victim program.

Dep. Eric Eilers got to speak to about 60 members of AARP and give them safety tips including what type of locks to use and other measures to take at home, at businesses or out of the parish.

The Sheriff ‘s Office has been giving lectures since 2011 on the Refuse to be a Victim program.

Del. Eilers works in the Community Relations Division of the Sheriff’s Office. Groups interested in attending a class on Refuse to be a Victim can call Dep. Elders at 278-7799 .

Shown are Dep. Eric Eilers and some of the members of the St. Bernard Chapter of AARP.

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Two sheriff’s deputies graduate P.O.S.T. training

Two members of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office graduated from the Peace Officers Standards and Training, or P.O.S.T., school at Slidell Regional Police Academy. on April 22.

Graduates are Blake Kelly and Jordon Zulli.

The School was 13 weeks of intense training. Shown are Major David Dimaggio director of Training, and deputies Blake Kelly and Jordon Zulli.

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Sheriff’s Office will offer another free Junior Deputy Academy two days a week from June 7 to July 13 for parish boys and girls ages 10-13; Call 278-7628 to register

Junior Deputy: Participants in last year’s Junior Deputy Academy examine the Sheriff’s Office bomb robot used for checking out suspicious items. Registration is being held now for this year’s academy, which starts June 7.

Children in last year’s academy look over department weapons and other items.

Continuing a successful start from last summer, another free Junior Deputy Academy for boys and girls in St. Bernard Parish ages 10-13 will be held two days a week from June 7 to July 13 by the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.
“Our Junior Deputy Academy program got off to a great start last summer,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “We think boys and girls had fun and got a chance to learn something about law enforcement and see equipment our officers use.’’

The sheriff also said the Junior Deputy Academy is designed “to help develop pride and self-respect for these young people as well as respect for their community and its values.”

“We invite parents to register for our second year,’’ the sheriff said. To register call Capt. Charles Borchers at (504) 278-7628 or Dep. Eric Eilers at 278-7799.

Classes will be held at the Sheriff’s Office Training Center, on the second floor of a building at 2118 Jackson Blvd. in Chalmette, immediately behind the Parish Courthouse. The Assessor’s office is in the same building.

Classes will be from 1-3 p.m. on June 7 and 9, June 14 and 16, June 21 and 23, June 28 and 30, and July 12 and 13.  Graduation is July 20.

Deputies from various divisions of the Sheriff’s Office will visit with participants and introduce them to different functions that impact the parish.

Included in the academy will be field trips to the Parish Prison and firearms safety taught at a shooting range.

Participants will also learn basic first aid and CPR and hear from officers about the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, Narcotics Division, Crime Scene Investigation and will be shown the department’s state-of-the-art equipment.

The academy is patterned after the Sheriff’s Office Citizens Police Academy for adults.

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St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office trying to identify a thief who twice stole from a Chalmette store within minutes

The St . Bernard Parish Sheriff’s is trying to identify man who twice stole from the same Chalmette store within minutes, changing shirts between the thefts, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Anyone with information should call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at. (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at 822-1111.

A surveillance camera showed that on April 2, at approximately 3:45 p.m., an unknown black male entered the Cash America Pawn Shop wearing a flannel shirt, blue pants, and a red hat and he stole a XBOX ONE gaming console.

About five minutes later the same man again entered Cash America Pawn Shop, this time wearing a blue zip-up hooded sweatshirt and hen stole a Toshiba laptop computer and a Playstation 4.

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Residents-only of Delacroix Island in eastern St. Bernard are being allowed back to their homes if they are in high-water vehicles; roads had been closed because of water caused by the winds on Saturday;

Sheriff James Pohlmann said on Sunday night residents-only of Delacroix Island in eastern St. Bernard were being allowed back to their homes if they are in high-water vehicles.

The roads at Delacroix Island, where most people live in raised homes because they are outside the hurricane protection levee system, had been under water all day because of heavy winds on Saturday, the sheriff said.

Roads at Yscloskey were open again Sunday night after also have much of that area under water on Sunday, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The Sheriff’s Office has a checkpoint at the junction of the roads leading to Delacroix Island and Yscloskey.

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Mock evacuation conducted

St. Bernard Parish Homeland Security conducted a mock evacuation. on Tuesday, with personnel from the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office on hand to assist.

Also, members of the C.E.R.T. ( Community Emergency Response Team) program helped as volunteers. The C.E.R.T. registered members of the community and staged them in the correct locations for them to be evacuated.

Also on hand were Parish Goverment workers, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana National Guard, and Members from the St. Bernard Hospital.

This event is held once a year to make sure the process works without problems and members know what to do in different situations.

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Associated Terminals makes donation to Reserve Division to buy a Taser

Associated Terminals of Chalmette made a donation to the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Reserve Division for the purchase of a taser.

Sheriff James Pohlmann would like to thank Associated Terminals for the donation to the Sheriff’s Department. Shown are Capt. Charles Borchers, coordinator of the Reserve Division, Forrest Russell and Jason Perez of Associated Terminals, Reserve Division Sgt. Albert Loar and Dep.Eric Eilers.

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Look to Sheriff’s Office Facebook page April 16 for location updates and live video streaming of the St. Bernard Irish, Italian, Islenos Community Parade

Sheriff James Pohlmann reminds people to look to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page April 16 for location updates and live video streaming of the St. Bernard Irish, Italian, Islenos Community Parade.

A sheriff’s deputy on board the department’s Mobile Emergency Operations Center which leads the parade will post regular location updates on the Facebook page after the parade starts at noon.

“We have been doing location updates for parades for several years now and have received many appreciative comments,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“We hope spectators, especially children, find it fun and helpful to know when the parade will approach them,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The department’s mobile command post, acquired through a federal grant, is a great vehicle and is perfect for leading a parade, the sheriff said.

The mobile center will coordinate the running of the parade as well as road closings as it moves along the route, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

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