Archives: June2017

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office attends hurricane season briefing

NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans hosted a briefing on June 7 to kick off the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. Local law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency personnel were in attendance, including St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office representatives Capt. Charles Borchers, second from right, and Sgt. Eric Eilers, second from left. Also pictured are, from left: Steve Turner, Michoud Assembly Facility safety and health manager; Kenneth Graham, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist; and William Keith Hefner, Michoud Assembly Facility director.

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Junior Deputy Academy kicks off third year

St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann speaks with Junior Deputy Academy participants on opening day of this summer’s session. The annual program teaches children ages 10-13 about the various aspects of law enforcement.	During a discussion about traffic safety, Sgt. Eric Eilers, left, and Lt. Stephen Ingargiola, right, take a poll of Junior Deputy Academy participants who regularly wear their seat belts.
Agent Carlo Cacioppo, center, shows Junior Deputy Academy participants Mark Loustalot, left, and Jaycob Lystra, right, some of the department’s equipment, including a battering ram and body shield.	Lt. Richard Mendel shows Junior Deputy Academy participants how to operate a camera ball, designed to help law enforcement officers scope out risky environments before entering.
Lt. Stephen Ingargiola, left, and Capt. Daniel Doucet, right, talk to Junior Deputy Academy participants about inert cast booster training devices.	St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Junior Deputy Academy participants check out the department’s bomb robot.
Lt. Stephen Ingargiola shows Junior Deputy Academy participant Preslie Garcia how heavy a bomb suit can be.	Capt. Bret Bowen, left, and Sgt. Darren Trandacosta, right, show Junior Deputy Academy participants the state-of-the-art technology inside the Sheriff’s Office Mobile Emergency Operations Center.

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Junior Deputy Academy kicked off the third year of its annual summer program on June 6.

Formed in 2015, the Junior Deputy Academy is open to children ages 10 to 13 who reside in St. Bernard Parish.

Patterned after the Sheriff’s Office Citizens Police Academy for adults, the program is designed to foster community pride and self esteem, while teaching youngsters about the various aspects of law enforcement.

The Academy, which runs two days a week through July 12, includes a visit to St. Bernard Parish Prison, firearms safety instruction at a local shooting range, basic first aid and CPR instruction and demonstrations with some of the department’s state-of-the-art equipment. A graduation ceremony also is held.

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office will conduct extra patrols for vacationing residents

St. Bernard Parish residents leaving for an extended period of time or summer vacation can call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office to request that deputies make extra patrols pass their home while they are away.

“When thinking about the last-minute things you have to do before leaving, remember to call us for extra patrols,” St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Residents can call (504) 271-2501 to get on a list for the extra patrols.

Sheriff Pohlmann said the information is kept confidential and is revealed only to the officers assigned to patrol the section where the resident lives.

Residents also are advised to leave a contact number with the Sheriff’s Office so a patrol deputy can call them if there is something happens at their home, Sheriff Pohlmann said, including non crime-related matters such as damage from a wind or rain storm.

Since St. Bernard has fewer residents than before Hurricane Katrina there are fewer eyes on the streets in some neighborhoods to watch for suspicious activity, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“That makes signing up for the extra patrols more valuable,’’ the Sheriff said.

Capt. Charles Borchers, head of Community Relations for the Sheriff’s Office, including the Neighborhood Watch program, said the extra pass list has been used effectively for years and helps residents be assured their homes will have some extra protection while they are away.

Borchers said residents should consider the following crime prevention tips before leaving their home for trips:

• Lock up. While this might seem obvious, some people forget to lock their house completely while rushing to get away. Make sure all doors and windows are locked.
• Be careful who you tell that you plan to be away from your home. However, ask someone you trust to watch for anything unusual. Also, never leave a message on a phone voice mail system saying you are out of town because any caller would learn your house may be vulnerable.
• The same is true with social media. It is foolish to announce to everyone you will be going on a trip. Wait until you return to post photos instead.
• Do whatever possible to create the appearance someone is home. Keep a vehicle in the driveway or out front of your residence. Maintain your lawn before you leave or have someone you trust mow your lawn while you are gone.
• Put outdoor lighting on either timers, light-sensitive photocell mechanisms, or motion detectors. Use timers to activate inside lighting, radios, or TVs. Use the fluorescent (cfl) light bulbs because they burn cooler than the standard light bulbs.
• Don’t let deliveries accumulate. If possible, ask someone you know to pick up mail, newspapers, packages and any circulars placed on your front door. Stop delivery of any newspaper if you can so they don’t pile up.
• Don’t leave keys under your doormat, flower pots or window ledges – intruders check these first.
• Keep shrubbery trimmed. Thick shrubbery and trees cover your windows, allowing burglars to work undetected.
• If you have a security system, ensure it is armed and provide instructions to the central monitoring station – if you have one – to call your cell phone, the Sheriff’s Office and/or a particular friend, relative or neighbor if there is a problem.
• If your area has a Neighborhood Watch program inform its officials about your vacation plans.

St. Bernard residents interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch group in their area can call Borchers at (504) 278-7628.

St. Bernard Sheriff’s office promotes boating safety

With summer fishing and boating kicking into high gear on St. Bernard Parish waterways, St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann is reminding residents to practice safety while on the water.

“There will be a lot of boats out there, especially on holiday weekends like the Fourth of July and Labor Day so be careful, slow down and learn and obey the rules of boating safety,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “Don’t speed and pay attention to your surroundings. Operate with caution.”

Sheriff Pohlmann also stresses the importance of everyone on board wearing a personal flotation device, or lifejacket.

“They are available at sporting goods and department stores,” the Sheriff said. “Everyone should be able to find one that fits.’’

With holiday celebrations, also comes the chances of people drinking while operating watercraft. Sheriff Pohlmann reminds residents people can be arrested for drinking and driving on a boat, just as they would be while operating an automobile on land.

Alcohol is a primary cause in nearly 25 percent of all fatal boating accidents nationally, Sheriff Pohlmann said. Statistics also show nearly 90 percent of the boating accidents recorded involve someone who hasn’t successfully completed a safe boating class.

Residents interested in taking a boating course can do so for free. Information can be found on the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries web site under the education section. Other state-approved safe boating courses can be found at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/boating/courses.

Capt. Brian Clark, a retired state Wildlife and Fisheries agent and head of the Sheriff’s Office Marine Division, agrees with Sheriff Pohlmann about the necessity of everyone on board wearing flotation devices, especially children.

“It’s required that children 16 and under wear a flotation device at all times and recommended that adults wear them also,’’ Clark said. Drowning remains the biggest cause of fatalities on the water and a life jacket being worn could save a life, he added.

“Some boaters used to resist them because they were bulky and made it hard to get around on a boat,” Clark said, “but the ones made today are lightweight and easy to use.”

Before leaving on a trip, Clark recommends informing someone of where you will be going, and approximately when you expect to return.

“Telling someone what your plans are will let them know if you are overdue so they can inform authorities,” Clark said.

Besides flotation devices, Clark said other basic rules for safety include a check of equipment before taking off. He also reminds boaters, if you have a kill switch on the motor, remember to use it if necessary.

Clark said remember to bring important items such as a cell phone and charger, a fire extinguisher, a flashlight, proper clothing, enough food and water for a trip, a safety kit, sunscreen, sunglasses to guard against glare and a device that can be thrown to aid anyone who needs help in the water.

Clark also recommends staying properly hydrated.

“Drink liquids,” he said. “Don’t let yourself get dehydrated because the sun will take a lot out of you and slow your reaction time.”

For more on state boating and life jacket regulations visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/boating.

Chalmette man, juvenile booked with armed robbery after Carjacking pizza delivery driver

St. Bernard Sheriff James Pohlmann said a Chalmette man and a juvenile staying in Chalmette were both booked with armed robbery for carjacking a pizza delivery driver on May 30.

Tremaine Moses, 20, of the 2300 block of Mumphrey Road in Chalmette, was booked June 1 after he admitted to holding a pizza delivery driver at gunpoint and demanding he exit his vehicle. A 16-year-old who was with Moses at the time of the incident also was booked and is being held in the Juvenile Detention Center.

Just after 12:30 p.m., Sheriff Pohlmann said, deputies responded to a call about a carjacking in the 300 block of East Magnolia Drive in Chalmette.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they were met by an employee of a local pizza restaurant who stated he had a gun held to his face and his vehicle stolen while he was attempting to deliver a pizza to a home nearby.

The man said the suspect, later identified as Moses, approached his vehicle and knocked on his window. The driver rolled down his window and Moses asked if he was there to deliver a pizza, to which he replied yes.

The driver, assuming Moses was the customer, turned to reach for the pizza on his passenger seat, and that is when Moses pressed a handgun against the left side of his face and ordered him out of the vehicle and to empty his pockets. Moses and the juvenile then got into the driver’s truck and fled.

Following the incident, detectives received information identifying Moses as the suspect and they obtained a warrant for his arrest. Once in custody, Moses admitted to the crime.

Sheriff Pohlmann said the victim was unharmed in the incident and his vehicle was recovered in the Lower Ninth Ward.

Moses is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison. Bond has not yet been set.