Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (Louisiana)

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (LPSO) is the sheriff's department in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

Lafayette Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lafayette. According to the 2010 Census, its population was recorded as 221,578....

. The department, headed by Sheriff Michael "Mike" Neustrom, consists of around 550 sworn and non-sworn employees. Although the LPSO's jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...

consists of the entire parish of Lafayette, in order to not duplicate services provided by local city police, the primary patrol area is the unincorporated areas of the parish. The LPSO is CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., is a credentialing authority , based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredited public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, training academies, communications centers, and campus public safety...

) certified.

Divisions

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office operates seven divisions: Corrections, Enforcement, Civil/Tax, Finance/Technology, Human Resources, Training/Professional Development, and Internal Affairs.

Enforcement

The most visible division of the LPSO. This division utilizes marked Chevrolet Impalas and Ford Crown Victoria police interceptors, Harley Davidson motorcycles, and various unmarked police vehicles.

Uniformed Patrol - Responsible for answering calls for service, both emergency and non-emergency.
Communications Section - Provides 24 hour dispatch services for the LPSO and all municipalities in Lafayette Parish with the exception of the City of Lafayette. The link between the public and law enforcement, Dispatchers are linked to 911, and utilize Computer Aided Dispatch.
K-9 Section - Provides trained and dual certified dogs for patrol use. These dogs are used for building searches and apprehension of high risk suspects, and are also trained in narcotics detection. An explosive detection dog also serves Lafayette Parish and several other parishes in South Louisiana.
Traffic Escort Section - Provides traffic escort for every funeral service in Lafayette Parish, as well as other escort requests (local high schools, the University of Louisiana, etc.) They also oversee the school crossing guard program.
Contract Security - Provides 24 hour security to the University Medical Center Hospital and Lafayette Regional Airport.
Field Training Officer Section - F.T.O.s provide on the job training for new deputies.

Civil/Tax

Civil - Responsible for civil litigation and criminal process.
Tax - Responsible for collecting parish property taxes.

Finance/Technology

Finance - Safeguards the assets of the Sheriff's Office.
Technology - The IT department plans the technology incentives for the Sheriff's Office, as well as managing the day to day operations of the Sheriff's network and other systems.

Human Resources

Responsible for hiring the most professional and qualified people to work for the Sheriff's Office.

Training/Professional

Responsible for training new recruits as well as advanced training for current deputies. This division operates the LPSO Reserve Academy and the LPSO Corrections Academy. It also operates a community training programs, offering programs to local citizens such as self defense, firearms training, and hunter education.

ALETA - In 2003, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office joined together with the University of Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...

to create ALETA, the Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy. This academy trains new LPSO deputies and UL Police officers, as well as recruits from several other police agencies in South Louisiana, to become P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement officers. The program is a eleven week course that provides physical training and conditioning along with classroom instruction.

Internal Affairs

IA is charged with preserving integrity, honesty, and professionalism in the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office. It serves to protect the interests of the complainant, the accused employee, the Sheriff's Office, and the community.

Collaborations

Operation FALCON
Operation Falcon
Operation Falcon may refer to:* Operation FALCON, a number of 2006 dragnet operations by the United States Marshals Service* Operation Falcon, a 1984 sting operation against US falconers conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service...

- Operation FALCON (Federal And Local Cops Organized Nationally) is a multi agency operation to apprehend fugitives in the Acadiana area.
Metro Narcotics - A collaboration between the LPSO and the Lafayette City Police
Lafayette Police Department (Louisiana)
The Lafayette Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency in Lafayette, Louisiana, with the exception of the campus of University of Louisiana, which falls under the responsibility of the UL Police....

to remove and keep illegal drugs off the streets of the City and Parish of Lafayette. Investigators from both agencies, along with personnel from the Louisiana National Guard's Counter Drug Program investigate drug related complaints made by citizens.
Metro Forensics - A collaboration between the LPSO and LPD to provide state of the art crime scene investigation to all of Acadiana. Metro Forensics operates one of the most technologically advanced crime labs in the state of Louisiana.