Cooks sworn in as Thibodaux City Marshal

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Calvin Cooks Sr. was sworn in as Thibodaux City Marshal on Tuesday afternoon at Thibodaux City Court. 

“…Over three decades, I have had the opportunity to work alongside Calvin and with Calvin. And I know that his heart is in public service and has always been in public service,” said Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre.


Before he retired from the Thibodaux Police Department (TPD) on Feb. 7, Cooks spent the first year and a half of his 30-year career in law enforcement with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. He then joined TPD, where he reached the rank of captain. 

Some of his positions in law enforcement include Assistant Chief of Police, Traffic Division Commander and Chief of Detectives, among several others. He also drove a school bus for over 20 years. 

“He worked in every facet of law enforcement here in the police department, and he prepared himself to seek public office,” Webre said. “…He is a genuinely decent, honest, sincere, hardworking man…And he’ll bring those great qualities to the City Marshal’s Office.” 


Former Mayor Charles Caillouet echoed Webre’s sentiments, saying Cooks has always been of service to the community. “This has been his whole life,” he said. “I am pleasantly pleased that he will be there because I know the job will get done.” 

Lafourche Parish Councilman Jerry Jones called Cooks “dedicated, eager, open-minded and trustworthy.” 

“He has always put the citizens of this city first. That speaks volumes,” said Thibodaux Councilwoman Constance Johnson, who added that Cooks has the “integrity, determination, and willingness” to always get a job done. 


Cooks defeated Deputy City Marshal Foye “Put” Lirette in the Dec. 5 runoff election. 

Although he is proud to be the first African American to hold the position of Thibodaux City Marshal and win a Thibodaux citywide office, he said, he is even more proud that his constituents voted him in because of his experience and qualifications. 

The new city marshal said the main priorities for his first term are transparency and visibility. He plans on having deputy marshals and himself in uniforms and marked vehicles. He also added that another priority is for his office is to start transporting inmates to and from municipal court. 


Other goals for Cooks include an on-call deputy marshal for after-hours transportation of fugitives from out of parish correctional facilities, a juvenile community service program in which participants will pick up trash in local neighborhoods, using the Law Enforcement Database System for booking/processing of offenders and report writing and developing a comprehensible full training program for all commissioned deputy marshals.

“We are going to come in, and we’re going to do the right thing. Everything that we promised in the campaign we want to do, and we want to do more,” Cooks said. “You’re going to proud of this Thibodaux City Marshal’s Office.”