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April 10, 2013
Detective Brad Cadiere is one paper-pushing police officer, and he’s not ashamed to say so.
“Most people don’t know how much time and effort we put into each and every case,” said Cadiere, 28, a seven-year veteran with the Houma Police Department. “People call and ask why nothing is being done (with investigations). It’s not like on television; things don’t move that fast.
“We are constantly following up on cases that we get, searching for suspects and interviewing victims,” he continued. “And we do a whole lot of typing in between all that. There’s a whole lot going on up here.”
Cadiere’s work following leads and tracking down criminals in the department’s detective bureau recently earned him Houma Police’s 2012 Officer of the Year award.
“I was surprised I was even nominated,” he said. “I was really surprised when I won. Guess I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”
Fate led Cadiere to the Houma Police Department.
“I always wanted to be a cop, and I went to college to pursue a criminal justice degree,” he said. “School didn’t work out, which actually sped up the process of becoming a cop.”
Shortly after Cadiere left college, he ran into Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis, who was working a detail at the city’s softball complex. “(Duplantis) said I should join the police department,” Cadiere recalled. “I thought, ‘Hey, I was going to school for this, so maybe I should look into it.”
He landed a full-time job as a patrol officer in August 2006. Since then, Cadiere’s also been assigned to street crime, narcotics and the detective bureau. He is also on the department’s Critical Incident Response and Category 5 teams, and has earned several commendations along the way.
Among his citations, the detective has been recognized for attempting to save the life of a victim suffering a heart attack, assisting in recovering $50,000 worth of illegal narcotics and working undercover operations targeting prostitutes and drug dealers. In 2011, he was cited for safely and successfully pursuing a car thief.
“Working street crime was my favorite. It gave me lots of experience with getting out on the streets and working the crimes,” he said. “People see you out there, and you are letting them know that you are out there, working to prevent more crimes.”
Working with the HPD’s detective bureau, Cadiere spends most of his time trying to solve burglary and theft cases. Often, he does not see the fruits of his labor until long after a crime has been committed.
“We follow up on cases from road calls, and we take it further than the road can and see them through, chasing the clues,” Cadiere said. “Eighty percent of the time, we don’t catch the bad guy right off the bat, but down the road, the person may commit another crime, and we can link the two. Closing a case is the most rewarding part of this job.”
“I also like the camaraderie of the job,” he continued. “There are not too many jobs I’ve had that I can say that I actually like everyone I work with.”
One person who is certainly glad to share comradeship with Cadiere is none other than Chief Duplantis, who also recalled that fateful day at the softball field.
“Brad and my son played ball together in high school, and I always knew his family,” Duplantis said. “He was a big hitter when he played, and he comes from a good family. They were always at his games. One day I saw him playing at the field, and I asked him if he would like to be a cop. At first, he said ‘no,’ but eventually he came to see me. It was a home run getting Brad here, working for our department.”
According to Duplantis, Cadiere also played a big role in helping to reduce crime in the city after a 2009 spike in homicides, and his boss credits his work ethics, skills, dedication, abilities and professionalism for helping the department as a whole.
“In 2009, we had 10 murders, and that was the highest number of murders we had since 1985,” he said. “Brad was transferred to narcotics because many of the murders were narcotics-related. The following year, we only had two homicides, and I think Brad played a vital role in the reduction of crime.”
“Brad excels everywhere he goes,” Duplantis continued. “Our entire department votes for the officer of the year, and Brad certainly displays our motto of ‘Honor, Pride, and Dedication.’”
Duplantis’ praises were also echoed by Cadiere’s immediate supervisors Lt. Dana Coleman and 2002 policeman of the year Det. Travis Theriot.
“He is a tremendous asset,” Coleman said. “Having worked the streets, he has a wealth of knowledge, and he brings a lot of energy to the department and is willing to learn. He is dedicated, and I am very excited for him.”
“The whole department is lucky to have him,” Theriot said. “He is a dedicated, loyal and trustworthy employee.”
Brad Cadiere, a seven-year veteran with the Houma Police Department, was recently named the department’s officer of the year. Cadiere is currently a member of the department’s detective bureau, and he spends most of his days following up on reported burglaries and thefts.
