Lafourche deputy wins American Legion honor

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced Thursday that Sgt. Chantel Chouest was named the recipient of the American Legion Post 349’s Deputy of the Year award.

The Lafourche deputy received the award at a ceremony on July 19 to install new officers.

“It was obviously a huge honor to be nominated, and it was an even bigger honor to be given the award,” Chouest said. “To be nominated from all of my peers, that definitely means a lot. I don’t even know how to express how grateful I am.”

Webre stated in a news release his satisfaction with the American Legion’s decision and said Chouest has been one of his office’s finest public servants in her 7-year tenure.

“We appreciate the American Legion’s recognition of a job well done,” Webre said in a press release. “Sgt. Chouest is a shining example of the professionalism throughout the ranks of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office.”

To qualify for the award, the American Legion asks the Commander and Deputy Commander of each patrol division to nominate a candidate for the award. Lafourche Parish Captain Scott Silverii nominated Chouest because of her, “dedication to the agency and willingness to go above and beyond to serve the citizens of Lafourche Parish.”

The Captain also added that when he created a new initiative to target repeat DWI offenders, Chouest, who was then a deputy, “stepped up to volunteer to spearhead the DWI STOP initiative. She guided it to the success it is today.”

As a deputy, Chouest ranked among the Top 5 in DWI arrests, a number Webre said shows her dedication to protecting the public.

In 2009, the Sergeant helped create a database to keep track of every DWI offender in the area to help prevent repeat offenses.

“We were just trying to chart who was arrested in Lafourche for DWIs and just made it a point to keep up with their court dates and keep up with when their licenses were suspended to make a list of who shouldn’t be driving,” she said.

Chouest added she was initially surprised when told she’d been nominated for the award, but was immediately filled with gratefulness that her coworkers appreciate the hard work she pours into her job. “To hear from your superiors that you’re nominated and you’re getting this award, that’s special, because it lets you know that you’re standing out,” she said. “I’d really like to thank everyone with the Sheriff’s Office for nominating me and the American Legion for having the award.”

Sgt. Chantel Chouest shows off the award she was given by American Legion Post 349 as Deputy of the Year. “Sgt. Chouest is a shining example of the professionalism throughout the ranks of the Lafourche Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Craig Webre said. COURTESY PHOTO