Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre seeks ninth term of office

In recognition of the nearly 400 professional men and women of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office family and the 100,000 people who proudly call Lafourche Parish home – I am proud and humbled to officially announce my candidacy for reelection as your Sheriff.

Under my leadership, your Sheriff’s Office is highly regarded as being among the most competent, proactive, responsive, innovative and “cutting edge” law enforcement agencies anywhere.

While violent crime is surging across America and in many areas of Louisiana, we have worked diligently to make Lafourche Parish a safe place to live, work and thrive. These are a few of the many things we do to enhance public safety in our Parish.

Enforcement

Lafourche Parish is safe and secure because our deputies are well trained, well equipped and have a passion for public safety and service to others. Together – with our local, state and federal partners – we are steadfast in our commitment to detecting, preventing and solving crime. Here, criminals and lawbreakers are held accountable because of a competent and functional criminal justice system that relies upon the good work of our deputies.

The connection between rising crime and drug addiction/substance abuse is undeniable. In particular, opioid and fentanyl abuse has taken a deadly grip across the country and has resulted in an unprecedented number of deaths.

The Sheriff’s Office is steadfast in its commitment to tackling this problem head-on using a two-pronged approach. First, we along with our state and federal task force partners, will continue our relentless pursuit of drug law offenders with a focus on those who deal drugs.

Secondly, we are committed to supporting treatment and intervention through our involvement with the Lafourche Parish Drug Treatment Court. Moreover, we applied for and were recently awarded a $1 million+ grant from the Department of Justice to establish our Comprehensive Overdose Prevention Efforts (C.O.P.E.) program. The goal of C.O.P.E. is to identify persons who suffer from addiction and work to connect them with treatment professionals who can assist them in breaking the deadly cycle of addiction.

Additionally, we provide a wide array of services to victims of crime and treat all with dignity and respect. We continually strive to be proactive in serving and protecting victims of domestic violence and their children from abuse.

Our legacy of protecting and aiding victims of domestic violence has caught the attention of state, local and national law enforcement agencies. We are frequently contacted by other agencies who seek our assistance and replicate our strategies and practices in times of crisis.

Protecting our children and schools

Above all, we are committed to protecting children. Our schools are safe and secure because of a longstanding cooperative relationship with the school system. There are 19 deputies assigned to work in our schools to protect your children, their teachers and our community. Our School Resource Officers and D.A.R.E instructors are highly trained and knowledgeable in the area of school safety.

As the father of a four-year-old daughter, Anastasya Webre, I truly understand the necessity of ensuring the safety and security of our children – this is a non-negotiable commitment.

Holding criminals accountable

We catch criminals and hold them accountable. The Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex is an often overlooked and misunderstood component of our overall crime-fighting strategy. In a nutshell, if the goal is to reduce and prevent future crime, common sense dictates that we “correct” the behavior of known offenders who are under our care, control and supervision. The outdated and grossly expensive process of merely warehousing criminals together until their release date only serves to produce better criminals!

When you, the citizens of Lafourche Parish, approved the building of a new safe, secure and constitutional Correctional Complex designed to meet the needs of our Parish, we listened and delivered! Today, incarcerated persons (male and female) are being held accountable for their actions. At the same time, those who qualify are receiving appropriate evidence-based reentry programming and services designed to change outcomes and reduce recidivism.

My commitment to you and our community

My vigor and enthusiasm to serve has never been greater. As we navigate the new challenges brought about by social media, cryptocurrency, AI (artificial intelligence) and technological advances, it is imperative that we have an experienced leader who has been in the trenches and has adapted to change. The concept of “digital evidence” is a game changer in preventing and solving crime. My staff and I are aggressively pursuing the development of a “Real Time Crime Center” as a force multiplier in this rapidly expanding arena.

Our agency and staff exemplify the ideals of accountability and transparency. We continually strive to deliver professional, effective, and scandal-free service to every resident and community within Lafourche Parish. This is evident through our agency’s accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Our Correctional Complex and Transitional Work Program are accredited by the American Correctional Association. These achievements represent our commitment to providing the citizens of Lafourche Parish the very best level of public service.

My slogan as a first-time candidate for Sheriff was, “Good People Deserve Good Government!” Those words ring as true today as they did when you first elected me over 30 years ago. Ensuring that the people of Lafourche are safe and secure, and working with the dedicated and talented men and women of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office is both a blessing and an honor.

My sole commitment has always been and will be to protect you, your neighbors and our community. Together, we can and will make a difference. Thank you – I respectfully ask for your consideration and support in my bid to remain your Sheriff.