LSP Troop C gears up for summer season

Trooper Tracy Plaisance turns on the sirens. His foot mashes the gas pedal and his car, a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria, takes off. A car just passed at 80 mph. The speed limit is 60.

About two weeks ago, Plaisance, 39, a trooper with Louisiana State Police Department Troop C, helped arrest a drunk driver who had rear-ended a car near the Howard Street Bridge in Houma. After hitting the car, the defendant tried to escape on foot. Other law enforcement officials, along with Plaisance, were able to tackle the suspect before he could get away.

“We’re the face of the state. You don’t see the governor everyday, but you may see a trooper everyday,” he said, sitting behind a small desk at the state police headquarters. Connections to the community run deep in this town. Many law enforcement officers in the area were either born and raised here, or not far from here. To them, matters are often personal.

“For a lot of them, that’s the reason they do the job…for their community and for their family,” said Bryan Zeringue, a public information officer with Troop C.

Throughout his four-year career, Plaisance, a Raceland native, has seen it all – speeders, reckless drivers and those who feel they are above the law. His job is filled with excitement and uncertainty. But at the end of the day, his mission is to protect and serve.

At the age of 18, Plaisance joined the Army as a combat medic. He served four years. Near the end of his third year, he decided not to reenlist. Becoming a trooper was next on his list. Because military service wasn’t enough to get him a position, he decided to enter the workforce another way.

Plaisance worked as a bodyguard for a private security company for about two years after his stint in the military. He then went on to work at a police station in White House, Tenn. His resume was growing more impressive with every step he took. After about 10 years in Tennessee, Plaisance decided to move back home.

“The majority of what we find in cadets is either prior military, or law enforcement,” said Zeringue.

It’s that experience that gives many troopers an edge.

While the job may seem lax to some spectators, officials said their roles are primarily proactive. They pinpoint problem areas and crack down – whether that means writing tickets or conducting checkpoints.

That role has even placed some in the limelight.

“The amount of respect we get from the public is unbelievable,” said Plaisance. In other organizations, he said that respect can be hard to come by. A long history of dedicated troopers, though, has laid the groundwork for aspiring officers. But earning a spot among what some consider the state’s best is no easy task.

Plaisance went through 26 weeks of training at a law enforcement academy in Baton Rouge to get his badge. For Keith Redmond Jr., 36, it took 18 weeks.

“Anybody can go out there and drive 140 mph,” said Plaisance. Making the right decision when it really counts is a bit harder. Specialized training at the academy ensures troopers are prepared to play the role when the heat is on.

“The equipment they have for us to train with, by far, is the best in the state,” noted Redmond.

State troopers, in many respects, try to operate like a paramilitary organization. “That’s the goal: to break you down and build you back up,” explained Plaisance. “If you’re going to quit, they want you to quit in academy. They’re going to do everything they can [to make you quit.]”

Plaisance and Redmond didn’t give in.

For a hint of aspiration, both troopers would look to a poster plastered on a door during training that read, “Some things in life come easy, but this badge is not one of them.” Their military backgrounds also helped push them to succeed.

The training, although rigorous, didn’t prepare them for everything. Knocking on the door and delivering a death notice to someone’s family members is probably the hardest part of the job, said Redmond. “We try to disassociate ourselves, but we have kids, we have families. We’re not robots out here.”

Plaisance said it’s nearly impossible to separate the human from the situation – whether it’s a child that has been killed by a drunk driver, or a weary pedestrian that happened to cross paths with a two-ton SUV.

Redmond, a Houma native, has been with Troop C for eight-and-a-half years. He served in the Navy for five years, and then took a position with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office for four years.

The Navy taught Redmond a lot of things, but with a child on the way and a bride-to-be, he began looking for something a little more stable.

While Plaisance can often be found punching the gas to catch oblivious speeders, Redmond is known for his unyielding command on two wheels as a motorcycle trooper.

Every morning, before work, Redmond can be found sitting in his home, lights dimmed, shining his boots and badge. Much like Plaisance, his lifestyle today has been heavily influenced by his time in the military. But behind the vest, he’s human just like everyone else.

Pride, professionalism and performance are words both troopers said they live by.

Louisiana State Police Trooper Tracy Plaisance sits on a routine patrol in Houma. Acquiring the job, by no means, was an easy feat. Today he says he can’t imagine doing anything else. * Photo by MICHAEL DAVIS