A Kennedy looms
June 13, 2018Tariffs not always a good route
June 13, 2018
A bulwark of Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter’s administration — working part time since his retirement — was dismissed from service last week.
Larpenter said the reason he let former Maj. Mike Solet go was that he is cutting back on the number of high-ranking officers who work part time, because their salaries tend to be high. But Solet claims the axing came because of issues surrounding his desire to “better himself.”
Discussions with Larpenter and others in law enforcements circles indicate that the sheriff was displeased with Solet’s desire to run against him in the 2019 election.
“It is with a heavy heart that I am no longer employed with the sheriff’s office,” Solet wrote in a post on his personal Facebook page. “Because of my ambition to further my career to the next level, Sheriff Larpenter thought it best to sever my employment at the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. Even though I will miss my colleagues and serving the public for the time being, I am looking forward to a greater role of serving the residents of Terrebonne Parish. My concern for the care and safety of the people of this parish has been consistent throughout my career and will continue to be my goal moving forward.”
Sheriff’s Office employees have said Solet was waffling back and forth in statement to people about whether he was running for the office. He has occupied the office next to Larpenter’s in the sheriff’s office portion of the Terrebonne courthouse building and has often been the first person people speak with when they have a grievance or a problem needing attention from the sheriff.
He has worked in law enforcement for 38 years.
Larpenter said that any one has a right to run for elective office, and certainly against him. But he said he was uncomfortable having a part-time person stating those plans and at the same time working in a sensitive position with heavy public contact.
One of Solet’s duties as a part-timer involved coordination with neighborhood watch groups.
In replies to his Facebook post Solet never mentioned directly a run for sheriff, but dropped veiled hints.
Attempts to reach Solet over the weekend were not successful.
A check by The Times indicates no campaign finance documents filed by Solet at this point.
Larpenter has served as sheriff for 22 years, including a four-year break when he left law enforcement to run for the office of Terrebonne Parish President. During that time Vernon Bourgeois — who had for many years occupied the office that became Solet’s work space — served as sheriff.
Larpenter returned to reclaim his seat in 2012, and Bourgeois bowed out of the election, leaving the office to Larpenter. The sheriff then ran unopposed in 2016.
