Pubdate: Mon, 11 Aug 2003
Source: Daily Star, The (LA)
Copyright: 2003, The Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.hammondstar.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1657
Author: Aimee Yee

SHERIFF HOPEFULS LIST PRIORITIES

Candidates running for sheriff of Tangipahoa Parish said one of their top 
priorities upon taking office would be fighting the drug flow in and out of 
the parish. Others said delivering good service and helping people would be 
among one of the more important priorities and a thorough examination of 
the budget would show exactly where tax dollars should be spent to make a 
difference. Candidates Daniel Edwards, a former assistant district attorney 
for the 21st Judicial District Court, Reserve State Trooper and Hammond 
businessman Philip Monteleone, attorney Arden Wells, Ponchatoula Police 
Chief Tim Gideon and long-time Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office law 
enforcement officer Fred Falgout discussed their top priorities and how 
they would achieve those priorities upon taking office. Candidate Joey 
Piazza, an employee of the Tangipahoa Parish School System, didn't return 
The Daily Star's telephone calls on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. "My top 
priority is to deliver good service and help as many people as I can," 
Wells said Friday. "I've heard a lot of talk from the other candidates 
about what they'll do and some of that can't happen with the budget they're 
gonna get," Wells said. "I'm gonna clean out the criminal department ... 
fire and replace most of them. Most of the civil division can stay," he 
said. "My deputies will go out and protect life and property.

That will be the focus of my office." Wells said Edwards has said he plans 
to fight drugs at the street level but Edwards hasn't said what that plan 
is. "He'll be constricted by the same budget as Eddie Layrisson," Wells 
said. "The one thing Eddie Layrisson did right was he helped the people." 
Edwards said Saturday his first priority as sheriff would be to "tackle the 
major drug problem that exists throughout the parish, from crack cocaine to 
marijuana to crystal methamphetamines to oxycontin." "There are way too 
many people addicted to drugs," Edwards said. "And consequently, everyone 
is affected by drugs due to increased crime." "My plan to crack down on 
drugs is multitiered because there is a direct correlation between drug 
involvement and poor education.

We must continue to teach our school children the dangers of drugs.

We must use our entire department to work with all schools to stop truancy 
and get absentee students back in school," he said. "I'll have our patrol 
deputies begin patrolling by district in order to increase visibility in 
every area of our parish and on every road," he said. "We'll arrest more 
than street level dealers," Edwards said. "We'll make it a priority to 
locate and arrest major drug dealers, the ones who import the drugs here 
and profit from their sales. "We will work with the judicial system and the 
district attorney to increase the jail time for all drug dealers which will 
give street dealers incentive to turn in their bosses. "We will actively 
pursue any and all property acquired by drug dealers through the illegal 
drug trade," Edwards said. "Lastly," he said, "every complaint made by a 
citizen about drug dealing going on in their neighborhood will be 
investigated promptly and professionally." Falgout said he would 
immediately work to gain and maintain the trust and confidence of the 
public if he is elected sheriff. Some things would be handled 
simultaneously, he said. "I would determine the assets and liabilities of 
the departments through a complete audit," Falgout said, "and assess assets 
according to needs. "I'd review all personnel files and make assessments 
according to job, no matter what it may be. "I'd review all departmental 
policy, practices and procedures and implement and enforce a code of 
conduct and departmental regulations that all in the department must adhere 
to," he said. "Personal conduct, on or off duty, courtesy and job 
performance are paramount," he said. "Training in these areas may be needed 
to restore public confidence and trust," Falgout said. "Finally, grants 
will be sought to buy equipment and pay for training, and in most cases, 
along with pay increases, an increase in officer morale is seen. "I'll 
maintain an open door policy and give citizens full access to the 
department. Gideon said Saturday his No. 1 priority upon taking office 
would be to serve the people. "Public safety is where we'll start," Gideon 
said. And because the public deserves a good sheriff's office, continuing 
education and raising salaries of dedicated employees would be next. 
Salaries for deputies must be increased, too, Gideon said. And although 
response time is good, it can be better. "Beefing up the patrol division is 
important.

And so is the narcotics division," he said. "Even the jailers need 
continuing education." Monteleone said Saturday the first thing he'd do 
upon being elected sheriff would be to set an administration in place so he 
could concentrate on three major issues he sees plaguing the current 
administration. Those issues are service, safety and accountability, 
Monteleone said. "Response time should never exceed 10 minutes.

And I'd increase patrol presence.

There would be no more parked cars on duty. If the unit is visible, that 
deputy is on duty, or he's headed home from duty." "I'll be out in my 
uniform," Monteleone said. "With an accident pad and ticket book in my 
unit, too. "We'll be proactive in problem areas and establish major 
problems to be addressed," he said. "There will be zero tolerance for drug 
arrests, and deputies will conduct criminal interdiction on the highways 
and interstates. "We'll definitely work on the jail space problems," he 
said. "There will be beds for our hardened criminals." Monteleone said he's 
working on an air surveillance system which would be conducted with a 
helicopter. The parish needs this in its fight on crime, drugs and safety. 
It's his plan to identify Alzheimer's patients as well, he said, fitting 
them with medical alert bracelets that can be monitored from a computer 
chip in the event someone wanders off and must be located.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart