[StBernard] Sheriff's Race

[Westley Annis]

Laurie

          I'm sorry that you didn't receive any response after your calls
for assistance, this is wrong and should have been reported. Did you know
prior to Katrina the Sheriff's Dept. employed over 400 persons, a little
more than half were assigned directly to various divisions of Enforcement.
Katrina has wreaked havoc on the Dept. in whole and Devastated the
Enforcement Division. At the current time the Sheriff's Dept. forces have
been depleted to the tune of just under 200 as a whole. Of these 200 roughly
100 are enforcement personnel deployed in different Divisions such as
Patrol, Traffic, Narcotics, Special Investigations, Detective Bureau,
Juvenile Investigations, Nova School Program, Radio Dispatch, Correctional
Division, Neighborhood Watch and so on. Although Dept. Personnel has been
depleted the area of coverage has not. While the Dept. did replace some of
it's Marked Enforcement Vehicles it still lacks necessary equipment in
certain Divisions. A lot of the unmarked vehicles were donated after the
storm by various car Dealerships and Politicians in the State Legislature. 

 It's hard to make a payroll when there is an almost  non existent Sales Tax
revenue. With the lack of FEMA assistance to restore business in the Parish
and create revenue attracting qualified applicants to restore the force is
quite the task. The entire Metro area is struggling, just watch Chief Warren
Riley (NOPD) or Sheriff Harry Lee (JPSO) on television trying to recruit.
Unfortunately for Sheriff Stephens he does not have the available monies in
his budget as do the others.  

 I'm sorry you and your friends felt your safety was compromised because no
one responded to a call of copper theft within a timely manner. You must
understand these are crimes of opportunity and unless you have a crystal
ball are almost impossible to predict. For the life of me I cannot
understand what compels you to say you don't feel as safe as you did in the
past. Your not going to get carjacked at a drive through in St. Bernard
Parish, Your not going to get killed in a drive-by, you may have a minor
theft which occurs all over the United States at any given point and time.
The reason, I'll tell you the reason because Sheriff Stephens administration
doesn't allow these type of criminals to linger around. He runs them out of
town. Prior to Katrina the majority of these types of individuals took
advantage of a so called little perk known to us all as (Section Eight)
compliments of Mr. Lynn Dean. Where do you think the majority of tenants
came from.  

I'll help you (New Orleans). With the exception of the few deserving people
who actually needed the housing, what type of lifestyle do you think these
tenants came from. I'm sure you don't need help on this one. If there was
any one good thing to stress upon from Katrina it all but wiped out the
availability of Section Eight Housing in St. Bernard Parish and took with it
the Criminal element that lurked within it's walls. I only hope the program
is not restored to an uncontrollable level like before by Opportunist's
looking to make a quick buck. It's not rocket science to purchase a run
down, dilapidated property, throw a few coats of cheap paint and some carpet
inside, qualify it for Section Eight and then don't give a damn who lives
there as long as they get that guaranteed Government money which I'm sure
will be inflated with the Sky rocketing prices of rental property these
days. Ponder on this, if there's no place for them to live, there's no place
for them to do business. By the way just watch the news and listen to Harry
Lee preach about the crime and Section Eight Housing problem. 

Oh Yeah, his increased crime statistics, Murder, Rape, Armed Robbery, Home
Invasion, Residential Burglary and the list goes on. He will tell you
straight up it's the New Orleans black population displaced after Katrina
causing his increase in crime. You think people there feel safe, you don't
hear them whining and bitching it's time for a change. You want to talk
about corruption just look at the NOPD, there's Corruption. If you know of
corruption within the Sheriff's Dept. why have you kept silent. Tell Mr.
Bernadas about the so-called corruption lurking within the Sheriff's Dept.
he certainly knows the right people to handle a complaint of this nature. I
only hope the basis of this accusation is not shoddy unsubstantiated rumors
during the storm and don't tell me about the Meraux Foundation, he's not the
only person who sits on the board. Please, your obviously a relative or very
good friend of the family and there's nothing wrong with that. Your mind is
made up and that's O.K. Actually I think Mr. Bernadas' qualifications are
impeccable compared to the rest of the wanna-bees. If you weren't a Stephens
fan he's without a doubt the best in the field of challengers. I know I
might have got out of line in prior posts about referring to him as a school
boy and I apologize. I am very passionate about this topic and I'm sure the
Five Thousand or so evacuees that Sheriff Stephens Dept. rescued and cared
for are just as passionate. On that note I''ll bid you farewell. 
 

JDR

	-----------------------------------------------------

	JDR
	
	To say I have an ulterior motive is laughable to me.  What motive?
Wanting
	to be safer?  I have nothing to gain except to be safer.  St.
Bernard USED 
	to be very safe before Katrina.  I do not feel that safety as I used
too.
	Yes, it is safer than New Orleans, but most places are.  I have
called the
	police, and know people that have called the police for various
small crimes 
	
	such as stealing copper and such (if you want to call that small)
and the
	police do not come.  Whether or not sheriff Stephens is vulnerable,
I don't
	know.  But if he is, that is his own fault. If the public doesn't
think he 
	is doing a good enough job he should go.  The people will decide.  I
do not
	agree that running against him is equal to "exploiting" him.  I
realize the
	Shrieff stayed during the storm, as he should have.  I do not know
about who 
	
	ran away when they should have stayed at their post or who wants
revenge.  I
	
	know Mr. Bernadas doesn't want revenge.  He is a good and moral
husband and
	father and an honorable person.  I think the current sheriff is
adequate.  I 
	
	have lived here all my life and so have my parents and grandparents.
When
	you live here, you know things and the sheriff's office is very
corrupt.
	That is my motive. I feel for the very hard job a sheriff will have
to do. 
	I understand that we are in the middle of a whole bunch of stuff
with FEMA
	and everything else.  I think it goes without saying that Mr.
Bernadas is my
	
	first choice and Sheriff Stephens is your.  We may just have to
agree to 
	disagree.
	
	Laurie