[StBernard] New Sheriff, New Look In St. Bernard Parish

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Sat Jun 30 00:45:16 EDT 2012


New Sheriff, New Look In St. Bernard Parish
Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann's Biggest Problem Is Money, Not Crime

http://www.abc26.com/news/local/wgno-story-st-bernard-unis,0,1021318.story

The St. Benard Parish Sheriff's Office showed off their new uniforms
Thursday. The new uniforms are tan (the old uniform is shown in the middle
for comparison) and should be much cooler for deputies. (Curt Sprang / June
28, 2012)

CHALMETTE, LA- The changing face of the St Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office
includes a new sheriff -- and new uniforms -- for the first time in 28
years.

James Pohlmann was sworn in Thursday morning but won't officially take
office until a reception for the parish's incoming elected officials on
Sunday.

News & weather text alerts -- free on your cell phone from WGNO!

Pohlmann is responding to requests from deputies to change their uniforms.
He's opting for a six-pointed star for a badge and tan shirts instead of the
hot, black ones that were worn for nearly three decades.

"It's a good material, and it's light in color. So it's kinda' help with
these hot summer months that we have here in the southeast," Pohlmann said
from the conference room in the department's new headquarters.

Pohlmann showed off the new uniforms on Thursday because he wants the people
in his parish to see them. He's worried some people could mistake his
deputies as impostors.

But Pohlmann's bigger problem is the department's budget. St Bernard Parish
has about 30,000 fewer people than it did before Hurricane Katrina. That
translates into a budget deficit of about $2 million for his department.

Pohlmann says he's already made about a million dollars in cuts based solely
on attrition, retirements, and changing the command structure of the
department.

On the crime front, the incoming sheriff says illegal drugs are the biggest
problem facing his parish. He adds it's not just the amount of marijuana and
heroin in the parish, but also the property crimes people commit to buy the
drugs.

Pohlmann also says, following recent restrictions reducing the number of
people abusing prescription drugs, heroin is becoming the most popular
alternative.

"Heroin seems to be cheap right now."




More information about the StBernard mailing list