[StBernard] Pool tournament for police will be held May 8 in Chalmette

[Westley Annis]

Pool tournament for police will be held May 8 in Chalmette
Print NOLA Community Submission By NOLA Community Submission 
on April 28, 2014 at 6:03 AM, updated April 28, 2014 at 6:33 AM

With a goal of fostering closer cooperation between local law enforcement
agencies, the FBI, Crimestoppers and the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office will
host an area-wide mixer pool tournament for police on May 8 to be held in
Chalmette, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The event will be held at 6 p.m. at Lacy's Cue on West Judge Perez Drive.

Michael Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI office in New Orleans,
and Darlene Cusanza, executive director of the non-profit group
Crimestoppers, announced the tournament in collaboration with Sheriff
Pohlmann.

Anderson, who suggested the holding of the event and said he hopes to play,
emphasized it would be a chance for area law enforcement officers to get
together in a social setting. It is important to have such close-knit law
enforcement partnerships in the community, he said. He has been head of the
FBI's New Orleans office since 2012.

"I started playing pool with my father and brother when I was 12 years old,
and found it to be a wonderful platform to have lively and spirited
conversations while enjoying a really fun activity,'' Anderson said. "Over
the next 30 plus years, pool has always offered that same dynamic for me
with all sorts of other pool players across the country. As much as I also
enjoy golf and many other outdoor activities, I believe pool can deliver
even more bonding opportunities given the close quarters of a pool hall with
a large number of players and supporters."

"So, I was very excited to see if a metro New Orleans pool tournament with
local, state and federal law enforcement could achieve similar bonding
results,'' Anderson said. "Of course, this event could not develop beyond
the idea stage without the tremendous contributions of Crimestoppers,
Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann, Lacy's Cue, and all of our participating agencies
and departments."

To help people from different agencies work together, Anderson said, it was
decided to hold a double elimination, blind draw of partners doubles, rather
than singles, 8-ball tournament. Both men and women will compete. The format
"will maximize player participation, facilitate the mixing of department
personnel and emphasize camaradarie over cut-throat competition,'' Anderson
said.

Pohlmann said he is pleased the get-together is being held in Chalmette. "I
am all in favor of law enforcement officers from various agencies having a
chance to meet in a casual atmosphere and get to know each other because it
fosters better inter-agency cooperation,'' Pohlmann said. "That would be
important in cases we need to work together on that go across parish lines.
It is always easier to deal with people you have met and spoken with
before.''

In addition, Pohlmann said anything that helps feature Crimestoppers is good
"because that group has been so important in helping law enforcement through
its program of offering cash rewards for tips on criminal suspects, which
has led to so many arrests over the years.''

Several Sheriff's Office employees will participate in the pool tournament.

 

The information in this article and pictures were provided by the St.
Bernard Sheriff's Office Director of Public Information Steve Cannizaro