There will be a new sheriff in town starting July 1, 2024.
ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) – There will be a new sheriff in town starting July 1, 2024. Sheriff-Elect Eddie Langlinais talks about the goals he wants to achieve in his first 100 days of starting his position as the new sheriff. While it has been 226 days since the winning election night for Langlinais, he is ready to start his new role.
“I’m feeling good. It is time for this to get over with. It's been a little over seven months, which is a long time,” he said. I'm not the only sheriff elect that's in this position. All Sheriff-elects in Louisiana come across the same. It's not really an issue. It's just a time delay. Few things that need to happen before a sheriff takes office and it’s right in the middle of tax season and then the fiscal year is July 1st. So it’s postponed to July first for all sheriffs.”
The public will see a few noticeable changes such as the vehicle’s colors. “It's going to be a silver vehicle with blue striping,” said Langlinais. “The uniforms are going to change a bit. It's going to take a little while to get that done but that's going to be a gray shirt with dark Navy pants.”
Langlinais is ready to start the real-time crime center which was one of the items on his platform during his campaign. “A real-time crime center is a 24/7 operation. We're not big enough for a 24/7 operation. In fact, I don't think there's any whereas in Louisiana that has a true real-time crime center,” he said. “Our version of the real-time crime centers is going to be called the Investigative Support Unit, ISU, but it's going to operate the same way, just won't be manned 24/7, but it's going to be utilized in modern technology to solve crime.”
Another goal is for a youth program. “I would like a safe place for our youth to go to and we have a training facility. We can bring our youth there to give them some courses, some simple life skills, such as changing a tire and balancing a checkbook,” said Langlinais. “I want to have people from our community come in and talk to our youth about different jobs that they have, how they got to that job, what the salaries they make, long-term goals, and what to expect upon retirement. I want our youth to have an avenue or somebody they can actually reach out to and touch that can say, Hey, how did you do that? How did you get to where you are? That's something I might be interested in. I think it would help our youth know that there are different avenues that they can take for themselves.”
He continues, “One of the issues we're having here, and it's not just in Vermilion Parish, is it's like south Louisiana, Acadiana area, and pretty much most of Louisiana. We're having issues holding juveniles. There's no juvenile detention center. We're working to help that problem but another way to help us is if we can give the juveniles avenues other than crime, the streets that they can look to, to forward their lives better, to be productive citizens and not only productive citizen but to be a perhaps a role model to other youths that are coming in.”
Another goal Langlinais wants to achieve is having a citizen’s academy. “I think there are a lot of people that don't understand exactly what law enforcement entails and I think a citizen's academy, would be to teach them what we do as law enforcement officers, to get them abreast of the new laws or any laws that might have changed. Or laws they might not even understand or even exist,” he said. “Teach them what we do during a traffic stop, and why we do it.”
He adds there will be a virtual training system that teaches the public what officers have to go through on a daily basis to make a split-second decision. “It's just an eye-opener but I think it would also be another avenue for the public to be able to voice their opinions or give law enforcement knowledge on what's going on on the outside world, too. But I think it's going to be a way to be able to bridge that gap between the public and law enforcement,” he said.
Now with a new leader comes a new staff. As the sheriff- elected bring in 40-plus years of experience. His senior staff all natives and residents of the parish brings another 125-plus years of experience to the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Langlinais said while Sheriff Mike Couvillon, served as a sheriff for 20 years and a deputy sheriff for 22 years he has done a tremendous job. “Him and his staff has brought the sheriff's office to the next level; the level where it's at now. Did a tremendous job. It's been a long time. Most of them have retired already within this last year and the last ones to retire are Sheriff Couvillon and his number two, Kirk Frith,” he explained.
Langlinais tells News 10 he will appoint Blair Dore as Chief Deputy who is respected within the law enforcement community and his dear friend since the seventh grade. Blair started his law enforcement career at the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office under Ray LeMaire. He also worked a long and successful career at the Lafayette City Police Department as the Commander of the Lafayette Police Department S.W.A.T. Team.
“I know that he would make the same decisions that I would if I were not present,” said the sheriff-elect.
Glenn Landry is being appointed as Patrol Captain. Mike Touchet as Captain of Investigations. Sammy LaPorte as Warden and Brooke Stelly as Captain of the Civil Division.
“I'm looking forward to making the decision. I've been sitting on the back burner and Sheriff Couvillon has been gracious. He's actually asked me a few times what I would want to do, and he's made a few changes for me, but not having to go through that process,” said Langlinais. “I want the pressure to be on my shoulders. This is what I signed up for. This is what the people voted for me for, and this is what I want to do. This is in my wheelhouse and this is the work I want to do.”
When asked if Langlinais would put in 20 years as Sheriff Couvillon.
He replied, “I'm 63 years old and I don't see myself at this point working into my eighties. Not that there's anything wrong with people in their eighties, but at some point not now. I'll still have a lot to go, but at some point, I'm going to be looking toward a permanent retirement for now, I'm going to be here as long as the people want me here.”
