Meet the candidates for Cameron Parish Sheriff

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Chris Savoie and Michael Hebert are eyeing the top job at the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office where both have served for years.

“What qualifies me for the job? I would say my 38 years of law enforcement on the local, state, and federal level. 13 years with the sheriff’s office in Cameron, 23 years with the Louisiana State Police serving on the joint terrorist task force. on the Internet Crimes Against Children task force,” Hebert said. “Just my knowledge and my involvement in every aspect of law enforcement.”

Savoie had a say in what made him qualified for the position as well.

“I’ve been with the sheriff’s office for 27 years. I started off in patrol, I worked in patrol for five years, I was in detectives for 11 years as a supervisor and I’ve also been chief deputy for the last 11 years,” he said. “I know what it takes to do the job, most importantly, I know what needs to be fixed at the sheriff’s office and what doesn’t need to be fixed.”

In addition to creating an interdiction team to aggressively keep narcotics off the streets, Savoie said community policing is crucial.

“We need to communicate better with the public on what the sheriff’s office does and getting out and having the deputies visit with the residents and seeing the concerns of the residents,” Savoie said.

On Hebert’s “to-do” list: tackling drug issues, holding dealers accountable, and creating transparency in the department.

“A lot of people talk about their disconnect with law enforcement. At a time where years ago they used to know the deputies patrolling their streets and they felt comfortable going to these deputies and talking to them. Now they don’t feel that it’s just different they don’t have that connection, without community involvement with the police I don’t think that your chances of being successful is that good,” Hebert said.

And both candidates hope to make lasting improvements in the department.

“It first starts with law enforcement, if law enforcement doesn’t do their job right prosecutors are not going to be successful in court so when it comes to case files we have to be a little bit more thorough, we got to make sure we got the proper documentation, we live in a digital world we have to make sure that we give the men and women the proper training to have that experience in forensic extractions and forensic investigations,” Hebert said.

“Creating a junior deputy program is something that I’m really interested in and think that needs to be done. I think we need to do a better job we need to do a better job of being involved in the community we serve. Elderly assistance programs, having a deputy assigned to go around and visit with the elderly people. I think that’s a big thing. Cameron Parish is a small parish population-wise. There is no reason we can’t do more to serve the community,” Savoie said.

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