#Ascension parish sheriff department free#

“What’s your point?” Dunaway asked and other officers began gathering, one of whom was videoing the reporter. You’ve gotta learn you can’t be pushing people around like this.”

“It may not be usual,” he was told, “but you’d better start getting used to it because people are going to start doing this more and more often. “What law have I broken?”ĭunaway spoke for the first time then, saying, “I can tell you right now, this is not usual.” “What do I need an ID for?” he was asked. When the reporter attempted to get further clarification as to what was and what was not public property, Berkholz said, “I’m not gonna answer any more questions.” He then asked if the visitor had any identification. “Yes, that is a lawful order,” Berkholz replied, repeating his order – even though it was not by any means a “lawful order.” “Step off the property?” the reporter repeated. Berkholz on his uniform shirt, demanded that the reporter “step off the property” as another, J.B. There was no immediate explanation of why municipal police were guarding a parish sheriff’s office.

While initially met by only three officers of the Gonzales Police Department, their paranoia soon saw their number grow to about half-a-dozen fully uniformed officers demanding to know the reporter’s name and business – though he was under no legal obligation to provide any of that information since no laws had been broken. The undated video, taken from the vantage point of the reporter, was shot outside the office of Sheriff Bobby Webre in Gonzales and even though the reporter is obviously violating no law or ordinance, the presence of his camera apparently spooked officers who confronted him.

There’s this YouTube platform called We the People University operated by a former police officer and former deputy sheriff named Abiyah Israel, who sends crews out across the country to show how law enforcement officers routinely violate citizens’ rights by enforcing non-existent laws.

#Ascension parish sheriff department free#

(The only places where cameras are not allowed are the courtrooms themselves and the clerk of court’s office – clerks of court got themselves exempted a few years back from the public records law which allows the free copying of public records because they like to hit you for a dollar a page.)īut back to our story about the sheriff’s office. Never mind that the sheriff’s office, the accompanying grounds and sidewalks and the Ascension Parish Courthouse are all public property. In the law enforcement training-especially the training of young recruits new to the profession-it's enormously helpful to have a cadre of academy cadets who already possess a year or two of experience of emersion in the practice of policing.įormal youth programs-explorers, athletic league, summer internships, and others-can go a long way toward creating strong bonds between police and the community they serve.Įxplorers become advocates for the police, potentially explaining to family members and peers at school-who probably don't understand the first thing about the police profession-what they've learned about the law and its enforcement.Įxplorer programs require a considerable investment in both police officers' time and the city's money, but when one makes the argument that the return on that investment is an increase in the number of qualified-and interested-police recruits, the expenditure begins to look like a good idea.Īt the very least, the community is better served.Apparently, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office in Gonzales is a restricted area.Įspecially if you’re an unknown who happens to be carrying a camera. Importantly, individuals who have had exposure to law enforcement training in Explorer programs-because they develop police-related skills, and discover details about the profession from the inside out, well before any career decision must be made-become excellent trainees in an academy, and lifelong learners throughout a law enforcement career. Kids interested in the law enforcement profession are given a fantastic introduction to what policing is really all about-public safety and community service-as well as practical knowledge of the inner-workings of police work. However, efforts such as the one undertaken by the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office may be the most proven pathway toward increasing interest in young people to pursue training in the field of policing.Įxplorer and cadet programs run by police agencies have an enormous impact on young people and their family members. Still others are increasing the maximum age for new recruits. Some agencies have relaxed their hiring standards, especially with regard to educational levels, prior drug use, tattoos, and facial hair. Leaders of police departments of all size across the United States continue to struggle with the increasingly difficult problem of attracting the next generation of officers to fill the shoes of those who are leaving the profession in droves.