The Gubernatorial Primary is October 14, and early voting is already underway.
We've sent out questions to all of the candidates in some of Acadiana's hottest races, and we're posting the questions and each candidate's responses online so our viewers can get some information about the people who are asking for their vote.
We sent the questions to each candidate using the email address they provided to the Secretary of State when they qualified for the race. If we didn't hear back by the deadline we provided, we called them using the telephone number they provided to the Secretary of State when they qualified for the race.
If we receive any responses after this story is posted, we will update it when we do.
The position of Vermilion Parish Sheriff is open after current Sheriff Mike Couvillon announced he would not seek re-election. Running for the job are Lance Broussard, Eddie Langlinais and Preston Summers.
Here are the questions (in italics) we asked, followed by the full response received from each candidate:
LANCE BROUSSARD
Please give us a brief list of your qualifications for this job.
I have spent a productive career of more than 3 decades in the very department I am now asking to serve as Sheriff. My experiences, training and certifications are unparalleled in this election.
During my time at the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Department, I have worked many divisions: Correctional Officer, Patrol Deputy, Detective/K9 Officer, Uniformed Narcotics Interdiction Officer, D.A.R.E. Officer, Civil Division Captain, Search and Rescue Diver, and LA Firearms and Hunter Education Instructor.
I also worked with U.S. Customs Blue Lightning Taskforce:
- Marine and Aircraft Smuggling Taskforce
- Drug Interdiction Taskforce
I worked with Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Taskforce:
- Violent Crimes and Narcotics Task Force
- Hurricane Katrina/Rita Search and Rescue Response Team
- Protective Security Details (such as for the President of the United States and the Pope.)
I was also assigned as Natural and National Disaster Liaison for the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office.
I will focus on my unique experience and qualifications successfully dealing with the students of our parish as an important qualification at this important time.
Firearm certifications and trainings are important now to law enforcement and important to me to make a safer society.
Why do you want to be sheriff?
In office I can better give back as I have been giving back to my wonderful parish and community for 35 years.
Giving back premium law enforcement service to the community and security for the public are a focus for me.
I do believe I am the best qualified and dedicated to serve in public office, therefore I am a candidate for Sheriff.
Do you plan any major changes in the office if elected? If so, what would they be?
I will create a pay scale where you would be able to foresee how much money you could be making years in advance. I will also have separate pay scales for civilian employees and enforcement personnel.
I will create programs within the sheriff's office to build morale and help with cross-training amongst the divisions. I will utilize the divisions and the experienced personnel in those divisions to help train and refresh employees in particular fields.
I will have a process when it comes to handling complaints against employees. A concern that I have always had was that if a complaint against an employee is unfounded, it will not be placed in your personnel file as a derogatory mark against the employee. There will be protections and a process that will be strictly enforced when handling these complaints.
When the creation of policies takes place, they will be implemented and enforced. These policies will not change overnight or at the will of any particular administrator. If there is an emergency change to any policy
due to enforcement changes or law changes, there will be a process of doing so. There will be a yearly review of all policies to allow us to evolve with time.
When making decisions and policies, I will look to those who lead and work in those divisions before making anything final, especially when it may affect them. I believe in an efficient and productive environment. The job is stressful enough as it is, any decision and changes will be made with the division supervisor along with the input of the employees within that division.
When it comes to promotions there will be no favoritism that will take place. The position will be advertised. Instead of just putting names in for the position, there will be a dedicated process that will consist of putting in an application for the position.
The candidates will then be evaluated and there will be a process that will continue similar to applying for a job in general.
When it comes to politics, I will not hold a grudge against anyone who does not want to participate in politics. I will welcome anyone wanting to get involved, but I will not force or expect anyone to do anything they are uncomfortable with. All I will expect is for everyone to do their jobs effectively and to the best of their abilities.
I will have training for the supervision of the whole department.
Leadership is imperative for the vision that I have for the sheriff's office and all personnel. I will make sure every employee is treated fairly and professionally.
When dealing with the offenders:
I will have further training for the deputies that relate to the correctional atmosphere that reaches past the basic correctional academy.
I will implement offender programs to help them transition back to civilian life.
I will create programs at the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center that will be consistent for the offenders, and not just give public perception that these programs exist.
What do you believe to be the single greatest challenge facing Vermilion Parish Law Enforcement?
Crime in general is a problem in the parish, but what is most alarming is the age of the people committing the crimes. It appears that juveniles have lost a connection with their peers. A great number of these crimes being committed are felonies, including drug violations to homicides.
What are your specific plans to address the issues you see?
I will develop a plan to monitor the crime trends to do our best to be proactive in crime prevention. A connection needs to be established with our youth through the community by becoming more involved. We
need to show them that we all want a better, safer environment for everyone. This would be done by community policing and by gathering information from the public; hearing their concerns to be better able to understand what is taking place.
I would reconnect with the municipalities. By working together, we could assist one another, helping to attain any assistance they may need.
To be able to accomplish the above we will need staffing. I will create recruiting programs to attract candidates to work in Law Enforcement. I will also create a program for reserves, which would make them capable of riding with and helping the full time deputies.
EDDIE LANGLINAIS:
Please give us a brief list of your qualifications for this job.
Career Summary Almost 40 Years of Real Law Enforcement Experience:
Sheriff’s Office: My experience working and supervising for three different Sheriffs makes me the only candidate to understand the complex, multi-divisional office of today’s Sheriff’s office. Time spent in these Sheriff’s offices includes working the streets in patrol, supervising patrol shifts, and working as an investigator. In addition, I managed a criminal investigative division, worked/led special operations and task forces, and served as an administrator/advisor leading special assignments and operations in the different Sheriff’s offices in which I worked.
· 1981-1983 Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy and patrol sergeant.
· 1984-1991 Vermilion Parish Sheriff Office. Supervisor in Criminal Patrol with the newly elected Sheriff of Vermilion Parish, Ray LeMaire. My work as a supervisor in patrol helped to bring a welcome transition into a new era of law enforcement for Vermilion Parish.
· 2020-2022 I returned to my home agency (VPSO) accepting a position with the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Mike Couvillon to spearhead a new task force created to target violent felony crimes in Vermilion Parish. Effectively getting the new task force up and running, significant impacts were made on cases by utilizing my extensive background in assembling resources and efforts from the local, state, and federal levels of law enforcement. Therefore, successfully changing the pursuit of some cases by identifying those meeting federal prosecution requirements, providing prosecution of some violent or career criminals receiving stiffer sentences and resulting in being off the streets for longer periods.
Leading the effort to bring Crime Stoppers to Vermilion Parish, I was able to establish a very useful tool for soliciting valuable information to gain leads and solve crimes. Although I resigned from my recent service at the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office to pursue my campaign full-time to become your Sheriff, I remain the spokesperson for Crime Stoppers of Vermilion Parish simply because I truly believe in the program and see firsthand the difference it makes.
· 1991-2015 Deputy United States Marshal
United States Marshal Service: After a 3-year hiring process, in October of 1991, I was one of two people from Louisiana offered a position with the United States Marshals. I accepted the rare opportunity to serve at the highest level of law enforcement in our nation, the federal level. Although I knew it would be hard on myself and my family, taking us away from Vermilion Parish, I focused on the bigger picture. Accepting the position, I was reassured to know that the experience I would gain from a higher level of law enforcement would allow me to one day return home to utilize the valuable knowledge, education, and work experience to achieve my lifelong dream of becoming Sheriff of Vermilion Parish.
My 24-plus years with the United States Marshal Service allowed me the opportunity to rise to the ranks of supervisor and leadership roles providing me the chance to lead/supervise many operations leading to the apprehension of dangerous criminals nationwide, as well as in Vermilion Parish. As a Deputy United States Marshal, I worked on a fugitive task force that successfully targeted and arrested violent criminals including members of the most notorious gang in New Orleans history. My lengthy law enforcement service at the federal level enabled me to acquire a diverse and extensive portfolio of education, knowledge, skillsets, and significant contacts, all of which are valuable assets in my plans to transition the Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office into the future.
Why do you want to be sheriff?
Electing the next Sheriff of Vermilion Parish will shape law enforcement for years to come. Think about how important that statement is. Vermilion Parish is not immune to big city crime; it always finds its way down south. We are not alone in the challenges we face. Like many other parishes, we are at a critical time in public safety:
- When deadly illegal drugs are at the top of the list and are threatening the safety of our streets and the safety of our loved ones,
- When the safety of our children at school remains threatened by intruders,
- When murders on the streets of our largest city continue to make the front page, and
- When juvenile crime and the need to detain them are at all-time highs.
Whenever the safety of our Parish and our loved ones is being threatened by criminal activity, we must unite as citizens and elect the person we believe is best qualified, most experienced, and most likely to develop and implement new and successful programs, policies, procedures, and operations that will impact criminal activity and change the course.
The job of Sheriff has no place for the politician, good ole boy, or popularity. This is serious business that calls for serious decisions and offers no second chance to get it right. It is important that voters elect the most qualified and capable lawman.
For the last 40 years, I have prepared myself for this very important job. Although my 40-year career in law enforcement encompasses many different positions, at many different levels and includes serving at the highest level in the nation, my roots started at the local level as a deputy sheriff. From the very beginning, I always knew that I would one day run for Sheriff of Vermilion Parish. I understood that to offer a HIGHER LEVEL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT to Vermilion Parish, I had to further my education, knowledge, and experience. The path I chose to prepare myself for the job of Sheriff was a long and difficult one with many sacrifices, but it was one that would enable me to separate myself from the other candidates when the time came by being the most qualified person to ever run for Sheriff in Vermilion Parish.
Those who know me well can tell you that I give 100 percent effort, 100 percent of the time, whenever I commit to anything. I committed to you, and I have walked this entire Parish to hear and listen to your concerns and ideas. For my entire adult life, I have prepared myself and I am ready. I am asking the voters to entrust me with the huge responsibility of being accountable for public safety in Vermilion Parish.
I humbly ask the voters to stand proud and firm with me on my plans for a safer Vermilion Parish. I humbly ask for your vote to serve as your next Sheriff.
What do you believe to be the single greatest challenge facing Vermilion Parish law enforcement?
- Illegal and deadly drugs in our communities, on our streets and around our schools.
- Continued Shootings And Crimes Of Violence In Abbeville
- Increasing Serious Felony Juvenile Crime.
- Criminal Activity Being Driven By The Use Of Illegal Drugs.
What are your specific plans to address the issues you see?
Illegal and deadly drugs
I have walked this entire Parish and I have heard and listened to the concerns, fears, and wishes for better public safety. Law enforcement in general continues to face the same challenges regardless of the agency’s map location and most of the time there is a common thread that continues to be the underlying cause associated with criminal activity.
Illegal drugs are poisoning our communities and hurting our families. The use of illegal drugs is often the root of many other crimes that can range from petty thefts all the way up to murders.
- We must target the traffickers that bring this poison into our parish and the dealers that put it on our streets. My plan calls for an aggressive investment into new technology that will track the movement of these illegal drugs and those who deal it. I will fight this fight unlike ever before. My message to these traffickers and dealers is simple but very clear: STAY OUT OF VERMILION PARISH … OR GO TO JAIL.
- I will invest in a multi-year capital outlay program to build a Real Time Crime Center that over time will accumulate criminal activity data coupled with a continued build-out of LPR and stationary camera systems as a valuable resource and tool for monitoring criminal activity, tracking known criminals (illegal drug traffickers and dealers) and solving crimes.
- We must do more than just teach our 5th graders to say no to drugs. As good as the DARE program may be, it is simply NOT enough. The old saying … “If we do the same thing over and over, we can expect the same results every time” applies here. My plan calls for more education provided in the higher grades that teaches teenagers about making good life choices versus the lifelong consequences of making bad ones while guiding them toward career development and real-life opportunities.
Improve Recruiting and Hiring
Law enforcement is currently facing problems attracting and recruiting people to become police officers. We must be able to hire and retain young people in this profession, otherwise, it becomes impossible to build a committed and capable agency to provide for long-term public safety. This problem is being driven by limited labor markets, but it has also been driven by negative publicity caused by bad police officers in other agencies and other jurisdictions.
- We must change this perception. My plan calls for an aggressive recruiting program that targets high schools, community events, and an annual job fair to showcase what the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office has to offer in the way of rewarding and promising long-term careers.
- Implement a 30-year long-term compensation and benefit level schedule with performance-based incentive programs that reward exceptional performance and stifle poor performance. We must be able to retain good men and women to serve at their highest potential possible if we are to serve public safety to the best of our abilities and meet the public’s highest expectations.
Improve patrol visibility and response times.
Vermilion parish is a very large parish in both land and water mass. The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office divisional offices are all located in Abbeville, a far distance for those in the outer lying areas that can create some degree of isolation.
- My plan calls for creating substations in these far-reaching areas that offer our residents a closer place to go to speak to a deputy when an office-type setting is needed. One possibility is to use some of our schools and even private sector businesses that have the means and space to offer this type of service. I believe in as much deputy presence in and around our schools as possible.
- Through a process of attrition and agency restructuring, my plan calls for increased patrol and narcotic enforcement.
School Safety
Unfortunately, in today’s world, the threat of an active shooter in our school will remain real. As a parent and grandparent, I share your concern for school safety. The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office has a very active and successful program to mitigate this threat by maintaining a fully capable SWAT team, an aggressive deputy response training program, and fully engaged in working directly with our schools’ leaders to help educate and facilitate lockdown drills as a preventive and reactive measure.
- My plan calls for continued active training programs for deputy response on an active shooter incident along with providing continued education for school employees and faculties.
- Committed and active push for funding to provide a School Resource Officer (SRO) in all our schools. To help mitigate the threat of an active shooter in our schools, we must have tactically trained deputies. And, although an SRO is not the total answer to mitigate the active shooter threat, it is a start. The SRO in the schools also provides a daily deterrence to student conflict and helps teachers and faculty manage it.
- Advocate for federal and state funding for school boards to renovate campuses to help keep intruders out. Perimeter fencing and double sallyports with single entry and exit gates controlled through monitored camera systems can provide safer schools, but the price tag is enormous. As leaders in the community, we must unite and stand firmly in favor of finding solutions to better secure our schools and protect our children while at school.
Services To The Public
My plan calls for increasing programs and services to the public.
- Conceal Handgun Range Training Program
- Youth Hunter Safety Programs
- Educational Youth Programs
- Expanding Litter Abatement
- Continue The TRAID Program
- Implement Quarterly Community Awareness Meetings
- Implement An Annual Citizen Academy
- Offer Jail Tours For Youth Programs
Do you plan any major changes in the office if elected? If so, what would they be?
If elected, I will use 6 months prior to taking office on July 01, 2024, to complete an in-depth transition. My plan will evaluate every service within the office of Sheriff and find ways to improve services while also eliminating waste by identifying redundancy or consolidating services.
I will also evaluate the budget for the last 3 years to identify trending issues related to expenses versus revenues. I believe the current administration has done a remarkable job in managing funding and expenses. However, in my experience managing divisions, there is always room for improvement by identifying waste and streamlining services and expenses.
There are so many talented and capable men and women working at the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, it would be foolish not to take advantage of their experience. I want to dismiss the political rumors being floated around about the firing of deputies over political choices. My plan calls for requiring every deputy wanting to continue their careers and service at the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, to submit an employment application for review. I will place people in positions according to their resumes and experience, taking advantage of their strengths as it relates to public safety needs.
The employees are in need of positive changes that could help them with future planning. I would like to create a standardized pay plan similar to the federal government's general schedule (GS) pay scale, where an employee can project their future pay as far as 30 years away. Anticipating their pay would allow them to set long-term financial goals.
I will also create multiple review boards with peers as board members. These boards will consist of but not be limited to, an Accident Review Board, a Critical Incident Review Board, a Policy Review Board, and a Promotional Review Board. This would allow employees to have input and allow me to hear new ideas that could possibly boost morale within the ranks.
I guarantee you that there will be significant and noticeable change if I am elected Sheriff... I will hit the ground running and the employees and the public will see it. But, more importantly, criminals will see it, know it, and fear it.
PRESTON SUMMERS:
Please give us a brief list of your qualifications for this job.
I believe I am well qualified to serve as your Sheriff based on the following:
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1994.
- One year at the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Business pursuing a master’s degree in public administration.
- Louisiana State Trooper from 1995 to 2022- During my 27-year career, I was awarded numerous service awards and letters of commendation.
- Patrolled the roads of Vermilion and the surrounding parishes as a State Trooper.
- Served as an investigator in the State Bureau of Investigations gaining valuable investigative training and experience.
- I worked with local law enforcement on countless investigations of incidents involving explosives, chemicals, and clandestine drug labs.
- Served as a hazardous materials and explosives technician. I earned numerous certifications in the field of hazardous materials, explosives, weapons of mass destruction, and industrial chemical remediation.
- Certified trainer in hazardous materials, explosives, and weapons of mass destruction recognition and response. I shared my training and experience with members of local police and fire departments across Louisiana as a certified instructor in these fields.
- I was commissioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Marshal for cross jurisdictional functionality as a bomb technician.
- In 2022, I retired from state police service as the Technician Supervisor for the Emergency Services Unit Region II encompassing the southwestern portion of the state.
- I currently work as the Security Manager and serve in the USCG designated role of Facility Security Officer for a liquefied natural gas producer. My responsibilities include managing 30 security personnel and maintaining compliance with multiple federal regulatory agencies.
- I have never worked for the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office. Therefore, I have the greatest opportunity to bring change and improvement to the department. I want to create the most rewarding environment for deputies who want to work hard to help me fulfill my promise of reducing criminal activity in our parish.
Why do you want to be sheriff?
I’m running for Sheriff because I know that I must get involved to ensure the freedoms that we have enjoyed as Americans are preserved for our children and future generations. The platform of my campaign is Freedom First because freedom of the law-abiding citizens will always be the priority of the Sheriff Summers’ administration. I will enforce the law on the criminals who break the law; I will never attempt to enforce mandates or the will of government officials on the free law-abiding citizens of our community. That’s my promise to the citizens of Vermilion parish. I want to reverse the trend of increasing crime in our home community. My family has 5 generations of deep roots in Vermilion parish. I will do everything I can to protect the Vermilion parish lifestyle for the future of my family and yours.
What do you believe to be the single greatest challenge facing Vermilion Parish law enforcement?
The high crime rate is the greatest challenge facing the law-abiding citizens of Vermilion parish. Citizens have the right to feel safe in their homes. For businesses to come to Vermilion parish and improve the job market and economic viability of our communities, we must lower the crime rate. Some of the municipalities in Vermilion parish are utilizing curfews to curtail criminal activity. Law enforcement should deter criminals not the measures reserved for emergencies that restrict the freedom of the law-abiding citizens.
What are your specific plans to address the issues you see?
I will prioritize law enforcement presence in the high crime areas by identifying opportunities for efficiency and reallocating the resources to patrol officers. The most basic function of law enforcement is to deter crime with a presence in the community and arrest the perpetrators of the crimes observed.
I will communicate and coordinate with the local police chiefs and state law enforcement resources to provide the law enforcement presence needed to curtail criminal activity in our parish. Due to a lack of resources, criminals are allowed to loiter in the streets brandishing weapons and openly engage in drug deals without enough concern of being detected. With law enforcement resources united across multiple agencies, Vermilion parish can apply enough pressure to criminal activity to stop it or displace it from our parish.
Do you plan any major changes in the office if elected? If so, what would they be?
I plan to use creative incentives and performance appraisals to achieve results. The performance of all deputies will be analyzed annually against a list of key performance indicators tailored to law enforcement duties. I will implement a merit system so that those who are working harder than others will realize greater rewards. This will create a challenging and rewarding working environment and yield better law enforcement service to the citizens of Vermilion parish. In summary, those who help me achieve my goals of reducing crime in Vermilion parish by completing thorough investigations and making arrest, will have a more rewarding career path than those who do not. My goal is to provide law enforcement service to you and your family as though you were a member of our family.
Finally, I will have a School Resource Officer in every school in Vermilion parish. The safety of our children must be a priority. I believe there is opportunity to secure more grant money for this expense based on the crime rate in Vermilion parish. I will work with the school board to pursue this goal and identify funding for this purpose.
