SHERIFF HOPEFULS LIST PRIORITIES

Candidates running for sheriff of Tangipahoa Parish said one of their top
priorities upon taking office would be fighting the drug flow in and out of
the parish. Others said delivering good service and helping people would be
among one of the more important priorities and a thorough examination of
the budget would show exactly where tax dollars should be spent to make a
difference. Candidates Daniel Edwards, a former assistant district attorney
for the 21st Judicial District Court, Reserve State Trooper and Hammond
businessman Philip Monteleone, attorney Arden Wells, Ponchatoula Police
Chief Tim Gideon and long-time Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office law
enforcement officer Fred Falgout discussed their top priorities and how
they would achieve those priorities upon taking office. Candidate Joey
Piazza, an employee of the Tangipahoa Parish School System, didn't return
The Daily Star's telephone calls on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. "My top
priority is to deliver good service and help as many people as I can,"
Wells said Friday. "I've heard a lot of talk from the other candidates
about what they'll do and some of that can't happen with the budget they're
gonna get," Wells said. "I'm gonna clean out the criminal department ...
fire and replace most of them. Most of the civil division can stay," he
said. "My deputies will go out and protect life and property.

That will be the focus of my office." Wells said Edwards has said he plans
to fight drugs at the street level but Edwards hasn't said what that plan
is. "He'll be constricted by the same budget as Eddie Layrisson," Wells
said. "The one thing Eddie Layrisson did right was he helped the people."
Edwards said Saturday his first priority as sheriff would be to "tackle the
major drug problem that exists throughout the parish, from crack cocaine to
marijuana to crystal methamphetamines to oxycontin." "There are way too
many people addicted to drugs," Edwards said. "And consequently, everyone
is affected by drugs due to increased crime." "My plan to crack down on
drugs is multitiered because there is a direct correlation between drug
involvement and poor education.

We must continue to teach our school children the dangers of drugs.

We must use our entire department to work with all schools to stop truancy
and get absentee students back in school," he said. "I'll have our patrol
deputies begin patrolling by district in order to increase visibility in
every area of our parish and on every road," he said. "We'll arrest more
than street level dealers," Edwards said. "We'll make it a priority to
locate and arrest major drug dealers, the ones who import the drugs here
and profit from their sales. "We will work with the judicial system and the
district attorney to increase the jail time for all drug dealers which will
give street dealers incentive to turn in their bosses. "We will actively
pursue any and all property acquired by drug dealers through the illegal
drug trade," Edwards said. "Lastly," he said, "every complaint made by a
citizen about drug dealing going on in their neighborhood will be
investigated promptly and professionally." Falgout said he would
immediately work to gain and maintain the trust and confidence of the
public if he is elected sheriff. Some things would be handled
simultaneously, he said. "I would determine the assets and liabilities of
the departments through a complete audit," Falgout said, "and assess assets
according to needs. "I'd review all personnel files and make assessments
according to job, no matter what it may be. "I'd review all departmental
policy, practices and procedures and implement and enforce a code of
conduct and departmental regulations that all in the department must adhere
to," he said. "Personal conduct, on or off duty, courtesy and job
performance are paramount," he said. "Training in these areas may be needed
to restore public confidence and trust," Falgout said. "Finally, grants
will be sought to buy equipment and pay for training, and in most cases,
along with pay increases, an increase in officer morale is seen. "I'll
maintain an open door policy and give citizens full access to the
department. Gideon said Saturday his No. 1 priority upon taking office
would be to serve the people. "Public safety is where we'll start," Gideon
said. And because the public deserves a good sheriff's office, continuing
education and raising salaries of dedicated employees would be next.
Salaries for deputies must be increased, too, Gideon said. And although
response time is good, it can be better. "Beefing up the patrol division is
important.

And so is the narcotics division," he said. "Even the jailers need
continuing education." Monteleone said Saturday the first thing he'd do
upon being elected sheriff would be to set an administration in place so he
could concentrate on three major issues he sees plaguing the current
administration. Those issues are service, safety and accountability,
Monteleone said. "Response time should never exceed 10 minutes.

And I'd increase patrol presence.

There would be no more parked cars on duty. If the unit is visible, that
deputy is on duty, or he's headed home from duty." "I'll be out in my
uniform," Monteleone said. "With an accident pad and ticket book in my
unit, too. "We'll be proactive in problem areas and establish major
problems to be addressed," he said. "There will be zero tolerance for drug
arrests, and deputies will conduct criminal interdiction on the highways
and interstates. "We'll definitely work on the jail space problems," he
said. "There will be beds for our hardened criminals." Monteleone said he's
working on an air surveillance system which would be conducted with a
helicopter. The parish needs this in its fight on crime, drugs and safety.
It's his plan to identify Alzheimer's patients as well, he said, fitting
them with medical alert bracelets that can be monitored from a computer
chip in the event someone wanders off and must be located.