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When Sheriff Prator speaks, politicians should listen

PRENTISS SMITH

Contributing Columnist

Almost 40 years ago, when I was a young man and starting a family in Shreveport, there was an impressive young man working in law enforcement, and his name was Steve Prator. He had already been a police officer for 10 years and was building a reputation as a solid individual. In 1990, after starting at the street level, he had raised his profile enough until he was appointed chief of police for Shreveport by then-Mayor Hazel Beard. He was 39 years old and had been on the force for almost 20 years. He was the right man for the jo, and immediately started to put his mark on the force.

Sheriff Prator served in that capacity for almost a decade before deciding to run for Caddo Parish sheriff, replacing long-time Sheriff Don Hathaway, who had served in the position for 20 years. Sheriff Prator won with over 70% of the vote and has been overwhelmingly re-elected five times with over 70% of the vote every time. In 2011, he was elected with almost 80% of the vote. That means that he garnered a significant number of votes from Democrats and Independents, which says a lot about what citizens think of Sheriff Prator and his leadership of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department.

Over the subsequent years, Sheriff Prator has been an innovative leader, instituting processes that immediately saved the parish in excess of $3 million and served notice that it was not going to be business as usual under the new sheriff. He initiated a community-oriented policing and developed a network of volunteer programs that continue to have a positive effect on law enforcement in Shreveport and Caddo Parish. He developed a work-release program for inmates at the Caddo Correctional Center.

The point is that when you have a law enforcement official with almost 50 years of experience on the job and a reputation of being one of the top law enforcement officials in the state, his words matter. Over the years, I have not always agreed with some of Sheriff Prator’s methods, but most the time, I have agreed with him, and his recent op-ed is one that I am fully on board with. It is a must-read and should be something that all the politicians and citizens should read and take heed to.

One of the areas that is particularly prescient for the sheriff is his point about the Justice Reinvestment Act of 2017, which reduced sentences and allowed for early release of offenders. Many of the citizenry supported this legislation in the beginning, including me, but I agree with the sheriff, the program needs to be revisited. He says, and I agree, that “we need an impartial and critical study of the effects of the act, the cost savings and the early release of violent felons.” He goes on to say, “Once this impartial review is completed, we need legislation to fix the problems.”

Sheriff Prator has spent a lifetime in law enforcement, and he knows what he is talking about. He laid out 11 points in his op-ed, and they are all worth serious review and careful consideration. He is essentially calling for all hands on deck, which includes citizens, politicians and law enforcement. Violent crime in Shreveport threatens everything good that happens in Shreveport, and in the words of Sheriff Prator,” It’s time for each of us to work harder, demand more, vote wiser or else find a good realtor.” I concur. And that’s the way I see it. smithpren@aol.com