Nov 30, 2010 - Families are invited to line the streets for the annual St. Bernard Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. to get a glance at Santa and Mrs. Claus, whose float will be surrounded by elves who will gather children’s letters to Santa. Anyone who includes a return address will receive a letter from Santa before Christmas.
This year’s Christmas Parade, organized by the Celebrate St. Bernard Committee and the St. Bernard Tourist Commission, will have 26 units and seven floats culminating with the one holding Santa and Mrs. Claus.
McGruff the Crime Dog from the Sheriff’s Office and the sheriff’s motorcycle division will also take part in the parade.
The parade promises to be much larger than last year’s, which was the first since Hurricane Katrina. The procession will begin at Chalmette High School and travel west along Judge Perez Drive where it will end at Jean Lafitte Parkway.
The Torres Park Community Playground will be the setting for an after-parade party featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras. The Party in the Park will include community caroling, free hot chocolate, cookies and crafts.
The parade will include bands from Chalmette High School and Andrew Jackson, Trist and St. Bernard middle schools. In addition to the bands, other kid-friendly entertainment and units include several storybook characters as well as McGruff of the Sheriff’s Office, Sparky from the Fire Department, Zephyr’s Boudreaux, Ronald McDonald, the Shriners and the Clownettes. Look for a special appearance by The Grinch. Other parade staples will include the St. Bernard Riding Group, the Gulf Coast Trolley, the Jackson Barracks Unit, the OEP Vehicle, Acadian Ambulance, an Entergy Truck and the Sheriff’s Office motorcycle unit. The Chalmette High School ambassadors will fill in as Santa’s elves for the parade walking alongside the float for the route.
The parade is being supported by many generous sponsors, most of whom are sponsoring the floats at $1,000 a piece:
Parish President Craig P. Taffaro, Jr. is sponsoring two floats for parish employees who have been recognized as outstanding employees.
Other sponsored activities include: 

• Chalmette Refining and ExxonMobil Pipeline Company (EMPCo) is paying for decorations and defraying costs associated with the Santa & Mrs. Claus float.
• Schools Superintendent Doris Voitier is sponsoring a float for school system principals.
• The Chalmette High School Chorus will perform on a float sponsored by The Meraux Foundation.
• The Knights of Columbus Rummel Council 5747 is sponsoring with Louisiana Crawfish Festival proceeds a float carrying all of the parish’s festival queens.

Domino Sugar is sponsoring the Celebrate St. Bernard float.
 
Families are invited to the after-parade party where Santa will greet children in his sleigh. In addition to Santa, the Party at the Playground will include several free activities all sponsored by the generosity of citizens, civic and neighborhood groups and businesses as well, including a special donation by Murphy Oil USA to pay for 16 cypress trees just planted near the Community Playground for school children to decorate annually for Christmas. Community Christmas Caroling will be led by Trist Middle School Chorus Director Peggy Wegener. Other activities at the after-parade party will include: 

• Music sound system donated by deejay David Quarterman.
• Caroling songbooks donated by Prudential Gardner and candles donated by the Rotary Club.
• Cookie-Decorating donated by Gulf Coast and Trist Cooking Club.
• Ornament Craft Making activity donated by Versailles Plantation Neighborhood Association.
• Reindeer Food Activity donated by Chalmette Vista Neighborhood Association.
• Sun catchers activity donated by Families Helping Families.
• Hot chocolate donated by Kiwanis Club of St. Bernard-Arabi.
• Water sold for $1 each by Kiwanis.
• Pizza sold for $1 per slice by Tourist Commission.
• Community Christmas Tree decorated by the Parks and Parkways Commission.
• Craft Tent provided by Emile Pellittieri
• Celebrate St. Bernard Basket Raffle sponsored by the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce.
• Christmas parade t-shirts for sale at the event for $7 each or two for $12 with festive candy canes in the shape of a fleur de lis providing our message to "Celebrate St. Bernard."
• Lexington Place Civic Corp. and Rediscover District C are both making cash donations to the celebration.

St. Bernard Parish Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann, left, and Capt. Walter Dornan, head of the sheriff’s Traffic Division, flank one of the signs posted in St. Bernard Parish announcing the free Holiday Ride Home program, which runs through Jan. 2. The aim is to discourage drinking-and-driving. STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTO.

Nov 30, 2010 - It’s really an easy choice for a St. Bernard Parish resident who has been drinking during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday season, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

“Either call the Sheriff’s Office and take advantage of our free Holiday Ride Home program or risk going to jail for driving while intoxicated,’’ Pohlmann said.

“We don’t want to have to arrest anyone and we sure don’t want anyone injuring others or themselves by driving drunk, so we urge parish residents to take the free ride home,’’ Pohlmann said. “To do otherwise is not worth the risk.’’

He said just call the Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 and a sheriff’s deputy will pick you up and take you home, no questions asked. Non-residents who have been drinking in the parish can call and get a ride to a sheriff’s sub-station and make arrangements to be picked up there.

“We will take a resident home from wherever they are in the parish - a party or a bar, etc., but they must stay home and we will not take anyone to a separate party or another bar,’’ Pohlmann said.

For the 27th straight year the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office is offering the free service at holiday time to help remove any temptation of trying to drive home after drinking, risking the lives of other motorists.

The ride home program began at Thanksgiving and runs through Jan. 2. Signs have been placed at the entrances of the parish to remind motorists they can call for a ride and to never drive drunk.

Sheriff Jack A. Stephens started the program in 1984 and is the oldest of its type in the New Orleans area.

Roughly 20 people a year take advantage of the offer, Pohlmann said.

“We are proud of the Holiday Ride Home program,’’ Pohlmann said. “And why not? It was innovative when it was started and it shows we don’t want anyone injured by impaired drivers.’’

It’s hard to determine the impact the ride home program has on the number of people who drive despite drinking, Pohlmann said. “But we do our best to let people know of the free service and make sure we patrol vigorously looking for anyone who is driving drunk or on drugs.’’

The Sheriff’s Office will be working in conjunction with State Police to battle drunk-driving and checkpoints will be set up to specifically look for impaired drivers, according to Capt. Walter Dornan, head of the Traffic Division for the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office.

Kendell Collins,30, of Chalmette, main figure arrested in the drug seizure

Nov 24, 2010 - In one of the largest heroin arrests ever made in St. Bernard Parish, nearly three ounces worth up to $50,000 was seized in a Chalmette home and two men and a woman were arrested, Sheriff Jack A. Stephens said.

The sheriff said an investigation concluded the main person, Kendell Collins, 30, 321 E. Magnolia St., had been dealing drugs in other parishes while living in Chalmette. Along with the heroin, about three grams of cocaine was seized and a small amount of marijuana.

Also arrested was Courtney Barton, 26, who lived with Collins, and Collins’ brother, Brent Collins, 21, of New Orleans.

Both Collins brothers and Barton were booked with possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The younger Collins was also booked with possession of  marijuana.

The arrests and seizure of the drugs were revealed after Kendell Collins was arrested in Chalmette on Tuesday, Nov. 23, on warrants issued by a judge. The other two were arrested on Nov. 14 when they were at the house at 321 E. Magnolia when sheriff’s patrol deputies, commanded by Maj. Mark Poche, and agents from the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division, commanded by Col. Chad Clark conducted a search.

The three ounces of heroin, contained in two large plastic bags, would have been enough for more than 1,500 units of heroin on the streets and is one of the largest amounts of heroin seized in a St. Bernard Parish arrest. The cocaine had an estimated street value of $300.    .

The marijuana was a personal amount held by the younger Collins.

Bond of $150,000 was set Wednesday, Nov. 24 for Kendell Collins, who is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison.

Barton has been released on bond of $60,000 while Brent Collins has been released on $75,000 bond
 

Nov 24, 2010 - The The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, in accordance with Louisiana law, has mailed the 2010 Property Tax notices via U.S. mail to parish property owners and the taxes must be paid by Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, to avoid any additional penalties and interest.

These notices were mailed to the address on file as provided to the St. Bernard Parish Tax Assessor’s Office. Property owners should have received these notices by now.

If anyone receives a Tax Notice for property they no longer own, please notify the sheriff’s Civil Tax Office at 504-271-2504 during regular business hours – Monday through Thursday – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.

If a property owner has moved and doesn’t receive their 2010 Tax Bill, they need to call both the Sheriff’s Office to give their new mailing address so the tax bill can be sent to them and they must call or visit the St. Bernard Tax Assessor’s Office in the temporary parish Courthouse Building on West Judge Drive in Chalmette to give the permanent address change.

The Tax Assessor’s number is 504-279-6379.

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office only maintains the address change for the current mailing. The Assessor’s Office keeps the permanent address.

Property Taxes become delinquent on Dec. 31, 2010, for the tax year 2010. Interest will be charged at the rate of 1% per month or any portion thereof, under Louisiana R.S. 47:2101.

The Sheriff’s Civil Tax Office is located at 8301 West Judge Perez Drive at Jean Lafitte Parkway, in the Sidney Torres/Regions Bank building. The office is on the first floor of the building, with an entrance facing Jean Lafitte Parkway.

The office will close Thursday and Friday, Nov. 25-26 for the Thanksgiving holiday, on Friday, Dec. 24 and Monday Dec. 27 for the Christmas holiday and close at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31.

Debby Rosenberger, in foreground, led effort to form new neighborhood watch group in Buccaneer Villa South in Chalmette.

Nov 21, 2010 - As residents of the Buccaneer Villa South area in Chalmette met to form a Neighborhood Watch group, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann asked them to serve as “eyes on the streets’’ for the Sheriff’s Office by helping to look for suspicious activity and reporting it in a timely manner.

“You know your neighborhood,’’ he told more than 20 people who gathered for the first meeting of the Buccaneer South group, which had been called together by area resident Debby Rosenberger. “People are back’’ in their homes in St. Bernard Parish and “are concerned about quality of life. You can do something about that,’’ Pohlmann said.

He asked residents to “pay attention in their area and if you see something that doesn’t seem right make a timely call to the Sheriff’s Office’’ at (504) 271-2501. Not only can you prevent a crime, Pohlmann said, but may help put away a criminal who could return to make your home or vehicle their next target.

He promised quick response time by sheriff’s deputies if someone reports something wrong. “It’s something we pride ourselves on,’’ Pohlmann said.

He also encouraged others in the parish to join the growing number of Neighborhood Watch groups forming in St. Bernard. Call Capt. Borchers, crime prevention director for the Sheriff’s Office, at (504) 278-7628.

Debby Rosenberger, who lives on Jean Lafitte Parkway in Buccaneer South, put out fliers to announce the formation of the Neighborhood Watch group and she can be reached at 494-1184 or at drosenberger00@gmail.com.

She said she has lived in Buccaneer South since before Hurricane Katrina “and I like the neighborhood and know what it was before the storm and what it can be again.’’

Rosenberger said she encourages others to call or email her to get involved in the Neighborhood Watch group. She said she also wants to form a neighborhood association to further help bring back the area.

“We have all put every cent of our money into our homes to get back and we want to protect them,’’ she said. “We can look out for another and have a good neighborhood.’’
 
Borchers told the group they have to work together and told the story
of a St. Bernard Parish man who in 2009 noticed a pickup truck, pulling a trailer with lawn equipment on it, park at an abandoned house down the street from his residence. One person got out and began cutting a small patch of grass on the front lawn and the other man went behind the abandoned house.

But the resident soon noticed the guy kept cutting the same patch of grass over and over for some time and decided what he saw didn’t add up. He called the Sheriff’s Office to report it.

When deputies arrived, Borchers said, it turned out the grass-cutter was the look-out for his partner “who was cutting copper inside the house’’ that they intended to steal and sell as scrap.
It’s an illustration of how someone who lives in an area can notice more than a passing sheriff’s deputy in a patrol car, Borchers said.

If someone calls the Sheriff’s Office about a suspicious person they should get as much information as possible while watching from a safe distance, Borchers said.

“What does the guy or guys look like?’’ Borchers said. “What are they wearing? Are they on foot, driving a vehicle or what? Describe the vehicle.’’ Such detail, he said, will make it easier for deputies to find and question suspects.

Nov 21, 2010 - With kids in one hand, bags in the other, people shopping during the heightened excitement and stress of the upcoming holiday activities can be inviting targets for criminals and they should remember to pay attention to their surroundings in and outside of stores, St. Bernard Parish Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

He also reminded parents to be cautious about their children’s activities in holiday school breaks.

Pohlmann said whether St. Bernard residents are in the parish or elsewhere during the holidays as they shop for gifts or visit others, they should take precautions to avoid becoming a victim of theft or robbery as they go about their activities.

“It’s possible someone may be watching to take advantage of people distracted while busily rushing from place to place,’’ Pohlmann said.

“Holidays are a time when people often are on the go and could let their guard down,’’ Pohlmann said. “Just remember to follow some common sense safety tips to reduce the chances of anything going wrong.’’

Here are some tips for having a safe holiday time, Pohlmann said:
.
► People should always pay attention to where they park while shopping and, at night, park only in areas that are well-lit, and then lock all doors. Once inside a store, men should protect their wallets from pickpockets and women should remember not to leave their purses unattended in shopping carts. Always keep purses closed in crowds and don’t set them down on counters or floors where someone could remove items.

► Always escort children to a restroom because minors could be photographed, molested or even abducted if left alone in public restrooms. If shopping in a large store or mall establish a meeting place in case parents and children become separated. If possible, all parties should have cell phones to contact one another. Tell children in advance that if you become separated from them they should go only to a store clerk or security officer for help, and not to a stranger who doesn’t work in the store.

► Pohlmann said when leaving a store for a vehicle, scan the parking lot for any suspicious activities or people standing in a group in one area or sitting in a vehicle watching patrons leave. If it’s dark and you feel uncomfortable, ask a store security officer to escort you. If walking alone, leave from a door nearest your parked vehicle, have your vehicle keys in hand and, once inside, lock the doors before leaving your parking space.

Pohlmann also said when children are out of school for holiday breaks, parents need to be proactive and ask where they will be and establish times for checking in. Cell phones are the best method of directly checking in with teen-age minors who are away from their parents but if they are going to another teen-ager’s home parents should insist on knowing the telephone number of an adult who will be there, Pohlmann said.

Nov 20, 2010 - A Mississippi man whose body was found near his boat in St. Bernard Parish waters Nov. 14 died of natural causes, a preliminary autopsy report found, according to the coroner’s office.

David McAdory, 63, of Madison, Miss., was found by officials of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries after he was reported missing. His body was submerged in water off Martin’s Island in Chandeleur Sound, near his 19-foot boat that was located near an oil rig.

St. Bernard Coroner Dr. Bryan Bertucci said a preliminary autopsy report concluded McAdory didn’t drown, bur rather died of a possible heart problem.

Nov 18, 2010 - A New Orleans man was arrested Nov. 17 on a felony charge in connection with the beating of a 51-year-old Arabi man who was hospitalized with head and chest injuries, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Benjamin Foster, 42, no address available, was booked with aggravated second-degree battery in the beating of a man who was found at a home in Arabi. Foster was being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $17,500.

The victim, whose name hasn’t been released, apparently was hit and kicked to the head and chest and was taken for treatment to University Hospital in New Orleans, Pohlmann said. There wasn’t any information available on his condition.

Sheriff’s deputies were called early Wednesday morning, Nov. 17, to a location on Lebeau Street in Arabi, where Foster told them he had defended himself when he was being sexually assaulted by the other man.

The injured man was found at his residence in Arabi and was taken to the hospital.

An investigation by sheriff’s detectives determined the accusation of a sexual assault wasn’t credible and Foster was arrested for the beating, Pohlmann said.

Nov 18, 2010 - All administrative and civil divisions of the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, including tax and traffic fine collection offices, will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 25, and Friday, Nov. 26.

Offices will re-open on Monday, Nov. 29.

Emergency phone numbers, including 911 and 271-2501, will be staffed as normal.

Nov 14, 2010 - The body of a missing boater from Mississippi was found in St. Bernard Parish waters Sunday morning, Nov. 14, by officials of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy.

The body of David McAdory, 63, of Madison, Miss., which is near Jackson, was found submerged in water off St. Martin’s Island in Chandeleur Sound just before noon, near his 19-foot boat that was located near an oil rig.

St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s detectives, who took possession of the man’s body, said there weren’t any signs of foul play aboard the boat, where the man’s wallet was also recovered, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said. The body didn’t have a flotation device but one was found in the boat.

McAdory had gone out on Friday, Nov. 12, launching from a site in Mississippi near the Louisiana state line, and he was later reported missing.

Pohlmann said the body was turned over to the Orleans Parish Coroner’s office for autopsy to determine a cause of death.

Harvey E. Perry, arrested in St. Bernard Parish after compliance check by Sheriff’s Office found he wasn’t living where he claimed

Nov 12, 2010 - A compliance check by the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office on all registered sex offenders in the parish has led to the felony arrest of a man who falsified his address and no longer resided where he claimed, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Harvey Eugene Perry, 51, last known address of 7004 St. Claude Ave.  Arabi, provided false information about his address on three occasions this year, Pohlmann said. He was arrested on a warrant charging him with failure to give notification of change of address and providing false information during registration as a sex offender, Pohlmann said.

Perry, who moved in May 2008 to St. Bernard Parish from Kansas - where in 1997 he was convicted of aggravated indecent liberties with a child - is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of $25,000 bond.

If convicted, Perry could face up 10 years in prison.

Pohlmann said, “By law we have the right to know where every registered sex offender is living in this parish and if they change addresses must notify the Sheriff’s Office within 3 days. If they don’t do that, when we learn of it we apply for an arrest warrant from a judge and start looking for them.’’

Pohlmann said sheriff’s detectives did compliance checks on all registered sex offenders in St. Bernard Parish just before Halloween as part of efforts to make sure they complied with state laws that say they can’t give out candy or gifts to anyone under 18 at Halloween or other holidays associated with such gift-giving.

Detectives learned Perry hadn’t lived at the address he gave the Sheriff’s Office since he was asked to leave there in January 2010, Pohlmann said. By law, he should have reported the change to authorities within 3 days.

Perry was also required to return to the Sheriff’s Office every 3 months to provide current information about himself and on those occasions in March, June and September of this year he knowingly provided the false old address as his current residence, Pohlmann said.

Detective Capt. Mark Jackson developed information on where Perry might be found and arrested him the night of Oct. 27. He had been living at a different address in Arabi.

Nov 10, 2010 - A Meraux man and two male juveniles from New Orleans were booked with armed robbery of a Violet man on Tuesday, Nov. 9 and a gun and 13 small bags of marijuana were seized in what may have been by  triggered by a prior incident, St. Bernard Parish authorities said.

Ronald Joseph, 24, 1901 Tusa Drive, Apt. B, and two 16-year-old boys from New Orleans were arrested by an agent of the Sheriff’s Street Crimes Unit within minutes of the 4:30 p.m. robbery in the 2900 block of Daniel Drive. Joseph is being held in lieu of $75,000 bond set by a judge on Wednesday and the teen-agers are being held in the parish Juvenile Detention Center in lieu of $45,000 bonds each.

Street Crimes, part of the Special Investigations Division commanded by Col. Chad Clark, stopped a car matching the description of the robbers. The three were held until the victim identified the teen-agers inside as the ones who he said pulled two guns on him on Daniel Drive, stole his wallet, and fled to a waiting auto.

A semi-automatic pistol and five bags of marijuana were found in the vehicle and nine other bags of marijuana were located on one of the juveniles

Neither a second gun nor a wallet were found, authorities said.

As well as armed robbery, all three were booked with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and on gun charges.

An investigation is continuing by sheriff’s detectives, commanded by Col. John Doran.

They are looking into reports that a prior incident between some of the people involved may have led to the robbery.

Michael Engolia, 56

Nov 9, 2010 - A Chalmette man sought on a warrant alleging he forcibly raped a teen-ager multiple times over a period of several months this year surrendered to authorities on Sunday, Nov. 7, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Michael Engolia, 56, is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison and no bond has been set in his case, Pohlmann said.

Sheriff’s detectives obtained a warrant for his arrest from a judge after an investigation and were intently looking for Engolia, who obviously heard from relatives or friends that he was wanted, Pohlmann said.

Engolia called authorities and surrendered to a sheriff’s detective at his home on Nov. 7.

Engolia raped a teen-ager multiple times between June and October of this year, Pohlmann said, but the woman, who knew him and feared for her life, didn’t report the attacks to authorities, but rather confided them to a member of her church who notified the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s detectives then began an investigation.

Nov 8, 2010 - St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s detectives captured a New Orleans man wanted for three armed robberies of convenience stores in California when he tried to visit a Chalmette woman on Monday, Nov. 8 and created a disturbance, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Dennis Eugene Harris, 45, who served prison time for an armed robbery in New Orleans in the 1980s and also was wanted for robberies in Sacramento, Calif., committed several months ago, was arrested by St. Bernard Chief of Detectives Col. John Doran several hours after a disturbance call at a woman’s home on Phillip Court in Chalmette.

Pohlmann said, “Quickly arresting this robber probably prevented a crime being committed in St. Bernard. A man on the run would be desperate and there would be every possibility he would commit another crime to get money to get away.

Pohlmann said the woman, who formerly had a relationship with Harris in New Orleans and California, said he showed up at her residence unexpectedly Monday morning, then she called the Sheriff’s Office after she told him to leave.

Detectives learned Harris was wanted on three arrest warrants out of Sacramento from robberies last summer and were looking around for him in the area near the disturbance when Doran saw a man resembling Harris’ photo walking near De La Ronde Drive and Patricia Street in Chalmette. Doran arrested Harris without incident.

Pohlmann said authorities in California said they will move to extradite Harris on the three armed robbery charges. He is being held as a fugitive in St. Bernard Parish Prison pending further action by Sacramento officers.

“When we learn someone wanted on a serious charge from somewhere else has been seen in our parish we make the effort to find them whether or not they are a suspect in any crimes here,” Pohlmann said.

(Left) David Peralta of the Sheriff’s Office, who formerly headed the Battered Women’s Shelter when it was operated by the Sheriff’s Office, with Gail Gowland, long-time executive director of the shelter. (Right) Also attending a recent luncheon to focus attention on domestic violence were, from left, Juvenile Division detectives Maj. Darlene Poche, Johnny Caserta and Lt. Jennifer Gutierrez, with Mrs. Gowland, second from left. STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTOS.

Gail Gowland, Executive Director of the Battered Women’s Shelter, presents a token gift to Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann in appreciation for the department’s partnership with the shelter.

Nov 7, 2010 - Major injuries in domestic disturbance cases have gone down dramatically in the year since the Sheriff’s Office and the St. Bernard Battered Women’s Shelter formed a partnership to help victims get out of abusive relationships and a detective was also named to solely handle all such cases, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

But shelter Executive Director Gail Gowland said factors such as the BP oil spill this year, which threw some people out of jobs in the seafood and oil-drilling industries, have caused economic stress in relationships and many women still live at the shelter because of problems at home. “Some women say their husbands have lost work. A lot of it is verbal abuse but some is physical,’’ said Gowland.

Pohlmann said, “We have seen a real decrease in extreme violence in domestic disturbance cases,’’ in the year since the department has partnered with the Battered Women’s Shelter to make sure each victim was made aware by deputies of services available to help them get out of abusive relationships. The Sheriff’s Office is also submitting all domestic violence reports to shelter officials for follow-up work, he said.

St. Bernard had five shooting incidents, totaling eight people shot and four dead, in domestic cases from February 2008 to June 2009.

The department partnered with the Battered Women’s Shelter in October 2009 and in November named Detective Johnny Caserta to handle solely domestic violence cases. He obtains arrest warrants for subjects who fled after incidents, oversees their arrests and works with victims to keep them informed of the status of court cases.

Thankfully, Pohlmann said, while there have been injuries in the last year no one has been killed or seriously hurt. There was one incident several months ago in which a young man attempted to murder his teen-age girlfriend after an argument, grazing her head with a shot from a pistol, but not seriously injuring her, Pohlmann said. He was arrested within minutes.

Pohlmann said Caserta “is doing a tremendous job.’’ In his year on the job, there have been about 60 arrests made on arrest warrants issued by judges for domestic violence cases and some 15 other warrants were obtained and are outstanding.

“Is it a coincidence there haven’t been any deaths or severe injuries in the year since heavy emphasis has been placed on this problem?” Pohlmann asked an audience at a recent luncheon to focus emphasize on awareness of domestic violence. “I don’t know,’’ Pohlmann said. “At least we are trying damn hard. We would like to make sure no one is lying dead from domestic violence.’’

The shelter in Chalmette, supported by a number of entities, provides both in-residence help including a place to stay and non-residence aid such as counseling or help in obtaining a restraining order in cases where people need to extract themselves from abusive relationships.

Gowland said she has seen increasing levels of violence in domestic disturbance cases for years. “There are more incidents of women requiring medical care because of domestic violence,’’ she said.

Gowland, who has headed the Battered Women’s Shelter since the mid-1990s, said she believes increasing cooperation with the Sheriff’s Office can help because officers are on the forefront of responding to disturbances.

People seeking help or who want to make donations can call the Battered Women’s Shelter at (504) 277-3177 or the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at 271-2501 and they will be referred to the shelter. Also, a 24-hour Louisiana Domestic Violence Hotline has been created which connects a caller to the closest domestic violence program. The toll-free number is 1-888-411-1333.

Shelter officials want more women to take advantage of the services available there. Women from St. Bernard and other parishes live at the Battered Women’s Shelter in Chalmette, which doesn’t disclose its address. Currently there are about a dozen women there and twice as many children, Gowland said.

She emphasizes stress caused by the post-Hurricane Katrina day-to-day problems and now the economic recession that hit the nation have fostered increased violence in New Orleans area.

The BP oil spill in April brought more lost joss in some fields related to offshore drilling and the seafood industries and which made problems worse for some women, Gowland said.  Men sometimes “take it out on the women and children’’ in their lives when hardships occur, she said.

Pohlmann agrees violence in domestic cases rose after the hurricane and is made worse by “life’s pressures,’’ including drug and alcohol abuse and money worries.

Pohlmann was appointed by the governor in 2009 to the state Crime Victims Reparations board and encourages St. Bernard Parish victims of domestic violence who meet the criteria to apply for consideration of reparations to cover expenses associated with injuries, counseling and other items. The victim reparations coordinator for St. Bernard is Sheriff’s Det. Lt. Jennifer Gutierrez, who can be reached at (504) 278-7656.

Gowland said a major factor in domestic violence cases continues to be victims who don’t report it to police and don’t want their partner arrested. “Fear of retaliation is a main reason,’’ she said, but added some women victims still love the men and “they just want the abuse to stop.’’

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Training Director Maj. David DiMaggio, left, and Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann hold TASERs, a laser-sighted device that delivers an electrical charge to stun a combative criminal suspect. STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTO.

Nov 1, 2010 - St. Bernard Parish’s Sheriff’s Office has begun issuing deputies TASERs – which are laser-sighted devices regarded as a less-lethal force option than firearms – to help deal with criminal suspects who are combative in ways that could hurt officers or themselves, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

“Our goal is to reduce the risk of injury to our officers as well as arrested suspects,’’ Pohlmann said.

“I know TASERs don’t come without controversy,’’ he said. “But it’s proven that the risk of bodily harm (from their use) is outweighed by the benefits.’’

“TASERs are an alternative to the use of deadly force,’’ Pohlmann said. “It would be used when deadly force isn’t an option’’ and is considered to be in the range of use of pepper spray, he said. Research suggests injuries to suspects actually go down when TASERs are used by a law enforcement agency, compared to when other means of force are employed.

“The last thing a sheriff’s deputy wants to do is have to draw a firearm on a suspect,’’ Pohlmann said. “That means they have run out of options. But TASERs will give deputies an important new option. You don’t use deadly force unless necessary,’’ Pohlmann said.

“They will be deployed along with regular firearms but aren’t a replacement for them, but rather a less lethal option to assist in resolution of serious confrontations,’’ Pohlmann said.

He said there have been several incidents in the last year involving criminal suspects which have led to the decision to deploy TASERs for the department.

A St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputy had to use deadly force in November 2009 on a man who pointed a gun at him at close range, Pohlmann said.

There was a recent incident in which deputies and detectives pursued shoplifters into New Orleans and one of the suspects fought with an officer and was choking him until he was subdued by other deputies. That suspect had a criminal history that included a murder arrest.

“I am not going to risk the lives of deputies’’ when a TASER could be used to lessen the degree of danger to everyone concerned without using lethal force, Pohlmann said.

A TASER is a laser-sighted unit that looks similar to a firearm and has a cartridge attached to the front, which projects a pair of dart-like objects attached to steel wires. The TASER sends 50kv of electricity, with low amps, over the thin steel wires, affecting a suspect’s motor and sensory nervous system.

Sheriff’s Office Training Director Maj. David DiMaggio has been working with deputies to train them for certification in their use.

Detective Sgt. Donald Johnson, a member of the sheriff’s SWAT Team and who carries a TASER, said he supports their use by the department. “I think they will be effective,” Jonson said. “Their use might keep officers and suspects from being injured while making it unnecessary to use lethal force.’’

The Sheriff’s Office currently has about 20 TASERs that were given to the department to replace ones lost in Hurricane Katrina. TASERs previously have been given only to the SWAT team but the ones now on hand will be distributed to several divisions of enforcement including patrol deputies, detectives, the Special Investigations Division and the Corrections Division.

The department will seek grants to cover the cost of more TASERs as well as possibly working with businesses interested in donating one to the Sheriff’s Office, Pohlmann said. Cost of a TASER is about $800.

More than 600,000 TASERs are now in use by various law enforcement, military and corrections officials at some 13,000 agencies in 45 countries.