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June 25, 2012 - When James Pohlmann is sworn in as sheriff on July 1, succeeding 28-year Sheriff Jack A. Stephens, it won’t be the only history made that day.

Pohlmann will also unveil the new look of the Sheriff’s Office, including a new uniform and arm patch, a new six-pointed star badge and soon enough a new look for S.O. vehicles, which will be black and white with the emblem of the badge on the side.

Gone will be the black uniform shirts with a shield emblem and grey pants which deputies have worn since Sheriff Stephens took office July 1, 1984 – the only Sheriff’s Office look any parish resident under the age of 30 likely can remember.

Instead, the new look will be a khaki-colored shirt known as silver tan, and with navy blue pants with a double pin stripe down the side, similar to the look of the U.S. Marine Corps.

There will be a new badge with a six-pointed star and a new patch, which shows the new color scheme, with the six-pointed star flanked by the American flag on the left and the St. Bernard Parish flag on the right. The look of department cars hasn’t been finalized but will be black and white.

Cost of the uniforms will be covered by seizures of cash and vehicles in drug cases, money which can’t be used for regular operations costs such as salaries.

Pohlmann said he wanted a new look but said it was the deputies he spoke with individually and in groups who specifically requested going away from the black uniform tops because they feel extra hot in the summer heat.

That was the beginning of the move toward what will be debuted, Pohlmann said.

“We are doing it all internally,’’ Pohlmann said, with several deputies involved in looking at other agencies and tossing out suggestions until a consensus was reached. “Everybody seems to like it,’’ he said of the uniform, which he called a classic look.

“Since we changed the color of the uniform, we had to change the patch design as well,” said Pohlmann. Several deputies worked on determining the right look.

“We looked at other agencies and took a little bit from several different patches we had seen,” Pohlmann said.

Capt. Ronnie Martin, a 20-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and a former U.S.Marine, donned the new uniform for photos recently and said he likes the look.

“His (Pohlmann) idea in the very beginning was that he wanted to bring some color to the uniform,” Martin said. “We had got several compliments about the old uniforms over the years, but I like the idea of adding some color.”

Pohlmann said he wanted the six-pointed star badge because he feels it is “symbolic to a sheriff’s deputy.”

He said he wore a star when he started at the Sheriff’s Office in 1983 for then-Sheriff Ralph McDougall. “(The star) was something I was very passionate about and wanted to go back to,” Pohlmann said.

“Not only the uniform, but also the badge brings this administration its own identity,” he said. “It’s been 28 years that we wore the black and grey uniforms and the shields, and so I think the timing now is perfect for a change to the new appearance.”

Pohlmann said plans also are in the works to eventually redesign the patrol units, as well as department stationery, and other departmental items that have always included the Sheriff’s Office logo.

“We currently have a group of deputies that are trying to design a whole new scheme for the cars, but the problem that we are faced with today are budget challenges,” he said.

While the new uniforms are being funded by monies seized from drug busts, Pohlmann said costs for a re-design of department vehicles will be cut by using prison inmate labor.

Besides the uniform, badge, patch and vehicles there have been other changes are being made leading up to Pohlmann’s becoming sheriff.

The department budget has been worked on as sales tax revenue has fallen from what it was before Hurricane Katrina – the same problem numerous public agencies have had in the New Orleans area.

“Some of the things I did on the surface includes placing a hiring freeze at the Sheriff’s Office,’’ Pohlmann said. “We have not hired anyone since Jan.1.’’ Also, the number of employees has shrank from about 315 to about 290 as some have retired and some went to other jobs.

The take-home car policy under which deputies pay at least $150 a month for the right to use a vehicle when they are off-duty has also changed. Those who live outside St. Bernard Parish aren’t eligible now to take home a department vehicle, which saves on insurance costs, gasoline costs and overall wear-and-tear on vehicles.

Pohlmann said changes have saved about $1 million so far. “Is that enough? No,” he said. “I think there’s some more chipping away that we are going to do that I think is going to save us about another half-million dollars or so in savings probably over the next six months.”

June 25, 2012 -Tropical Storm Debby appeared to be likely headed for Florida, the National Weather Service said, but as a precaution St. Bernard Parish President David E. Peralta issued an executive order declaring a State of Emergency and Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann said the Sheriff’s Office is prepared for any rising water outside the levee system in eastern-most St. Bernard.

Officials said parish government and the Sheriff’s Office are in steady communications with the National Weather Service and surrounding key agencies to monitor the current weather situation.

Pohlmann said there haven’t been reports of rising water over the roadway in the eastern end of the parish outside the levee protection system Sunday night, although residents outside the levee system have been bringing and parking vehicles inside the system.

“The more to the east the better for our parish,’’ Pohlmann said at a meeting with senior staff members Sunday afternoon which included hearing a status report from the National Weather Service in Slidell on a conference phone call.

If the situation changed for the worse the Sheriff’s Office is ready to establish a checkpoint in the eastern part of the parish to assist motorists, Pohlmann said. Department boats are ready if needed.

President Peralta urgef St. Bernard residents to carefully monitor the weather and the media updates. “Although the integrity of our levee systems is better than it has ever been, we want citizens to implement their individual emergency preparation plans,” said Peralta.

Currently, St. Bernard Parish is operating at full drainage and pumping capacity, Peralta said “Drainage canals have been pumped down to add additional storage capacity,” he said. Public Works’ crews are implementing all emergency preparation plans and pre-staging additional pumps for problem areas.

The St. Bernard Emergency Operations Center opened as of 11:00 a.m. Sunday, June 24, 2012 and shall remain open until the termination of the State of Emergency.  Residents may contact the St. Bernard Parish Emergency Operations Center with any specific concerns at 278-4268.

All residents should secure any loose items around their homes and pick up any debris that may cause obstructions to the drainage catch basins in their neighborhoods.

Peralta also urged residents who have not registered with St. Bernard Parish’s Emergency Notification Service Provider, FirstCall, to do so immediately.  The FirstCall Emergency Notification Service gives St. Bernard Parish the ability to provide the community with important, timely information about hurricanes and other high profile events occurring in the area.

These alerts will go to landlines, cell phones, SMS text messaging devices, email and pagers. Mass numbers of residents can be alerted with important information in five minutes or less. To ensure you receive these emergency notifications to your home phone, cell phone, email, or SMS texting device, residents must sign up for the service.

Residents can now register on line at www.sbpg.net at the bottom of the page. This is the direct link:

https://alertregistration.com/StBernardParish/. Also citizens may call the office at 504-278-4268. You must provide the name of your cell provider when registering for FirstCall.

Residents should stay tuned to local media for updates as well as frequently checking the website at www.sbso.org for the Sheriff’s Office and www.sbpg.net for parish government.

Tropical storm warnings in Louisiana were discontinued Sunday afternoon as the latest update showed Tropical Storm Debby moving very slowly toward the northeast.

The 4 p.m. coordinates placed the center of the storm near located near 28.4 north and 85. 8 west, about 205 miles east/southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Tropical storm warnings from the mouth of the Pearl River westward to Morgan City were discontinued after the latest update. "No signification motion" is expected in the next couple of days, the National Hurricane Center said, though it warned that its forecast continues to be uncertain.

Debby on Sunday, June 24, from National Hurricane Center

Maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph, with higher gusts. Some slight strengthening is possible during the next 48 Hours.

A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Alabama-Mississippi border to teh Suwanee River in Florida.

June 24, 2012 -Two traveling con men from Mississippi were busted June 19 for two frauds committed at the same Chalmette business within 6 weeks and one is suspected of a third fraud at the same place a year ago, Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann said.

In a separate arrest, a motorist was caught in Chalmette the morning of June 22 with $3,690 and a loaded handgun and marijuana in his trunk after he was stopped for littering. Investigation showed he had a fake flat tire fix-it cannister in the trunk which had a false bottom, which was where 10 grams of marijuana were found, Pohlmann said.

Also, sheriff’s deputies arrested a man early June 21 and booked him with attempted carjacking for allegedly trying to open the door of a motorist stopped at a red light at St. Claude Avenue at Mehle Street in Arabi, Pohlmann said.

Willie McCann, 35, of Gauthier, Ms., and Lonnie Johnson, 58, of Moss Point, Ms., were both booked with felony theft June 19 after Det. Lt. Raympnd Theriot saw them arguing over money with a cashier in a Chalmette store and investigation showed they had swindled her out of $100, Pohlmann said. Further investigation of video surveillance at the store revealed the same two men had pulled a swindle of a cashier there in mid-May involving several hundred dollars and had gotten away, Pohlmann said.

He said McCann is also a suspect in a similar swindle at the store in June 2011 and Pohlmann said officials at St. Bernard businesses should call the Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 if they believe the men were involved in similar crimes at their establishments.

McCann has a history of arrests involving robberies and thefts, Pohlmann said.

The technique with con men is always a variation of the same ploy, Pohlmann said. The person makes a small purchase in s store, then either claims he gave the cashier a larger bill than he actually did or keeps shuffling money at the register until the cashier is confused or the criminal deftly steals money that is out on the counter during the confusion.

McCann is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $29,500. Johnson is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond.

In a separate June 22 arrest, Deputies Ryan Melerine and Ronald Stigler stopped a motorist in Chalmette about 2:35 a.m. after he was spotted littering, Pohlmann said.

Investigation found he had $3,690 in the car and deputies smelled a strong odor of marijuana and found loose vegetable matter in the front of the vehicle.

The driver, Joshua Cheneau, 25, 8535 Regiment St., Chalmette, gave permission to search the Cadillac and in the trunk deputies found a loaded handgun and two canisters - a fake WD-40 can with a false bottom and a fake flat tire fix-it can, also with a false bottom, which had inside 3 plastic bags containing a total of 10 grams of marijuana.

Cheneau was booked with illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, use of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. No bond information was available.

Also, Jonathan Lambert, 38, 2001 Mumphrey Road, Apt. 2, Chalmette, was booked early June 21 with attempted carjacking after he was identified by the victim as the man who pulled on the passenger side of a vehicle stopped at a red light in Arabi and tried to make entry.

The driver, who was stopped at St. Claude and Mehle about 11:30 p.m. June 20, reported the man who came up to his vehicle and tried to get in yelled that it was a hold up. The motorist drove away and called the Sheriff’s Office, giving a description of the man and what he was wearing and an alert was put out to all officers on patrol, Pohlmann said.

Shortly after midnight, a State Police trooper spotted a man walking in Chalmette who matched the description of the subject wanted for questioning. The victim in the incident was brought to the scene and said the man detained, who was Lambert, was the same one who tried to get into his vehicle in Arabi.

Lambert was being held in St. Bernard Prison in lieu of bond set at $25,000.

June 21, 2012 - In a meeting on June 19, the St. Bernard Council and Parish President proclaimed as honored citizens of the parish retiring Sheriff Jack A. Stephens, Col. Joseph Licciardi, Clerk of Court Lena Torres and her daughter, Chief Deputy Clerk Lena Nunez, for their work over the years. Also, Parish President David Peralta has said the area where the Sheriff’s Annex is behind the old Courthouse will be known as the Jack A. Stephens Law Enforcement Center.

Stephens, who leaves office June 30 after 28 years, is shown receiving his proclamation from Council Chairman Guy McInnis and behind them are, from left, Council members Casey Hunnicutt, Richard Lewis, Nathan Gorbaty and Manuel “Monty’’ Montelongo, while in back areRay Lauga and George Cavignac. Licciardi is also shown receiving his proclamation.

Stephens and Licciardi are with Lena Torres and Lena Nunez after the proclamation ceremonies. Also, the nearly 30 sheriff’s deputies who attended the meeting to see the sheriff and Licciari honored are shown with them outside the Council building. STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTOS.

Sheriff Stephens holds up a badge and commission which Pohlmann, at right, had just given him, featuring the look of the new badge deputies will carry when Pohlmann is sworn in as sheriff on July 1.

June 17, 2012 - Sheriff Jack A. Stephens, longest current serving Top Cop in Louisiana with 28 years, said goodbye to employees and thanked family and friends who honored him with a retirement party Thursday night June 14 in the grand ballroom of the Frederick Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette.

In his retirement, Stephens said, “I look forward to having (incoming Sheriff) Jimmy Pohlmann protect me from crime and (Parish President) Dave Peralta protect me from mosquitos.”

The sheriff, who first took office in 1984 after his election in 1983 and then was re-elected six more times, said the accomplishments of his tenure were the result of the efforts of the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office.

“I didn’t make you guys, you made me’’ Stephens said to employees and ex-workers attending the party in the ballroom. He said the secret to being in office so long as to hire good people and let them do their job.

He also said, “Jimmy Pohlmann will be a great sheriff, someone you can look up to.’’

Pohlmann was chief deputy for more than four years when he won a run-off election for sheriff last fall and takes office July 1.

“I could see Jimmy had a connection with people. They want to talk to him and he will do well.’’

Sheriff Stephens, who said he “took it personally when someone is the victim of crime’’ in the parish, said he only ran for re-election in 2007 because deputies told him they wanted him to continue the job of re-building the department – and to a larger degree St. Bernard Parish – that started after Hurricame Katrina’s destruction.

He said that since the deputies had committed themselves to returning and salvaging the department it was the least they should expect of him.

Stephens said he sees the parish recovering and believes the department is in good hands.

“Katrina was a defining moment in all our lives,’’ he said

“When you are in a position of responsibility you wonder, if tested, will you pass the test.

“I’d say to all Sheriff’s Office employees that when you knew everything you had was going to be lost, and that the calvary wasn’t coming, you were defined by what you did in rescuing people,’’ Sheriff Stephens said. “You are heroes.’’

Former Parish Council Chairman Joseph DiFatta was master of ceremonies for the evening and among the speakers was Pohlmann.

The incoming sheriff delighted the crowd when he gave Stephens a large pair of scissors and held aloft a puppet dressed as a policeman as a spoof of an advertisement by an opponent in the last sheriff’s race who said Pohlmann was Stephens’ puppet. Pohlmann asked the sheriff to cut the strings on the puppet and a laughing Stephens complied.

June 17, 2012 - A Chalmette man was killed Sunday when an all-terrain vehicle he was riding flipped on a street, struck a stop sign and slid, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann said.

Kendrick Hills, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene following the accident about 3:20 p.m. in the 3600 block of Pakenham Drive at West Liberaux Street, near Nunez Community College.

Emergency medical technicians worked on the victim but he was pronounced dead about 4 p.m.

Speed is believed to be a factor in the crash, Pohlmann said. Hills, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, flipped a 4-wheel 2006 Honda 450 CRX 4-wheel all-terrain vehicle and it struck a stop sign before sliding.

Authorities have cautioned that all-terrain vehicles can only be legally driven off-road, not on streets.

No one else was in the 4-wheeler.

June 14, 2012 - A Violet man was booked Thursday, June 14, with attempted second-degree murder of a Chalmette man who was shot the night before in his right side near the rib cage in an incident on a Violet street in an alleged feud over money, Sheriff-elect Pohlmann said.

Cody Hill, just weeks shy of being 20, 2213 Highland St., was booked after a judge signed an arrest warrant following an investigation by sheriff’s detectives. He is jailed pending an appearance before a judge to have bond set.

The victim, Michael Narcisse, 27, was holding a bloody shirt to his side when patrol deputies arrived about 11 p.m. in the 2900 block of Stacie Drive in Violet, Pohlmann said. One casing was found. Narcisse was taken to University Hospital in New Orleans.

There wasn’t any information available on whether he had been released from the hospital but the injury was said to be non-life threatening.

Information obtained afterward led to Hill as the shooter, who wasn’t found Wednesday night but was arrested after noon on Thursday, Pohlmann said.

Investigation by detectives determined the shooting was allegedly over a feud involving money, Pohlmann said.

June 13, 2012 - Melanie Burkhardt of Meraux, 17, a recent graduate of Cabrini High School, has received a $500 scholarship from the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Scholarship Program for 2012.

The daughter of Wally and Lisa Burkhardt, Melanie will attend LSU in Baton Rouge this fall.

The scholarship is funded through donations to the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association honorary membership program.

St. Bernard Parish’s Sheriff’s Office participates in the Sheriff’s Association program and Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann met with the winner and her family members.

June 13, 2012 - Before going on vacation or leaving for business, St. Bernard Parish residents should call the Sheriff’s Office and get on the list to have extra passes made at their home by patrol deputies, Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann said.

“When thinking about the last-minute things you have to do before leaving remember to call the Sheriff’s Office at (504) 278-7763 or 271-2501 and get on the extra patrol list,” Pohlmann said.

He added, “That information is kept confidential’’ and revealed only to the officers assigned to patrol the section where the caller lives.

Pohlmann said residents should also leave a contact number so a patrol deputy can call them if there is something wrong at a home, including non crime-related matters such as damage from wind or rain storm.

Because St. Bernard has fewer residents than before Hurricane Katrina, it means there are fewer eyes on the streets in some neighborhoods to watch for suspicious actions, Pohlmann said. “That makes signing up for the extra patrols at your home more valuable now than before the hurricane.’’

Capt. Charles Borchers, head of Crime Prevention including the Neighborhood Watch program for the Sheriff’s Office, said the extra pass list has been used effectively for years and helps residents be assured their homes will have some extra protection while they are away.

Also, St. Bernard residents interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch group in their area can call Borchers at (504) 278-7628.

Borchers said residents should consider the following crime prevention tips before leaving their home on vacation:

• Lock up. While this might seem obvious, some people forget to lock their house completely while rushing to get away. Make sure all doors and windows are locked.
• Be careful who you tell when you plan to be away from your home. However, ask someone you trust to watch for anything unusual. Never leave a message on a phone voice mail saying you are out of town because if strangers call looking for you or by mistake they learn your house may be vulnerable.
• Do whatever possible to create the appearance someone is home. Keep a vehicle in the driveway or out front of your residence. Maintain your lawn before you leave or have someone mow your lawn while you are gone.
• Put outdoor lighting on either timers, light-sensitive photocell mechanisms, or motion detectors. Use timers to activate inside lighting, radios, or TVs. Use the new fluorescent (cfl) light bulbs because they burn cooler than the standard light bulbs.
• Don’t let deliveries accumulate. If possible, ask someone you know to pick up mail, newspapers, packages and any circulars placed on your front door. At least stop delivery of a newspaper so they don’t pile up.
• Don't leave keys under your doormat, flower pots or window ledges—intruders check these first.
• Keep shrubbery trimmed. Thick shrubbery and trees cover your windows, allowing burglars to work undetected.
• If you have a security system, ensure it is armed and provide instructions to the central monitoring station, - if you have one - to call your cell phone, the Sheriff’s Office and/or a particular friend, relative or neighbor. if there is a problem.
• If your area has a Neighborhood Watch program inform officials about your vacation plans.

June 11, 2012 - A free summer youth enrichment program for ages 12-16 to help kids make good decisions and a basketball league to give them a healthy outlet will be run by the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, with registration at 6 p.m. Friday, June 22, at the Willie Smith School gym in Violet, Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann said.

The program, held previously in 2010, is open to all boys and girls 12-16 who are residents of St. Bernard Parish, whether or not they attend school in the parish. A parent must attend registration to sign paper work for the kids to take part.

Pohlmann said, “It’s important we provide a wholesome outlet in sports for our children, as well as relating some life lessons on health and safety tips and practical advice like how to fill out job applications and dress for job interviews.’’

He added, “It’s about making the right decisions in life. This is envisioned as a good alternative to having these kids on the streets. You have to catch them when they are young if you are going to reach them.”

The Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach program is sponsoring the league, which will play Fridays at 6 p.m. at Wliie Smith, and the educational enrichment sessions, which will be held each week just before the games are held.

Part of the program is instruction on topics such as how to go about seeking a job, how to begin a checking account and write checks, hygiene lessons including how to protect yourself from disease and other life lessons for young adults, said, Lt. Lisa Jackson who is coordinator of the summer program.

The enrichment program and the basketball league are patterned after similar programs that have shown success for at-risk youth, Jackson said.

“We want to help and teach the youngsters and teen-agers,’’ Jackson said. “We want them to know we are not their enemies and we want them to succeed in life.’’

St. Bernard”s school system is allowing the use of the Willie Smith gym for the program and parish businesses are sponsoring it.

June 08, 2012 - Several men who became friends with a St. Bernard Parish woman recently didn’t know that when she came over to visit she also left a window unlocked for her half-brother and others to later enter and burglarize them, Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann said.

June 08, 2012 - Incoming St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann, new Clerk of Court Randy Nunez and their respective deputies will take oaths of office at 3 p.m. on July 1 in an historic ceremony open to the public in the Frederick Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette.

For the first time since 1984 St. Bernard Parish will see a new sheriff in office and for the first time since 1956 the Clerk of Court position will pass from the Torres family. Lena Torres has served as the Clerk of Court since the death of her husband, Sidney Torres Jr., in 1988, who had served as Clerk since 1956.

Pohlmann takes over from Sheriff Jack A. Stephens, who first was sworn into office July 1, 1984, after winning election in October 1983. Stephens has served 28 years, or seven terms in office, becoming the longest currently serving sheriff in Louisiana and second-longest serving in parish history.

Sheriff Stephens didn’t seek re-election last year, deciding to retire.

Pohlmann, Chief Deputy Sheriff under Stephens more than four years and a sheriff’s employee since 1983, defeated Wayne Landry in a November run-off election to become sheriff.

Nunez, an attorney, defeated Lena Torres in a November run-off to become Clerk of Court.

Pohlmann and his deputies will take their oaths of office and Nunez and his deputy clerks will take their oaths in the ceremony in the front portion of the Civic Center on West Judge Perez Drive. Both Sheriff and Clerk of Court are 4-year terms with fiscal years that begin July 1.

Pohlmann and Nunez said the public is invited to attend the ceremony.

June 07, 2012 - In an unusual case, narcotics arrests were made at the same Chalmette house two nights in a row, with a stolen gun, cocaine and marijuana seized and four people arrested in the two incidents, Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann said.

It was a period of just over 26 hours from late Monday night, May 28, to about 1 a.m. Wednesday, May 30, that the four arrests were made at 3514 Evangeline St. in Chalmette.

Dep. sheriffs Ryan Melerine and Ronald Stigler arrested two people there in the first incident and they arrested two others there the next night.

On the night of the 28th, deputies were called to the area on a disturbance complaint and saw two men standing on the porch of 3514 Evangeline Drive, both of whom tried to flee by running into the house. When a door there was locked, one of them kicked it open and both went inside, Pohlmann said.

Deputies, believing it to be a burglary in progress, gave chase, announcing their presence and entering the house to find out what was happening.

Dep. Stigler saw a man - recognized as the one who kicked in the front door - throw a revolver to the kitchen floor and run to a rear bedroom. The man, later identified as Jeremy Thompson, 17, refused to get on the ground when confronted by officers but was subdued. A plastic bag of marijuana was also found on a night stand in the room, Pohlmann said.

Thompson, placed in a patrol car, told deputies he was in the house when he heard somene run through the residence and exited into the back yard, Pohlmann said. A check of the serial number on the gun he threw down showed it had been reported stolen, Pohlmann said.

As the officers were conducting an investigation outside, a woman, later identified as Donaldnesha Yhomas, 19, sister of the man who kicked in the door and was arrested in the house, approached the police car holding her brother and began to scream and curse at deputies, Pohlmann said. She refused to stop screaming and was booked with resisting an officer.

Donalnesha Thompson, who had an address in Violet, was living at the house on Evangeline. She was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison on the resisting an officer charge but was later freed on bond.

Jeremy Thompson, who also had a Violet address, was booked with burglary of the Evangeline Street house, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of marijuana.

He is being held in Parish Prison lieu of $30,000 bond.

The other man seen with Jeremy Thompson running into the house wasn’t found that night.

But about 27 hours later, Deputies Melerine and Stigler were sent back to the same house on Evangeline after receiving information about the name of the man who got away the night before and told he might be at the house again.

When officers arrived they were given consent by Donaldnesha Thompson, who was there with another woman, to look through the house to search for the man they sought.

Melerine, looking in a storage room of the house, found a plastic bag containing white powder that tested positive for cocaine, Pohlmann said. Its value was about $100.

Both Thompson and the other woman there, Labreishe Bougere, 22, of Violet, denied the cocaine was theirs.

As officers spoke to the women, they heard a loud noise in the attic. When the attic door was opened they found Quantis Charles, 20, of Violet, hiding there, the man they were lookin for as the suspect seen the night before with Jeromy Thompson, Pohlmann said.

Officers advised all three in the house they would be booked with possession of the cocaine that was found.

Both women have been released on bond, Charles remains jailed in lieu of $20,000 bond.

June 06, 2012 - With hurricane season officially underway, the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office is prepared and Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann urges parish residents to do the same by having a personal evacuation plan in mind in case it becomes necessary.

Boats and equipment have been tested, plans are in place to move prisoners if necessary and thousands of sandbags are stockpiled for residents, businesses and public agencies that might want them.

Pohlmann said, “Having taken the enormous hit from Hurricane Katrina in this parish, we intend to always be prepared for a hurricane season. Getting ready in advance is the most important thing.

“And the same should be true for your family,’’ Pohlmann said. “Take time when possible and think about where you would go if an evacuation was necessary. Stock up if possible on things you would need to take if you left or need if you stayed in a storm and lost electricity for more than a day. Keep personal papers handy that you would want to have.’’

Departments within the Sheriff’s Office have a hurricane plan to follow.

Members of the sheriff’s SWAT train on various types of boats from the sheriff’s Marine Division to be prepared to immediately patrol neighborhoods in case of any type of rain event flooding. Thousands of sandbags made by prepared by parish prison trusties are stockpiled for use by the public and other parish agencies.

Pohlmann said, “We have reviewed and updated the sheriff’s hurricane plan, prepared our Marine Division, inspected our sandbag inventory and tested equipment including generators and communications systems.’’

“If parish government orders an evacuation of residents in any approaching storm we will facilitate that and then lock down the parish to prevent non-residents from entering,’’ Pohlmann said.

In the event of an ordered evacuation, he said, hopefully residents would comply as they did in 2008 in the last time it was necessary, which would reduce the need for search and rescue operations if there was flooding in a storm, he said.

“The Sheriff’s Office would quickly return to law enforcement functions, including patrol by boat if necessary, to protect property in the parish,’’ in the event of evacuation because of threatened flooding, Pohlmann said. “We don’t want residents to have to worry about burglars if they must evacuate.’’

Early forecasts anticipate this year’s hurricane season, which began June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30, will be a less active compared to last year.

Hurricane forecast predictors Philip Klotzbach and Professor William Gray of the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project predict ten named storms, with four hurricanes and two major hurricanes, meaning a Category 3 storm or higher.

They issued a 24 percent probability of at least one major hurricane making landfall in the Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle to Brownsville, Texas. The average for the last century has been 30 percent.

That difference is good news for the Gulf Coast but Pohlmann reminds residents, “It only takes one storm to have a bad season. We are so close to the Gulf of Mexico, you can’t overlook hurricane season.”

He added, “Start to be prepared now and avoid the rush at home supply stores and supermarkets that get crowded as hurricanes or tropical storm watches and warnings are issued. Don’t wait until the last minute.”

Prepare your family for any situation by assembling and maintaining a disaster supply kit in advance of a storm.

Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person and remember family members with special needs such as infants, elderly and disabled persons and pets.

Your disaster preparation kit should also include:

• Can opener
• Three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Bedding or sleeping bags
• Fire extinguisher (small canister ABC type)
• Bleach (no lemon or other additives)
• Mosquito repellent
• First Aid kit
• Water (one gallon per person per day)
• Eating utensils
• Tarp, rope, and duct tape
• Toiletries including toilet paper
• Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• Flashlights
• Sunglasses

For Baby —Formula, diapers, wipes bottles, powdered milk and medications. For Adults —Medicine, such as heart and high blood pressure medication, insulin, prescription drugs, denture needs, contact lenses and supplies and extra eye glasses.

For Pets—ID tag, photo of pet for identification purposes, weeks supply of food, medications, veterinarian’s phone number. Do not leave your pet behind. Transport pets in secure pet carriers and keep pets on leashes. Most emergency shelters do not admit pets. Check with hotels in safe locations and ask if you can bring your pet.

Entertainment —Books for adult readers and for children, board games and/or other games that do not require batteries or electricity.

Remember to keep important records in a waterproof, portable container, including:

• Inventory of valuable household goods and important telephone numbers.
• Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
• Important papers including insurance, account numbers, money, checks or credit cards

June 01, 2012 - A 20-year-old Chalmette man was booked twice in nine days with carnal knowledge for having sex with two juvenile girls and is jailed in lieu of $30,000 bond, Sheriff-elect James Pohlmann said.

Donjai Thomas, 3718 Jupiter Drive, was last arrested May 25 after a judge signed a warrant for his arrest for carnal knowledge after a woman reported to the Sheriff’s Office that Thomas had been involved with her daughter, who is a teen-age juvenile, Pohlmann said.

Detectives from the sheriff’s Juvenile Division had investigated the complaint, interviewed the teen-ager involved and a judge signed the arrest warrant.

At the time, Thomas was out on bond after his arrest May 16 for a separate incident in March in which he was accused of carnal knowledge for having sex with a juvenile girl, Pohlmann said. That girl’s mother also had reported Thomas to authorities.

The mother of the second girl contacted the Sheriff’s Office after hearing Thomas had been arrested May 16 in the first carnal knowledge case and she reported he also had a relationship with her juvenile daughter.

In both cases, judges signed arrest warrants after investigations by the Sheriff’s Office.