METAIRIE, LA – St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith announced today that he will seek re-election to continue to protect and serve Louisiana’s fourth most populous parish.

Said Smith, “I am very proud of our work over the past six and half years to protect our people and property.  Morale is at an all-time high because our deputies are well-equipped, paid fairly, and they have been immensely successful in keeping our community safe.  There’s no doubt that we have raised the standards of professionalism.  But we have done so by supporting the men and women who work tirelessly to ensure the public’s safety and ensuring they have the tools and training they need to fight crime today. I am honored to protect this community and stand strong with this crime-fighting force that has made St. Tammany safe.” 

Last year, the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office fielded over 8,400 dispatch calls.  The agency achieved impressive results when it came to solving crimes. In 2022, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office had a 100% clearance rate for the parish’s eight homicides.  The Sheriff’s department scored a 92% solve rate on violent crimes which is more than 100% better than the national average. And, regarding property crimes, the Sheriff’s Office clearance rate in 2022 was over three times the national average.  Said Smith, “Our message to criminals is strong. If you commit a crime here, we will bring you to justice.”

In his last term, Smith continued to bring upgrades to the department including outfitting all deputies with body cameras to ensure transparency and accountability. Under the Sheriff, deputies are trained on how to manage mental health calls, an escalating challenge for all police departments. To ensure retention and to acquire the top recruits, Smith invested in his personnel with improved wages and benefits. The sheriff sent a strong message in his fight against crime when adding a strategically located new police district to improve response time for 100,000 residents. Sheriff Smith relocated the 3rd District Station to Highway 59 near Interstate 12 across from Fontainebleau Junior High and High School to better protect the public, and he brought the large-scale project in under budget.

               The St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office under Smith continues to provide resource officers to 27 public schools to further protect our children and give parents peace of mind. Technology is upgraded regularly to guarantee that officers have the best crime fighting equipment in their fight against crime. And the Sheriff has invested in a new mobile command center and a state-of-the-art drone unit to allow the department’s crimefighters to manage any crisis from the scene.

               Said Smith, “We’ve enjoyed success in protecting our parish, but will never rest on our laurels.  We will continue to stay up to date with the latest and most reliable crime-fighting equipment and training.  I will also work to heighten our presence across this expansive parish.  I plan on building a new Fourth District station in Bush which will remove deputies from the current trailer they operate from within.  I will also seek federal funding to build a state-of-the-art training facility at the Brownswitch location in Slidell.  This alone will help us attract and retain the best of the best in law enforcement.” Sheriff Randy Smith is a 36-year veteran of policing.  He was first elected Sheriff of St. Tammany Parish in 2016 and was re-elected in 2019.  Prior to that, he led the Slidell Police Department as Chief of the Police for six years. Smith is a Republican.