Natchitoches & Area News

 

Natchitoches Police Department Revives “5th Shift” Criminal Patrol Unit

MARCH 25, 2024

The Natchitoches Police Department recently reinstated its highly effective Criminal Patrol Unit, known as “5th Shift.” Comprising a team of dedicated officers, the unit’s main objective is to track down and apprehend individuals involved in violent crimes across the city. In addition to combating violent offenses, the Criminal Patrol Unit will target various criminal activities including executing felony warrants, investigating burglaries, combating street-level narcotics, addressing violent crimes against residents, and tackling other offenses that impact the overall quality of life in Natchitoches. This unit will collaborate with other proactive units such as the Uniformed Tactical Operations (UTO) and the Violent Crimes Abatement Team (VCAT) to enhance community safety and security. Operating under the umbrella of the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, the Criminal Patrol Unit primarily focuses on law enforcement activities within the city limits. However, the unit stands ready to offer support to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office in the parish as needed. In addition to enhancing the visibility of police presence within our communities, the following evidence illustrates the productivity and positive impact of this unit on our community’s future. Here are a few examples of the achievements of the Criminal Patrol Unit in bettering our community:

9 arrests made for various criminal offenses, Recovery of 62.3 grams of marijuana, Retrieval of 3 firearms, Retrieval of 1 stolen firearm, Conducted 90 traffic stops, leading to 25 citations issued

If you would like to report suspicious activity please contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101.  Remember all information given shall remain confidential. 

 Boys to Men Club Community Service

MARCH 25, 2024

The Boys to Men Club performed community service at the Natchitoches Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on March 22. Each year, the club dedicates three community service initiatives as a part of their service to the community. This marked number three. Natchitoches Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is the adopted nursing facility of the Boys to Men Club. The guys in the club, dressed appropriately for the occasion in black slacks, burgundy dress shirts, black dress shoes, black socks, a belt, and a black necktie presented the residents with a bag filled with diet-friendly delights such as applesauce, jello gelatin, jello pudding, and a bottle of water. Following the community service event, Club Director Jermaine Thomas took the guys to spend the day touring NSU that included a tour of the campus, lunch in Iberville Cafeteria, and ending the tour with an hour of entertainment in the eSport Lab. The Boys to Men Club is a service organization. For more information on the club contact Thomas at jermaine.thomas@npsb.la or call the school during school hours at (318) 238-0066.

Parish Office Closures – GOOD FRIDAY

Parish Government offices will be closed Friday, March 29, 2024, in observance of Good Friday. The Parish landfill will also be closed Friday, and will re-open Saturday, March 39th. Parish bin sites will be open for normal operating hours Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th, but will be closed Sunday, March 31st in observance of Easter. For questions about the closures, please call the Parish Government office at 318-352-2714

 Central Louisiana Violent Crime Abatement Team results in 55 arrests

In Natchitoches, Sabine, and Rapides Parishes, the Central Louisiana Violent Crime Abatement Team’s (VCAT) two-day detail resulted in the arrest of 55 individuals, and 83 citations were issued. Trooper Casey Wallace said the collaborative effort of multiple agencies recovered meth, cocaine, heroin, and different narcotics. “I think they even actually got a second-degree murder suspect out of Shreveport identified off of a traffic stop, he actually ended up being a passenger in one of those traffic stops is what I’m understanding,” said Wallace. The goal of the operation was to detect, identify, and apprehend individuals involved in various criminal activities. While local law enforcement agencies are constrained by their jurisdictions, Wallace points out that criminals aren’t restricted so by forming a task force of multiple agencies there’s strength in numbers. “So, it really gives us the advantage of being able to reach out to those different areas and not have those restraints on us when we actually coordinate and we all get together and do it together,” said Wallace. While such operations prove to be productive with multiple arrests, Wallace said unfortunately they require lots of manpower which is a problem facing all law enforcement agencies. “You’re trying to pull guys to be able to run these details or to be able to hit a certain area that’s getting way high crime rates, it’s just becoming a little more difficult schedule-wise when you don’t have that many personnel as we used to,” said Wallace. The VCAT detail was comprised of Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Probation and Patrol, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Natchitoches Police Department.

Natchitoches Parish Violent Crime Enforcement Operation Results in Over 50 Criminal Arrests

Natchitoches Parish – Over the last two days, the Central Louisiana Violent Crime Abatement Team (VCAT) conducted a very successful criminal enforcement detail.  This collaborative unified initiative was comprised of Louisiana State Police (LSP), Louisiana Probation and Parole (LAP&P), Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office (RPSO), Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office (NPSO), Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office (SPSO) and the Natchitoches Police Department (NPD).

The goal of the operation was to detect, identify, and apprehend individuals involved in various types of criminal activity including, but not limited to, weapons violations, violent crime, possession of stolen property, and possession/distribution of illicit drugs.

Due to the multi-agency partnership and the effort put forth from all involved, the operation totaled:

Drug seizure totals: Marijuana – 570 grams, Cocaine – 3 grams, Methamphetamine – 26.6 grams, Fentanyl – 2 grams,  Prescription pills – 5 tablets

Firearms seizures: Stolen – 1, Not stolen – 5

Total traffic citations issued: – 83 and Total arrested subjects: – 55