Law enforcement watchdog calls for honorary badge distribution to end

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Law enforcement badges signify authority after taking an oath of office, but a Fox 8 investigation found that some badges are granted to people who aren't officers.

This practice, known as non-employee commissions, presents opportunities for misuse, according to Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche.

"Some of them are the same badges that trained commissioned officers and deputies receive. So there is no regulation, total discretion of law enforcement," he said.

Goyeneche says many police chiefs and sheriffs provide the badges or ID cards to political allies of friends of their departments.

"If you're working for a sheriff and you pull someone over for a violation, a traffic violation of some sort, and they issue or show you their badge that was given to them by their boss, the inference is that you shouldn't. You should let them go, and that puts an officer in an untenable position," he said.

Investigation Findings A series of Fox 8 records requests found at least eight law enforcement agencies gave out non-employee or honorary commissions. Those agencies provided hundreds of commissions to people who were not active officers.

The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office alone provided Fox 8 records of more than 100 non-employee commissions.

Fox 8 requested an interview with Sheriff Gerald Turlich to discuss the commissions and a spokesperson for Plaquemines Parish said to check back about his schedule. However, the spokesperson proceeded to stop responding to follow-up emails.

Other departments turned over lists with notable New Orleans area figures.

The Second City Court Constable's Office in Algiers gave badges to Congressman Troy Carter and Jefferson Parish Councilman Byron Lee.

Lt. Constable Jordan Lombard, in a statement, said the office provides honorary badges to individuals who serve the Algiers community of constable's office.

Lombard declined an interview but explained the badges are mementos for both Carter and Lee helping with a number of community events.

A spokesperson for Carter called the badge ceremonial and honorary, saying it's kept in a shadow box.

Lee didn't respond to an interview request.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office records show Sheriff Randy Smith made now-former New Orleans Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen an honorary deputy sheriff. Allen was one of the Smith's 11 non-employee commissions.

After initially telling Fox 8 to circle back to check Smith's schedule, a spokesperson for the office stopped responding and did not explain Allen's commission. However, when Fox 8 requested an updated commissions list, Allen and the majority of other commissions were gone.

The Saints declined to comment.

Transparency and Regulation Goyeneche argues that badges should be reserved for trained law enforcement officers and mementos can come in other forms.

"So if those individuals have been friends to the sheriff, then let him issue a certificate. Let him write him a letter. Don't give him a badge. Don't give him an ID, because I think that does a disservice to the men and women that go through the training and have earned the right to carry those badges," he said.

Tangipahoa Parish and St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Offices both recently curtailed their use of non-employee commissions.

Recently elected Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker said he inherited more than 600 commissions from his predecessor Daniel Edwards. Those commissions expired when Sticker took office. Sticker's new list includes only 42 people, including retired and reserve deputies, chaplains, and Assistant District Attorneys.

Parish President Robby Miller is on Sticker's list. Sticker said this allows Miller to immediately access major incidents.

"It just allows them ease of access to scenes to come help us out without them being stopped," Sticker said.

Fox 8 obtained records from the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office that showed 86 different non-employee commissions. When Fox 8 requested an updated list in September, a spokesperson said Sheriff James Pohlmann didn't renew a single commission.

The office sent a statement reading in part:

"Each new term offers an opportunity to evaluate various programs of the department and at this time the sheriff has not yet made a decision regarding renewing non-employee commissions in their current format."

Goyeneche said putting a spotlight on the non-employee commission process makes a difference. He said ultimately the culture around non-employee commissions won't change without state level regulation.

"I think that what I'd like to see happen is, you know, the law enforcement community recognize that, you know this is bad policy," he said.