In May 2010, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office completed a new computer conversion which was a long process. Assistant Warden Darren Boyd, the Corrections Division Build Team Leader, directed the Corrections Division in preparing for this conversion. Assistant Warden Boyd's full time position is one with much responsibility and through this conversion process he has never faltered in maintaining his high level of efficiency in his regular duties.

Deputy Christopher Domingue, B-nights Shift Supervisor at the Calcasieu Correctional Center, has always excelled in his performance and proved invaluable in the last phase of this computer conversion. Deputy Domingue's attention to detail and personal achievements in knowledge of database technology and his willingness to apply it to work outside his normal scope of duties and assignment have made the completion of this project successful.

Assistant Warden Boyd and Deputy Domingue are pictured here with Sheriff Mancuso receiving a commendation pin for their outstanding work.

On May 15, Sheriff Tony Mancuso received a letter of appreciation from a Louisiana state trooper who stated when he arrived at the scene of an 18 wheeler accident on I-10 he observed Deputy Jarrod Durflinger, who was working the Motorist Assistance Program, known as "MAPS," at the time, directing traffic.

While the trooper was parking his car he observed a man, who was covered in blood, walking eastbound in the westbound lanes shouting obscenities. The trooper instructed the man over his loudspeaker to get off the interstate but the man ignored him and continued walking. Realizing the danger, Deputy Durflinger approached the man and attempted to remove him from the interstate but the man pulled away and became violent.

The letter from the trooper said Deputy Durflinger maintained his cool and tried to reason with the man as the trooper ran over and assisted him. Deputy Durflinger stayed behind to help open the interstate and assist in any way possible. The trooper was very complimentary of Durflinger's professionalism and the way he represented the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office so well.

Deputy Durflinger is pictured here with Sheriff Mancuso receiving a commendation pin for his selfless actions and prideful sense of duty.

On Monday, June 28 while off-duty, Detective Edwardo Borda, while jogging in his neighborhood, observed a suspicious man walking away from a car in a parking lot. As he was watching the man, he noticed a Lake Charles police officer drive up to the man at which time he took off running. The officer began a foot pursuit and Detective Borda secured the suspect's car to prevent him from returning to his car and fleeing the area. A few minutes later the suspect doubled back to his car where Borda approached him and identified himself as a law enforcement officer. When the suspect didn't comply to his command to get on the ground, Borda restrained him by forcing him to the ground. It was learned through an investigation that the suspect was wanted on charges of home invasion and aggravated rape.

Detective Borda displayed courage, a willingness to take a calculated risk in apprehending a suspect without a weapon, disregarding his own safety to apprehend the suspect who may or may not have possessed a weapon in an effort to protect the citizens of Calcasieu Parish. He is seen here receiving a commendation coin from Sheriff Mancuso for his heroic efforts.

On February 19, Deputy Jason Schnake received a call concerning the welfare of a nine year old boy who lived in South Lake Charles. The information Dep. Schnake received was the boy was very thin and possibly being forced to stay in his bedroom.

After receiving permission from his supervisor to leave his assigned area, Dep. Schnake drove to check on the boy. When he entered the house, he observed a dog leash tied from one door knob to the other across the hall and when the leash was released for him to enter the bedroom, Dep. Schnake observed an emaciated 9 year old boy weighing 38 pounds in a barren room laying on the only thing in the room, a half inch foam pallet which was filthy.

Dep. Schnake instructed the boy's step-mother and father to take him immediately to the hospital emergency room. The doctor at the hospital told Dep. Schnake that his actions saved the boy's life.

Deputy Schnake is seen here receiving a commendation coin from Sheriff Tony Mancuso for his take-charge attitude and for going above and beyond the call of duty.

October 11, 2009, while off duty, Dep. Franklin Lewis, Jr. was driving down the road when he saw several people in the front yard of a house trying to help a child. His mother was calling out for help when Dep. Lewis stopped his car and ran to her son's side. The child had choked on a chip, stopped breathing, and passed out.

Because of Dep. Lewis; attentiveness he was able to help save the young boys life by dislodging the chip from his throat.

Deputy Lewis is seen here receiving a commendation coin from Sheriff Tony Mancuso for his fast action to save the boy's life.

In February 2010, Corporal Jake Cauvin, while working patrol, received an alarm call at a residence of an elderly couple. When he arrived he spoke with the lady who advised him everything was fine regarding the alarm but she was upset because she said something was wrong with her phone because a light was flashing. She asked Cpl. Cauvin to look at it to see if he could determine what was wrong with it.

Cpl. Cauvin took it apart and saw that the batteries in the phone were corroded. The elderly lady said she didn't have a spare battery so Cpl. Cauvin went to the store and bought her a battery for the phone which began working properly again. She was very grateful that he took the time to help her find a solution to her problem. He understood how important it was to her to have her phone working properly.

Cpl. Cauvin is pictured with Sheriff Mancuso receiving a commendation pin for the compassion and extra effort he showed to this elderly lady.

On February 2, 2010, Corporal Greg Nall received information regarding numerous burglaries involving men carrying high-powered weapons. While patrolling in Lake Charles, Nall observed a car parked in the roadway in the 2300 block of Van Buren St. occupied by two men. He further observed 2 more men in the carport area of the house wearing black ski masks.

After calling for back-up and concerned for the safety of the residents inside the house, and not his own, Cpl. Nall approached the men. Observing one of the men hand an item to one of the other men, Nall pulled his weapon and detained all four men even when one of them attempted to flee the scene. Upon further investigation, back-up deputies located two assault rifles lying in the grass in the backyard of the house.

Due to Cpl. Nall's initiative several burglaries were solved. His bravery and selflessness prevented the people in that home from being in harm's way and it helped to get 4 burglars off the streets of Calcasieu Parish.

He is pictured here receiving the CPSO Challenge Coin from Sheriff Tony Mancuso.

On January 16, Sgt. Ron Johnson was called by 911 in reference to two illegal aliens in need of rescue from an island located between CITGO Clifton Ridge and Greywood Golf Course.

While enroute Sgt. Johnson was notified that one of the stranded men was becoming unconscious, and the other was losing feeling in his body. The outside temperature was 48 degrees with a 25 mph gust from the north with a chill factor of 38 degrees with rain. Once the men were rescued and taken to the park, they were placed in the waiting ambulance and released to U S Border Patrol.

Later that night CPSO Sergeant David Burnett called and advised that both were out of the hospital and that one of the men had been deported three times and had convictions for smuggling drugs. Sgt. Johnson took this information and decided to search the island where the two men were found. The next day Johnson, Patrick Hebert, and Reserve Deputy Michael Shetler searched for about 2 hours when they located foot prints coming from the water across from the CITGO Clifton Ridge Dock. The foot prints headed east away from the ship channel. Upon walking up the bank they went down a trail and discovered two life jackets, several plastic bags, and rope. Other tracks led about 40 yards to a tree where they recovered eight duffel bags with many packages of what appeared to be cocaine wrapped in balloons.

The eight duffel bags which contained approximately 400 pounds of cocaine were turned over to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Sgt. Johnson's selfless actions in taking it upon himself to go back out to the site on a Sunday because his instincts told him there may be drugs hidden on the island are a credit to this department.

Sgt. Burnett's communication with Johnson after the two illegal aliens had been arrested is what lead Johnson to go back out to the site and make the discovery of othe 8 duffel bags.  Had it not been for Burnett going the extra mile and contacting Johnson with the information, that cocaine most likely would have ended up on the streets of Calcasieu Parish.

Johnson (top) and Burnett (bottom) are shown here receiving a challenge coin from Sheriff Mancuso because they went above and beyond the call of duty.