St. Mary’s ‘Top Cops’ honored Monday evening

Law enforcement officers from agencies that serve St. Mary Parish were recognized Monday night at a ceremony sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for the work they do to keep the streets of the parish safe.
Officers were recognized specifically for the number of intoxicated drivers they managed to remove from behind the wheel during the last year. The ceremony, held at the Lamp Lighter Event Center in Franklin, also featured a guest speaker who spoke on the immense amount of work performed by law enforcement officers and the work that still needs to be done.
Justice-elect for the 16th Judicial District Court Lewis Pitman said although intoxicated driving arrests are down significantly in the parish, it still remains a deeply embedded problem in the community.
“These issues have been going on for generations,” Pitman said. “Over the years we have had stiffer penalties and greater law enforcement and stiffer prosecution. But even that doesn’t deter every offender. Alcohol use and abuse, particularly in Southern Louisiana, is a cultural phenomenon.”
Pitman said, while the problem of people making the bad decision to drink and drive will unfortunately continue in the area, there was something that could be done to curb the issue.
“The only thing that is going to change this is education,” Pitman said. “That’s one of the reasons we are here tonight with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The three branches of the government must continue to do what they are doing. Law enforcement must continue to do what they are doing. And despite some of what I’ve said, things are getting better.”
Statistics provided by a representative of the St. Mary Parish chapter of MADD back up Pitman’s assertion that the number of DWI offenses committed in the area are decreasing. Since 1998, with a few fluctuations, the number of DWI charges steadily decreased with only 147 arrests made in 2015.
That’s compared to 406 in 1999. The 147 arrests in 2015 is down from 182 the previous year. The Morgan City Police Department led the parish with 49 arrests in 2015.
The officer in the parish with the most arrests, or ‘Top Cop’ as they are known, was Morgan City Police Officer Chad Ledet. In second place with 15 arrests was Louisiana State Police Trooper Scott Verret with third place going to Corporal Kevin Stewart of the Patterson Police Department with 13 arrests.