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Gautreaux New Sheriff |
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By
KIMBERLY VETTER
Advocate staff writer
Published: Nov 18, 2007 - Page: 1A
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Sid Gautreaux unseated
Sheriff Greg Phares to become East Baton Rogue Parish sheriff
after a 27-year career as Baker police chief.Winning 40,624
votes, or 52 percent of the vote, Gautreaux, a Democrat, beat
Phares, a Republican, by 2,400 votes, according to complete but
unofficial returns from the Secretary of State’s Office.
Phares won 38,224 votes, or 48 percent of the vote. Turnout was
31 percent.
Gautreaux said during a telephone interview from a party at
Primo’s Steakhouse that he is ecstatic about his win and is glad
the election is over.
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“I really can’t describe the
feeling I have right now,” he said, thanking everyone from his
campaign team to the people who endorsed him and the voters.
“I’m overwhelmed and am looking forward to the opportunity to do
this.
“I know I can make a difference within the Sheriff’s Office and
for the people of this parish,” he said. “This is a new day,
this is a new dawn.”Gautreaux will begin his four-year term July
1, but he takes office sooner. As the winner, he will finish the
remainder of former Sheriff Elmer Litchfield’s term, which ends
June 30.
Phares, who was named sheriff in December after Litchfield
resigned for health reasons, said during a telephone interview
from the Highland Porch that he ran a clean, honorable campaign.
“I have been so privileged to have served this community for 35
years in law enforcement,” he said. “I have never served with a
finer group of law enforcement professionals than the men and
women of the Sheriff’s Office.”
Gautreaux and Phares, both 58, beat three other candidates in
the Oct. 20 primary election. Phares got 46 percent of the vote
and Gautreaux got 37 percent.
This year’s election for sheriff was the first since 1983 that
Litchfield did not win.Gautreaux said running for sheriff has
been a life-long dream since he has a vested interest in the
parish.
“This position calls for someone who can communicate and bring
people together in a meaningful way to affect positive change,”
he said.“I have been doing this for 27 years and I will continue
to do so as sheriff,” he said, referring to his time as Baker
police chief.Gautreaux began his law enforcement career in 1976
as a deputy with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office,
and became a sergeant in uniform patrol.He is a graduate of the
FBI National Academy, the LSU Law Enforcement Institute and the
LSU Basic Training Academy.
One of the first things he will do as sheriff, Gautreaux said,
is form two transition teams - one made up of people from the
public and private sector and the other of people with the
Sheriff’s Office.
“I will evaluate our resources and put more emphasis on uniform
patrol,” he said. “This visible presence in the community is the
greatest crime deterrent and is our first line of defense.” |
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Thank You to all our supporters. |
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COPYRIGHTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2007