STPSO Sheriff to Make Major Changes

Failure of voters to renew the St. Tammany Parish Jail sales tax and the subsequent revenue loss of over 10% is forcing Sheriff Randy Smith to make quick, drastic cuts to the 2018 budget. Although the shortfall mostly affects the jail, Sheriff Smith has to make cuts all across the agency in order to not cripple the jail operations.

• The controversial transitional workforce program will shut down.
• The workforce will be cut by 13%, for a total of 104 positions.
• Capital and operating funds will be slashed by over 3.5 million dollars. This includes patrol cars, police equipment, technology, travel, education, and training. No STPSO employee will receive a cost of living or a merit raise for fiscal year 2018.
• The St. Tammany Parish Jail’s inmate population will be reduced by 33%, from 1212 inmates to 876 inmates, all of which are Louisiana Department of Corrections (DOC) inmates.