Patrol Shifts
Shifts
The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office's Uniform Patrol Division, often referred to as the backbone of the department, has four rotating shifts that enable it to keep enforcement personnel covering the parish 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Designated as A, B, C and D, each shift lasts 12 hours.
Staff
The Captain of the patrol department oversees all four patrol shifts, Marine, Canine, Reserves, and Traffic Unit.
Each patrol shift is assigned one lieutenant, two sergeants, two corporals, and, at present, 17 deputies. The lieutenants patrol the parish in unmarked police units, while the sergeants are assigned semi-marked police units. Corporals and deputies are assigned fully marked police units.
The patrol lieutenant is responsible for the entire shift and all its personnel. The sergeants are assigned to either the east or west bank of the parish, and they are assigned a corporal and enough deputies to cover the designated areas, also known as beats.
Duties
The patrol shifts respond to all calls for service and traffic-related incidents, as well as actively patrol the community. Patrol deputies also appear in court, perform community relations activities such as Adopt-a-Senior, contact cards, business checks, clergy contacts, housing authority, and the Barments program. Deputies are also expected to be current with report writing, and provide medical assistance to those in need when on emergency calls.Sheriff's deputies also may be called upon to assist people with civil law matters. Following most crimes, they are the initial investigators, a role that they retain in cases involving misdemeanor crimes.
In addition to these normal functions, Patrol assists other entities of the Sheriff's Office with either manpower or information.