Editor’s note: This is one of a series of stories profiling the candidates for Calcasieu Parish Sheriff.

South Lake Charles Kiwanis Club members heard from Calcasieu Parish Sheriff candidate Les Blanchard Wednesday. Earlier in the year, the American Press reported on the presentations of candidates Dustan Abshire, Mike Reid and Stitch Guillory.

Blanchard retired July 15 after 30 years to campaign for the job.

“I wasn’t ready to retire,” he said. “ I’m not done with public service, It’s my heart, my passion, it’s what I know. It’s what I’m all about.”

Blanchard started at the age of 19 in corrections, but it wasn’t long before “the law enforcement bug bit him,” he said.  He was soon transferred to a supervisory position in intake, which involved dealing with arrested individuals who were “not having their finest hour” and with older corrections officers.

“It challenged me early on to step up and be a man,” he said. “ Stepping up to him meant learning the importance of respect for others, earning trust and building relationships.

He went from corrections to night patrol to narcotics detective to violent crimes detective, “an eye-opening experience” he said.

From 2001 to 2005, he served as detective lieutenant. Beginning in  2017, he  served as Special Services Captain and Security Enforcement Captain through 2023.

“I was the longest acting narcotics and violent crimes investigator in the state, I was certainly one of the longest acting,” he said.

Blanchard is 49. When asked about hobbies, he names only one, “my family.” He is married to Kimberly Gothreaux Blanchard and his children are Allison, Drew, Anna Kay and John Alex. He’ll turn 50 on election day.

“No presents, just press that button that says Les Blanchard,” he said with a chuckle.

Blanchard’s plan, if elected, focuses on leveraging his experience in the trenches and leadership skills acquired while serving as  public servant,  to build relationships and morale. Another focus is to provide  the training necessary to retain good deputies. To Blanchard, training should go beyond necessary tactical training.

Retaining employees and making the CPSO the agency of choice, he said, will be a more effective recruiting strategy than any other.

He urged Kiwanis members not to take his word for the current state of the morale at the CPSO, but to talk to deputies.

“Law enforcement is more challenging than it has ever been, and we’re doing it with younger officers and fewer of them, “ he said, adding that law enforcement staffing is down as much as 30 percent at many agencies and the parish’s coverage area is “massive.”

“The average age is probably 24-ish,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that we don’t have good men and women. We have great men and women who are dedicating their lives to public service but not all of them have the life experiences that if shared between older and younger officers would be of benefit.”

He said valuing officers is important, as is taking time to listen and offering the right training to develop each man and woman’s full potential training, training that helps with critical thinking, decision making and communication for instance.

“You will get more from employees that feel valued,” he said.

It will be necessary to know when to rule with an iron fist and when to show compassion, according to Blanchard.

“Our job is not only arresting people, but it is also helping people,” Blanchard said. “We strongly advocate for crime victims, but we have to also be accountable, show compassion and flexibility for the defendant’s family. The crime is not the family’s fault.”

He identified six key issues that will get his attention as Sheriff. Prioritizing mental health for all deputies, defending the 2nd amendment, being responsible with tax dollars and ensuring accountability with a forensic audit and improving strategies for battling the fentanyl and human trafficking crisis.

“The Sheriff’s Office Interdiction Team could also be trained to investigate human trafficking because like narcotics, sex and labor slaves travel along the I-10 corridor. With things the way they are at the border, we need to get a handle on this,” he said.

“ I would like to see mental health services not just for officers, which is essential, but for the families of officers when the job impacts mental health at home.

“I saw some things I wish no one ever had to see and I think I did a good job of separating the job and family, but there were probably times my family suffered regardless of my efforts to be the best husband, the best father, the best brother, the best son I could be.”

He said a forensic audit of the budget could help shed light on the equipment the department owns, the cost of maintaining it when it’s not in use and how often it is used to ensure fiscal responsibility.

“I need to know where money has been spent to make changes to move forward. I am not saying it’s being spent in the wrong areas, it just needs to be done to make sure we’re moving in the right direction,” he said.

Blanchard said he’s not ready to stop doing what he had been doing for 30 years.

“I will be responsive, proactive, reactive when I need to be, and I’ll be accountable with your tax dollars. Give me that opportunity. I won’t fail you.”