Sheriff Stitch Guillory said a local tax renewal Calcasieu Parish voters will see on their May 3 ballots is vital to law enforcement operations.

If it doesn’t pass, Guillory said his office will have no other choice but to cut salaries, personnel and services.

“This is one-third of our total projected revenue,” Guillory said. “At the end of the day, this tax is about maintaining what we already have. It would be dire for us if it wasn’t renewed.”

The law enforcement district proposition before voters is for the collection of a one-half percent sales tax over a 10-year period beginning Oct. 1, 2026. The tax is expected to collect $33.5 million annually.

“This is an investment within our community,” Guillory said. “I remember when we first asked for this tax it was after Hurricane Rita and we weren’t sure if we would have enough money to cover our payroll. We thought we were going to have to go to the bonding commission and ask to make a loan, but Sheriff (Tony) Mancuso felt at the time that it was a good opportunity to go to our citizens and ask for help.”

The proposition funds the patrol, emergency response, community outreach and corrections divisions.

“More importantly, it supports the deputy pay and retention and allows us to give them the benefits we give them — health care and retirement,” Guillory said.

When the measure first passed, CPSO units did not have computers.

“We were really antiquated and behind and now at this point, we’re one of the leaders in the whole entire state within law enforcement,”  he said. “Our technology is second to none but if we want to stay that way we’ve got to continue to spend. Technology costs a lot of money.”

Guillory estimates that each patrol unit on Calcasieu Parish roads costs about $200,000.

“Think of it in terms of dollars and cents — you pay the deputy and give them benefits, outfit them, train them, plus the cost of the car,” he said. “A car is going to cost about $60,000, then you have to put radios, cages, sirens, light bars and equipment inside and you’re looking at another $12,000-$15,000. Then you have to look at the deputy and by the time you figure in benefits and everything you pay him and the retirement you’re providing that’s another $60,000. Then you have to outfit the deputy and give them a bullet-proof vest, a gun, training, a sidearm, a loan rifle, a portable radio to call for help. The deputy needs all the tools to do the job. It costs a lot of money to provide one police officer to the community.”

Guillory said CPSO employs 900 employees — including 175 patrol deputies, 80 detectives and 250 who work in corrections.

“We have a large department because we’re responsible for 1,200 square miles within our parish,” he said. “It’s a big undertaking and unfortunately it costs a lot of money but when you look at it, what’s the cost of safety?”

Guillory said he takes pride in seeing children playing in local parks and seeing the community “having faith and trust in us.”

He’s also committed to continuing the DARE program in local schools to build relationships and keep them solid.

“There’s nothing that says we have to provide that or services to our elderly, but it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “The ladies in our elderly program go all around the parish and host bingos and do safety talks on scams. It’s important for us to provide that service. Another service is for funerals. That’s a service we provide free of charge — a lot of other places charge for that — but at the end of life we’re going to escort you to your graveside and put you at your final resting spot. There’s no requirement that we have to do that.”

The same goes for security at the courthouse. The law requires CPSO to provide the bailiff only, but the parish chooses to provide deputies at each entrance, in each courtroom and a handful to work the metal detectors.

“We go above and beyond in protecting our community and that’s what they deserve.”

Guillory said he’s asking the public to continue to trust his office with their money.

“We’re going to spend it wisely,” he said. “We’re going to continue to be on the cutting edge of technology and do everything we can to solve crime and bring criminals to justice.”