East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office
The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency of East Baton Rouge Parish, and has jurisdiction anywhere in the parish. It falls under the authority of the sheriff, who is the chief law enforcement officer of the parish. The sheriff's office employs approximately 850 deputies, making it one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state of Louisiana.
Substations
The department is divided up into five substations, with its headquarters in downtown Baton Rouge. The substations are as follows:- Kleinpeter - The Kleinpeter Substation was built in 1978 and is located in the southern portion of East Baton Rouge Parish. Geographically bounded by Airline Highway to the west, the Amite River to the East, Florida Boulevard to the north, and the Ascension/ Iberville parish lines to the south, Kleinpeter Deputies provide coverage to the largest and most heavily populated areas of the parish. The actual patrol area covers an area of approximately and has an area resident population of approximately 100,000. Kleinpeter Substation operates with 80 uniformed deputies and a reserve roster of approximately 30 reserves.
- Burbank - Burbank Substation opened in 2005 and is located in the southern part of the parish. Geographically bounded by the Mississippi River to the west, Airline Highway to the East, the City of Baton Rouge to the north, and the Ascension/ Iberville parish lines to the south, the Burbank Substation responds to an average of 1000 service calls a month and operates with 40 uniformed deputies. Burbank Substation also houses the Traffic Bureau.
- Gardere - The Gardere Substation opened in 2014 and serves the Gardere community with 40 uniformed deputies.
- Central - Central Substation was built in November 1978. The area of patrol is bounded by Florida Boulevard to the south, the Amite River to the east, Plank Road to the west, and the East Feliciana/St. Helena parish lines to the north covering over. Central Substation operates with 30 uniformed Deputies.
- Scotlandville - Scotlandville Sub-Station was built in 1974, to service the northern portion of the parish, which covers roughly. The boundaries are from Plank Road to the east, the Mississippi River to the west, Florida Boulevard to the south, and the East Feliciana parish line to the north. The Sub-Station is also located in the heart of Scotlandville, which houses Southern University, one of the two major universities in Baton Rouge.
- Zachary-Pride - Zachary-Pride Substation opened its doors on March 22, 2007. It is located on Tucker Road just off of Highway 64 in Zachary. The Reserve Division is also housed at the Zachary-Pride Substation. There are approximately 100 Reserves who serve East Baton Rouge Parish by donating their time to make Baton Rouge and its surrounding areas safe for all.
- Traffic Division - The new Traffic Office was opened in 2009 and is located at 1759 Physicians Park. The Traffic Division is responsible for Parade Permits, Traffic Crash investigations, Hit and Run investigations, Traffic Homicides, Radar enforcement and Junk Vehicle complaints.
- K-9 Division - The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office is recognized as having one of the best trained K-9 units in the United States. At a national competition of police dogs in 2013, two of their dogs, "Mylo" and "Jumma", took first and second place in narcotics detection. The K-9 Division currently operates at the new Zachary-Pride Substation that was completed in January 2011. The K-9 Division was started in 2008 by Sheriff Gautreaux. Prior to 2008, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff Office had no K-9 Division. The Division currently has 9 canine dogs. The Division currently uses 7 USPCA certified canines for Criminal Patrol and 2 Nationally recognized Multi-Certified Narcotic Detection Canines. The Narcotic Detection Canines currently hold numerous certifications including: United States Police Canine Association, National Narcotic Detector Dog Association, and U.S. K-9.
Other facilities
- Headquarters - The headquarters building is located in downtown Baton Rouge across from the 19th Judicial District Courthouse. The building houses the administrative office of the sheriff's office as well as many specialized bureaus including: Homicide, Criminal Investigations, Financial Crimes, Crime Scene, Robbery & Burglary, Auto Theft, Narcotics, Internal Affairs and others.
- Parish Prison - The East Baton Rouge Parish Prison is located near Metro Airport and is run and staffed by the Sheriff's Office. Over 1500 inmates are housed at this facility; 1410 males and 184 females. Over 350 Deputies are employed at the Prison, including secretarial workers, guards, and administrative staff.
- Firing Range - The Firearms Training Unit is staffed by 8 Instructors, who carry multiple certifications from recognized organizations such as Louisiana Police Officer Standards and Training Council, The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Blackwater USA, SigArms Academy, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Glock, Ruger, Bushmaster, Action Target Training Academy and the National Rifle Association. The firing range is located in the northern part of the parish and provides firearms training for the Sheriff's Office as well as surrounding law enforcement agencies.
Rank structure
| Rank | Insignia | Description |
| Sheriff | The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer for East Baton Rouge Parish. The sheriff wears four gold stars on each shoulder. Sheriff Sid J. Gautreaux, III | |
| Colonel | The colonel is the Chief Criminal Deputy of the sheriff's office. Ultimately all divisions of the sheriff's office fall under the guidance of the colonel. The colonel wears a silver eagle on each shoulder. Colonel Lawrence McCleary, Chief Criminal Deputy Stephen Hymel, Chief Civil Deputy | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | The lieutenant colonel is primarily responsible for the criminal division of the sheriff's office. The lieutenant colonel wears a silver oak leaf on each shoulder. Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Grimes is the Warden at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. | |
| Major | There are four majors in the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. Majors wear a gold oak leaf on each shoulder. Major Ron Boucher, Chief of Detectives Major Michael Crawford, Chief of Operations Major Robert Clements, Deputy Warden of the Parish Prison | |
| Captain | Captains are commanders of their particular division such as: Kleinpeter Substation, Criminal Investigations, Crime Scene etc... Captains are ultimately responsible for the performance and conduct of the deputies in their command. The sheriff's office has approximately 12+ captains. Captains wear two gold bars on each shoulder. | |
| Lieutenant | Lieutenants are shift supervisors. They are responsible for all of the activity on their respective shifts and for ensuring the deputies are serving the citizens and enforcing the laws properly. Lieutenants wear a single gold bar on each shoulder. | |
| Sergeant | Sergeants are assistant shift supervisors. The shift sergeant assists the shift lieutenant with day-to-day activities of his shift and the supervision of deputies under their command. Sergeants must perform patrol activities as well as knowing about the shift as he is the acting shift supervisor when needed. Sergeants wear three inverted chevrons on the uniform shirt collar. | |
| Corporal | Corporals are first line supervisors who assist the shift sergeants and lieutenants with supervising deputies under their command. Unlike many law enforcement agencies where the rank of corporal is given after a certain period of service, corporals with the Sheriff's office are promoted much like sergeants and are supervisors who routinely perform the job of acting sergeant or scene supervisor when necessary. Corporals wear two inverted chevrons on the uniform shirt collar. | |
| Deputy Sheriff | The position of deputy sheriff is the entry job title of the Sheriff's Office. Even after they are promoted or transferred they are still a deputy sheriff as they serve under the sheriff. Deputies do not wear rank insignia. |
Duty weapons
The current standard issue firearm for EBRSO Deputies is the Glock Model 22 semi-automatic pistol in.40 S&W and the Smith & Wesson Model 66 revolver in.38 caliber. Other optional handguns are also authorized for carry on-duty as well as off-duty. Most deputies are also issued a Remington 870 Police 12 gauge shotgun. Some police cars are also equipped with a Colt AR-15 A2 in.223. The deputies are issued batons and the chemical spray Freeze +P. Tasers have also recently been issued.Patrol cars
The current main sheriff's office patrol vehicles are the Dodge Charger, Chevy Tahoe, and the Ford Explorer. Other less common vehicles include the Chevy Impala, Chevy Caprice, and The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. The vehicles' markings include a sheriff's office badge on the front quarter panels, "SHERIFF" on the doors and "EAST BATON ROUGE" on the bottom door panels. Green and yellow stripes run down the side of the vehicle and a unit number is displayed on the roof for air unit identification. The patrol vehicles are outfitted with LED light bars and have laptop computers for use by deputies. Other vehicles currently used include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a Bell OH-58 A-Model Helicopter, a Lenco Bearcat SWAT vehicle, and a Peterbilt Mobile Command Center. Several other unmarked vehicles in various makes and models are also used for non-patrol purposes.Past sheriffs and ''ex officio'' tax collectors
| Sheriff | Date of Oath |
| John Neilson | |
| Thomas Lilly | |
| Philemon Thomas | |
| Ferdinand L. Ameling | |
| John C. Buhler | |
| Augustin Duplantier | |
| Henry Waller Fowler | |
| Leroy C. Morris | |
| Henry V. Babin | |
| Francis V. Provest | |
| Edward Cousinard | |
| Thompson J. Bird | |
| Thomas W. Hurst | |
| G. LeBlanc | |
| O.H. Foreman | |
| W.L. Booth | |
| J.W. Bates | |
| J.H. Slaughter | |
| Joseph T. Young | |
| Nolan Stewart Dougherty | |
| W.G. Randolph | |
| J.A.M. Randolph | |
| T.H. Womack | |
| Robert B. Day | |
| Mrs. Eudora Slaughter Day | |
| Thomas Edward McHugh | |
| Robert Lee Petit | |
| Newman Henry deBretton | |
| Frank D. Trimble | |
| Bryan Clemmons | |
| J. Al Amiss | |
| Fred Sliman, Jr. | |
| Elmer B. Litchfield | |
| Greg Phares | |
| Sid J. Gautreaux, III |
Fallen officers
Since the formation of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, ten deputies and one sheriff have been killed in the line of duty. The most common cause of line of duty deaths to date is gunfire.| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
| Robert B. Day | Gunfire | |
| Joseph Arnold Lejuene | Gunfire | |
| Glynn E. Averette | Automobile accident | |
| Charles H. Hurt | Gunfire | |
| Ralph G. Hancock | Gunfire | |
| Ralph Dewayne Wilder | Gunfire | |
| Michael Wayne Ritchie | Gunfire | |
| Jimmy Charles Matthews | Gunfire | |
| Gerald Kevin Simmons | Gunfire | |
| Bradford Allen Garafola | Gunfire | |
| Shawn Thomas Anderson | Gunfire |