Sheriff-elect Ricky Moses will be sworn into office Tuesday at 8 a.m. inside the Beauregard Parish Courthouse. Moses, a 20-year veteran of the Beauregard Parish Sheriff Department (BPSD), says he is excited about this new opportunity to serve the public. "The citizens of Beauregard Parish have put a lot of trust in my abilities, and I'm thankful."

During his two decades with the department, Moses spent 13 years working on the "civil side." During the last four years he served as the Sales Tax Administrator. He resigned in March 2007 to run for office and was hired back on the department in November. His leap of faith has apparently paid off, as his career dream of becoming Sheriff will reach fruition when he takes his oath this morning.

Moses already has fresh ideas and new plans in the works for the department, although he starts with what he says is "a good, solid foundation to build from."

As promised during his campaign, intense monitoring and tracking programs for sexual offenders is already a top priority for Moses. He has hired a full-time deputy to keep registered sex offenders in compliance with the law.  Starting today, that deputy will be responsible for all compliance registry issues, notifying neighbors, and making personal visits to check on the registered offenders. 

  
Moses said he has also hired a new full-time member of the Narcotics Division to "help implement more drug interdiction patrols along with the task force."

While those new changes will be seen immediately, Moses also has ideas that he plans to expand on in the future.

"I'd like to see more patrols – something I've heard from citizens," Moses said, referring to his goal to improve on the Reserve Officer Program.

He plans to hold a reserve class in Fall 2008 or early 2009, to train more community members who are interested in serving and protecting the parish in the elite volunteer force.

Moses says he also wants to make classrooms safer in Beauregard Parish by placing deputies in schools, creating a local School Resource Officer (SRO) Program. Moses believes the presence of officers will enhance the safety and security of area students and school staff and that it will deter students from bringing drugs to school. However, it could take a few years before schools actually see SROs on campus, while the department attempts to secure the grant money that typically funds such programs.

Overall, Moses plans to maintain a similar management style that the citizens of Beauregard Parish are familiar with – starting with the open-door policy he plans to continue. Moses said that citizens are always welcome to drop by the office and meet with him about any concerns or issues they have, and he also plans to be very visible in the community.