News

Please help us welcome our newest honorary police officer!

On Monday, March 25, Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel was sworn in as Honorary Police Officer at Mansfield Police Department.

Twelve year old DJ is from Houston, Texas and has been battling a rare and incurable cancer of the brain and spine. He has had thirteen brain surgeries to date.

While facing all that he has with his illness he has a goal of being sworn into as many Law Enforcement agencies as possible, as DJ words it, “until his gas tank runs out.”

He loves and admires his heroes, which are his fellow Brothers and Sisters in Law Enforcement. He is a graduate of FBI Session #284 and has been currently sworn in by 822 agencies across the Nation and International, too. It would be a great honor to have Mansfield help him keep the fight and humanizing the Badge along the way.

Last week, Sheriff Jayson Richardson and Captain Phillip Daniels led a coalition of public safety representatives to Washington D.C. in an effort to secure funding for Next Generation 911. Next Generation 911 takes into account that more than 90% of emergency calls originate from cell phones and it capitalizes on all of the features offered by those devices. This allows for a more effective response to everyone, across the United States.

The national cost of this required conversion is nearly 15 billion dollars that Sheriff Richardson and his colleagues wish to fund from the sale of wireless spectrum to private industry. Sheriff Richardson was able to secure meetings with several Senators and Representatives and ultimately met with Speaker Mike Johnson to encourage the movement of the bill to the floor. The success of this cause will have the potential to benefit every 911 center across our nation, as well as every single person who experiences an emergency.

Sheriff Jayson Richardson and staff at the DeSoto Sheriff’s Office bid a happy retirement to Communications Lieutenant, Melody Hall.

Melody has served for 18 years here at DPSO, beginning in 1999 as a deputy dispatcher where she quickly moved up to Corporal in the early 2000’s. She left for a short period to go and work for Louisiana Probation & Parole, but returned to DPSO in March of 2014. Melody was promoted to Sergeant in Communications around 20152016 and has served as the Lieutenant in that division for the past 6 years, a role she now retires in. Altogether, Melody will go home with 23+ years in Law Enforcement, a career she says she just “happened upon in the beginning.” She was looking for a job, had a past in technology, and simply put an application in. Four months later, she began a career, and became family.

You could soon be required to have a license plate on the front of your vehicle.

That proposal was up for discussion today by the House Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee.

Current law only requires the plate to be displayed on the back of the vehicle. The bill would require a second plate to be visible on the front.

Twenty-nine states in the U.S. currently required both a front and back license plate.

The bill has been deferred for further committee consideration.

Deputies with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office will once again be utilizing the school break to familiarize themselves with campuses across the parish. Please be advised that you may see an increased presence of law enforcement vehicles throughout the upcoming Spring Break week. Investigators, SROs, SWAT, Patrol, School Officials and others will use this week for training purposes, a common proactive measure to ensure that school safety remains a top priority.

We are ever grateful for the strong working relationship between our office and our DeSoto Parish Schools, and we wish everyone a fun, relaxing, and safe Spring Break!

On Sunday, March 24, the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office made a social media post that their Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) had reported to Cathey Acres in Stonewall and had asked the public to stay away from the area.

Later that evening they updated the post that the subject involved in the incident was in custody and was no longer a threat in the area. Area residents were warned that they should still expect to see law enforcement in the area until the investigation was wrapped up.

DPSO concluded in their post that they would follow up with more details on Monday morning. As of The Enterprise’s press time there were no new updates available on the case.

The SCAM goes like this: You receive a call from what appears to be our phone number. Someone claiming to be from our office says that you missed Jury Duty and must pay a fine, or they state that you have a warrant and need to pay. You are asked to go to the store and put the amount of money you owe onto a gift card, visa card, green dot, apple card, etc. They may even ask you to go to a Bitcoin or Cryptocurrency Kiosk to send the money. The scammer will also attempt to keep you on the phone the entire time, with a threat of arrest...

Here are a few things you should know: – Caller ID can be spoofed (faked), which means a SCAM caller can make themselves appear to be calling from any number they want. The reason they want to keep you on the phone is because if you hang up and call our office back....that call comes to us, and we would tell you it is a SCAM. So the scammer is going to attempt to keep you on the phone until money is transferred.

UPDATE: DOTD advises motorists that the date for this closure has been extended to be in place through Thursday, April 4, 2024. We appreciate your patience while this work is underway.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Thursday, March 21, 2024, LA 5 from Thomas Road to LA 3015 (Longstreet) in DeSoto Parish will be closed.

This closure is scheduled to be in place until Thursday, March 28th, and is necessary to allow the contractor to replace a cross drain pipe as part of the ongoing LA 5 overlay project.

Local traffic north and south of the pipe location will be allowed access, though the roadway will be fully closed to through traffic.

The location of the pipe replacement is approximately 1.1 miles south of LA 3015 (see included map).

The entire $15.3 million project stretches from Thomas Road to Keatchie, and is anticipated to be complete in Summer 2025, weather permitting.

On March 20, the Lady Tigers recognized Mrs. Vicki McWhorter for being #thedesotodifference. She goes above & beyond for the Lady Tigers team by fixing a meal or whatever these girls need. Thank you Mrs. Vicki for your continued support & for making #thedesotodifference.

The DeSoto Parish School Board extends their heartfelt congratulations to Mansfield Elementary School Principal, Amanda LaFollette, for being named a Louisiana Principal of the Year semifinalist. This prestigious recognition is a testament to her unwavering dedication, innovative leadership, and commitment to fostering a positive and caring culture within the MES school community.

Mrs. LaFollette’s philosophy of nurturing a positive and caring culture has had a profound impact on student outcomes. By creating an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered, she has inspired them to reach new heights of success. Her emphasis on building meaningful relationships, promoting inclusivity, and fostering a sense of belonging has not only enhanced the academic experience but also contributed significantly to the social and emotional well-being of our students.