Williams sworn in for second term as sheriff – Lincoln Parish Journal

By T. Scott Boatright

Lincoln Parish Sheriff Stephen Williams was sworn in for his second term before Third Judicial District Judge Monique B, Clement, during a brief ceremony held Friday at the parish sheriff's complex of Lincoln.

Williams began his law enforcement career with the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office in 1993 as a patrol deputy. In 2004, he was promoted to the Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team (LPNET) as a narcotics investigator.

While at LPNET, Williams excelled in investigating drug crimes and in 2006 was promoted by then-Sheriff Mike Stone to lead the Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigations Division.

A promotion to administrative captain in 2008 placed Williams in internal affairs and training and made him public information officer. He remained in this position until he was promoted to commander in 2013 and tasked with overseeing the Lincoln Parish Counter-Narcotics Team (LPNET).

As head of this multi-jurisdictional unit, Williams led the largest narcotics investigation in Lincoln Parish history. Operation “Pit Stop” made it possible to stop the flow of 4 to 6 kilos of cocaine per month in northern Louisiana and to seize more than $500,000 as well as numerous vehicles.

In 2016, Williams was promoted to major and placed in charge of the entire criminal division of the Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Office.

Williams served in that role until 2018, when he was promoted to chief deputy, making him responsible for all divisions and programs within the Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Office.

After taking his second oath as sheriff, Williams admitted he still sometimes feels surprised about taking on the role.

“I don’t like politics,” Williams said. “I don’t know how I got here. But I would like to thank the judge for doing this for me and thank you to my family. The night I was elected, I forgot to even mention my children, so I never experienced that (Williams and his wife Laundi have three children – sons Jordan and Cade, and daughter Reagan). Thank you to everyone in the back of the room (LPSO employees). I'm sheriff because of them. It's not because of anything I did. I just put my name on the line and wrote it down.

“In 2019, we promised during the campaign to (implement) body-worn cameras. It's done. We said we would open a shooting range to the public. That's done. Continue the fight against drugs and join the DEA task force. That's done. School resource officers in every school – it’s done. Sheriff's Office Litter Patrol – it's over.

Williams also discussed finances.

“We promised to operate within our means and use taxpayer dollars responsibly, and we have done so. We increase our budget surplus little by little each year. It is not my fault. I simply laid out what I wanted to do and asked you to do it, and you did it. »

“We also launched a Youth Academy which took on a life of its own. It will bear fruit for his office long after I'm gone. »

Williams admits he faced challenges, particularly during his early years as sheriff.

“As I entered the first two years of my first term, I wondered what I had done,” Williams said. “We faced hurricanes, tornadoes, COVID and a seven-day ice storm. And then the nationwide unrest made it seem like the whole world had turned against law enforcement.”

“The last year has really changed me and I’m feeling better about the whole situation. But I want people to know that I could have done all of this without the people at the sheriff’s department. Without that department, I would be going home.”

Williams also faces one of the biggest challenges he will face in his second term as sheriff.

“We're doing better at recruiting, but with all the negative press about law enforcement, we got to the point where no one wanted to do this job,” Williams said. “But we feel the tide turning and the country realizes that it really needs law enforcement.

“But recruiting people remains a challenge. We have been better off than many other services. Lincoln Parish is still a great place to live and people want to be here, which has helped us. But finding the right people for the job remains a challenge. »