Justin Brown appointed new Chief of Police of Franklinton, LA

Justin Brown, the long-time #2 man at the Franklinton Police Department, has been named chief of police. The announcement was made late last week by Franklinton Mayor Richard Dillon.

Dillon said he and the Franklinton Board of Aldermen are pleased about Brown’s appointment. Brown will succeed Olander Smith, who has stepped down after serving three years as police chief, apparently to run for sheriff of Washington Parish.

Brown will be appointed acting chief this Friday and will officially be sworn in on February 12. Currently holding the rank of major in the police department, Brown has served as assistant chief of police for both former chief Donald Folse as well as Smith.

Dillon said Brown was selected after an extensive interview process and said he is grateful to each of the candidates who were interviewed for the chief’s position. The mayor said the quality of the candidates was impressive. “We have a wealth of talented and dedicated law enforcement officers in our department,” he said.

Brown is a Franklinton native, educated in local schools. He graduated from Franklinton High School and then went on to Southeastern Louisiana University. He is the son of David and Marsha Brown of Franklinton, and is married to Meghann Cassidy Brown. The Browns have three children: Brody, Addison, and Drew.

Brown has been the lead investigator on several of Frankinton's most heinous and high profile murder cases. He led the 2008 double homicide investigation in East Acres that resulted in the sentencing of the murder suspect to life in prison without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Brown said he and his investigative team lived with the crime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until the arrest and conviction was made.

Brown has also been the primary grant writer for the police department. It is through his grant writing that the department has been able to constantly upgrade its vehicle fleet, mostly with new Chevrolet Tahoes.

In addition to his police work, Brown was also a long-time member of the Louisiana Air National Guard, reaching the rank of Master Sergeant. He was called up for every hurricane to hit Louisiana while in the Guard. He also was called up to active duty and deployed to the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom, which was launched following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

While attending college at Southeastern, Brown was called to join his unit in Belle Chase at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base for the next eight months before being deployed to the Middle East. After his overseas tour, Brown enrolled in the Community College of the Air Force where he acquired a degree in Criminal Justice. He holds numerous police-related and National Guard-related certifications.

Brown is a board member of the Franklinton Dixie Baseball Association, and has been the coach of the Franklinton Police Department’s youth baseball team for the last five years.

Following his appointment, Brown said, “I am humbled and honored to be selected as the new Chief of Police for Franklinton. I intend to lead from the front, drawing on the many talents of our amazing officers. Our mission will be focused on crime prevention, community interaction, and public service.”

He added, “I pray that God will continue to watch over our town, the Franklinton Police Department, and the selfless officers who put their lives on the line each and every day in order to make a difference. I also pray for wisdom and guidance as I am entrusted with this new role.”

Brown said he is grateful to Mayor Dillon and the Board of Aldermen for their strong support of the police department. “I look forward to the new opportunities ahead and I will strive to continue building strong working relationships with fellow law enforcement agencies and with our community.”

 Justin Brown has been appointed the new Chief of Police of Franklinton, Louisiana

Husser-Rigby leads Troy to Tournament Championship

Coach Chanda Husser Rigby and her Troy Trojans entered this week’s Sun Belt Tournament in New Orleans with a 17-12 record (12-8 in the conference) and the #4 seed. The Lady Trojans finished the regular season on a strong note by winning seven of their last eight regular-season games.

After defeating South Alabama 62-49 in opening-round action, the Trojans pulled off the upset of the tournament in the semifinal game by defeating top-seeded Arkansas State 96-89. The win put the Trojans in the championship game against Little Rock. Arkansas State (26-5) had defeated Troy twice in regular-season play.

In the championship game, the Trojans faced the #2 seeded Arkansas-Little Rock Lady Trojans. The two teams had split their regular-season games against each other. Troy trailed for much of the game, but a basket with 15 seconds left put the Trojans up 61-60. A blocked shot and rebound on the defensive end sealed the championship game win. The Sun Belt Tournament championship is the first in school history.

By capturing the tournament title at the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, the Trojans receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Tournament pairings will be announced at a later date.

Congratulations to Coach Rigby and the Trojans!

Troy head coach Chanda Husser Rigby celebrates with her players after the team's semifinal win over top-seeded Arkansas State. Troy captured the school's first ever Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship by defeating Little Rock 61-60 in the championship game.

Franklinton Hires New Chief of Police

Longtime Franklinton Police Chief Donald Folse has retired and former State Police Major Olander Smith has been hired as the Town’s new chief.

Folse has been considering retirement for some time due to health issues and decided recently to do so.

Smith retired from the state police as commander of Region 1, which includes three state police troops. Earlier he had been commander of Troop L in Mandeville which serves Washington Parish and other nearby parishes. He had worked with the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Randy Seal following his retirement from the state police.

Folse had a long career in law enforcement. In addition to his service with the Franklinton Police Department, he also served with the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. He served as former Chief of Police Lynn Armand’s captain when the police department was in its old building on Pearl Street. When Armand retired in late 1994, Folse was elevated to chief as of January 1, 2005.

Folse has said that overseeing law enforcement in Franklinton during and after Hurricane Katrina was among his greatest challenges as chief.

With Folse’s retirement and Smith’s appointment, Franklinton Mayor Wayne Fleming and the Board of Aldermen released a statement which said, in part:

“Chief Folse has done a tremendous job in leading the Franklinton Police Department to be recognized as one of the best in the state. We thank him for his 10-plus years of dedicated service at FPD to the citizens of our town and wish him nothing but the best.

“We are pleased to announce that Olander Smith will serve as our next Chief of Police. Chief Smith has over 30 years of experience with the Louisiana State Police. He has also worked with the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office during his career. He is well respected by the law enforcement community as well as the general public. We are confident he will continue to lead the department in a positive direction. At the request of Chief Smith, Chief Folse will assist in the transition.”

Former Chief of Police Donald Folse recently retired after 10-plus years of service to the citizens of Franklinton. During his tenure as chief, the Franklinton Police Department was named as the best department in the state on several occasions.