Louisiana Voice

A reasonable assumption would be that with all the stories of abuse, payroll fraud, sexual escapades, and cover-ups over the past 17 years, the Louisiana State Police would at least make an effort to clean up their act.

But that just doesn’t seem to be the case at all. Beginning with the physical abuse inflicted on former New Orleans attorney ASHTON O’DWYER during Hurricane Katrina by State Police from Troop F and culminating in the beatings of black motorists in Troop F and allegations of cheating by cadets at the State Police Academy, the agency has been plagued by a series of self-inflicted troubles.

And just as things had settled down somewhat, came back-to-back-to-back stories that gave State Police yet another black eye.

On September 12, a performance AUDIT of LSP by the Legislative Auditor’s office revealed that the number of investigations of unbecoming conduct, excessive force, and unsatisfactory performance increased by 92 percent from 2020 to 2021.

The same day the audit was released, a former state trooper pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice in connection with a traffic stop during which she shot an unarmed man, leaving him partially paralyzed.

Nine days later, State Police Lieutenant Kirk Thibodeaux was arrested in South Dakota on a misdemeanor charge of hiring a prostitute while he was in Rapid City for a work conference. He was placed on administrative leave pending criminal and administrative investigations.

Former State Trooper Kasha Domingue was fired in 2021 following her indictment on counts of aggravated second-degree battery and illegal use of a weapon in connection with the 2018 shooting of teenager Clifton Dilley. As part of her plea agreement to the reduced misdemeanor charge, she was sentenced to six months’ probation. She also signed a letter of agreement with the victim’s family in which she promised to never serve in law enforcement again.

Back in June, Trooper Aubin Young was placed on leave after he refused to provide a blood sample following his DWI ARREST in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Louisiana State Police problems persisted despite having one of the largest budgets and being among the highest-paid in the South. The LSP budget of $330.7 million for Fiscal Year 2022 was second only to the $409 million of Texas, which has 3,878 state troopers compared to 1,779 for Louisiana. South Carolina, with 1,138 state troopers, has a budget of only $89 million.

Of the nine other states included in comparisons – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas – Louisiana was the only state that required that its state police superintendent be appointed from LSP ranks.

Most disturbing was the finding that from 2019 to 2021, there were 366 complaints filed with 247 (67.5 percent being sustained.

And that was after LSP did its dead-level best to cover up details of the RONALD GREENE beating death by Troop F troopers in May of 2019.

And the first arrest in connection with the Greene death only came after 175 STORIES by LouisianaVoice about State Police, after at least two beatings, one death, and numerous retirements.

And still, there’s turmoil at the agency.