This is the third in a series of candidate question and answer features St. Tammany News will run before the upcoming elections. Each candidate was asked a series of the same five questions.

After 24 years working on the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office, Randy Smith is no stranger to law enforcement. A native of Slidell Smith retired recently from the STPSO as a lieutenant and serves as criminal patrol supervisor. He graduated from the LSU Law Enforcement Academy in Baton Rouge. He was president of the St. Tammany Deputy Sheriff’s Association, and an alumni of Leadership Slidell. He also belongs to the Slidell Elks Club, the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce, and the Krewe of Dionysus.

Smith is married to Adele Bruce Smith and has two children.

Randy Smith

What do you think is the biggest problem facing the Slidell Police Department and what will you do to alleviate that problem? One of the main concerns I have with the Slidell Police Department is the budget deficit, which is largely due to the decreased sales tax and the recent economic downturn. As your next chief, I will evaluate the budget of every division to ensure tax dollars are being used effectively and efficiently. I will ensure that public safety is not jeopardized due to the lack of funds.

Despite the city’s low crime rate, there seems to be an increase in illegal drug sales and use. How do you plan to combat this crime? Drugs are the fuel of most criminals. I will combat the illegal drug trade in our community by enhancing the Narcotics Division and by working with other agencies to identify, investigate, arrest and prosecute drug dealers. My priority is to arrest and seek prosecution against offenders in order to put them out of business.

With decreasing revenues coming into the city’s coffers, there will be a budget crunch. How do you plan to address this, and still maintain an effective police force? I will recruit and expand the volunteer reserve and temporary officers to fill vacant positions in order to maintain necessary manpower, with minimal cost to the Department’s operating budget.

What more can be done to reach out to the residents of Slidell to make them more aware of the department’s presence and increase the trust between residents and police officers? I will meet regularly with faith-based organizations, homeowners and civic groups to ensure communication, listening to their needs, concerns, suggestions and questions regarding crime prevention. Working together with the community is the key to keeping our city safe, and I will not treat the position of Police Chief as a desk job.

If the city continues to grow at its present rate, how will that effect the police department, and what can be done to face the challenge of more people, more traffic and more crime? As the budget allows, I will expand the department in areas of patrol officers, reserve officers and specialized investigation units. I will create a Traffic Division, including motorcycle officers, to enforce traffic violators in our neighborhoods and school zones. This will enhance visibility of officers on the street and will help reduce crime.