CHARLES F. “CHUCK” WAGNER, JR.

3202 Jackson Street

Alexandria, Louisiana 71303

Telephone 318.445.6682

Facsimile 318.445.5098

October 2, 2007

To: Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Department Employees

As most of you surely know by now, my name is Chuck Wagner and I am a candidate for sheriff of Rapides Parish. I wanted to take the time to write to each of you to communicate some of my plans and ideas for the sheriff’s department and to dispel any myths or rumors that may have surfaced during this campaign. My commitment to you is to make decisions that are in the best interest of this parish and the people who protect it. I am putting some of my plans in writing so that I can be held accountable for the statements that I make.

As a former deputy and state trooper, I am friends with many of you. For those who do not know me already, I am a life long resident of Rapides Parish and have 14 years of law enforcement experience, 2 years as a deputy sheriff in Rapides Parish and 12 years as a Louisiana State Police Trooper. As a state trooper, I began my career at Troop E on patrol and later worked in different divisions including investigations and criminal patrol. I also was a member of the S.W.A.T. team and completed numerous law enforcement training schools. While working full time as a state trooper I attended Louisiana College full time and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.

I now work in the pharmaceutical industry, and I am blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of the day-to-day operations of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. My responsibilities include development of business, product education, safety, and territory management. I am also responsible for the submission of business plans, budgets, and the writing of grants. This company has given me the business experience I need to handle the financial and administrative aspects of the sheriff’s department.

As the employees of the sheriff’s department are not protected by civil service laws, any employee can basically be terminated at the will and discretion of the sheriff. This simple fact has given rise to more rumors and allegations amongst the employees of the sheriff’s department than any other. Regardless of what you may have heard, I would like each of you to know that there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that, as sheriff, I would terminate ANY employee’s job. I understand that every one of you have been put under extreme pressure during this election. I am not going to come into this office and start terminating people for making a choice that, quite frankly, they may have felt forced into making. It would be the very essence of poor administration and cruel leadership to do such a thing, and I have no intention of disrupting the daily business of any division of this department. As your next sheriff, I want to assure you that I will neither practice nor condone vindictive and spiteful behavior, and I would not terminate anyone because of their support of another candidate. After all, we are in America, aren’t we? I will work hard to earn your respect and will always have time to discuss any problems or suggestions that you may have.

Additionally, as sheriff, I am committed to making it against policy for any employee of the sheriff’s office to contribute money to any candidate running for sheriff, including me. This will allow employees to focus on their work, and not politics. Along with the fear of losing their jobs, many deputies have expressed to me that they feel compelled to donate money out of concern that if they do not, those who do will be given preferential treatment. This is unacceptable to me. Your jobs are tough enough without the added pressures that go along with an election. Some will tell you that this type of policy is impractical and cannot happen. But remember that my commitment to you is in writing. I would much rather you spend your hard earned money on your families and leave the politics to the candidates.

This department is one of the most financially blessed sheriff’s departments in the state. I am committed to providing the best training available, and to ensuring that training and advancement is equally available to everyone. For a company or department to be productive and flourish, opportunity has to be both available and accessible. Under my administration training, opportunities will be available to all divisions and to all employees, geared toward their respective jobs. 

The taxpayers of Rapides Parish have given their support to this department, and with this support comes the awesome responsibility for the department to spend tax dollars wisely. Their support has generated the ability for this office to be at the very pinnacle of 21st century law enforcement. My plan will provide department issued equipment to personnel including all leather gear, firearms, ammunition, uniforms, and any other equipment needed to bring the R.P.S.O. in line with other departments. All patrol cars will be outfitted with computers and all necessary up to date equipment needed to provide the best service available. I will work to provide take home vehicles to all essential personnel to help provide more protection to the parish by affording deputies the ability to respond to citizen complaints from their homes.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from the community in my travels around the parish is the lack of patrols and the response times to a call. The first responsibility of a sheriff is to the safety and protection of this community. We will research the number of patrols needed to adequately protect this parish and we will increase patrols accordingly. This will have the two-fold effect of providing better protection for the people of this parish and putting more post-certified deputies on the street to help back up one another.

We have an opportunity to attract the best and the brightest to the R.P.S.O. We have an obligation to the taxpayers to ensure that every person hired by the department is fit for duty, both mentally and physically, and trained to handle any situation that arises. I will institute a set of requirements that will consist of a competitive entrance exam to allow equal employment opportunity to everyone. I will also require extensive background checks as well as polygraphs, drug screening, and, most importantly, psychological testing. This will bring the R.P.S.O. in line with the most elite departments in the nation. I will create a military style pay scale that is set up to provide equal pay for employees with equal time and equal rank. It will also serve as a salary and merit increase schedule so that employees will be able to better plan their futures based on their expected incomes. I will also provide a pay incentive for employees with college degrees and work with employees to go back to college to pursue degrees. A rank structure will be put into place that is based on merit, competitive tests, capabilities, and tenure with the department. This set of guidelines will take some of the politics out of promotions and will allow everyone an equal opportunity.

The corrections division is where I feel that I need to clear up some misconceptions and also provide my insight and plans for this division. Some of you have expressed to me the impression that corrections has been left out of the rest of the department. My vision will ensure that the corrections division is included in every aspect of the sheriff’s department. I will work to provide an avenue for correctional officers to work their way out of the jail to pursue other positions in the department. I will also provide additional training for those wishing to make a career as a corrections officer. I have spoken of my intentions of sending state inmates back to D.O.C. This will not in any way affect the number of officers needed in the jails (your jobs are safe). This will free up jail space for those inmates that commit crimes in Rapides Parish. This solution will help make Rapides Parish a safer place for our families and communities to live, by taking OUR criminals off the street, not those of other parishes. I will also explore the possibility of creating a “tent city” facility which would remove all unnecessary amenities from inmates. We can utilize the saved taxpayer dollars for the betterment of the department. After all, we are running a jail, not a hotel.

The civil department plays an extremely important role in this parish. It was rumored by some that I would privatize this department. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This department will stay with the sheriff’s office as long as I am sheriff. I feel that with over five hundred employees, we will be able to reposition some employees to help this department function in a speedier, more efficient manner.

The narcotics division needs to be expanded greatly, in personnel, training and cutting-edge equipment. This division also needs the freedom to work closely with other agencies in the fight against drugs, particularly those which are manufactured within the parish. Drugs are without doubt the principal cause of the majority of crimes committed in this parish and the biggest threat to the future of our children. When it comes to the detection and apprehension of those most responsible for the proliferation of illegal drugs in our community, we cannot continue to operate in the same manner and expect different results. I will work closely with this division to ensure that we are doing everything possible to make our streets safer.

The S.R.O. program is our children’s first line of defense. I feel very strongly about this program and will work to add more deputies in the high schools. I feel that we need two deputies in each high school to provide better security and better serve the students in this parish. I will ensure that each deputy gets the training that he or she needs to do their jobs.

As you can see, I am committed to making the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office the absolute best it can be. It is my firm belief that the continued success of any organization is dependent upon the competence, satisfaction and well-being of its workforce. To that end, I am also committed to ensuring that every employee of the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office is given everything he or she needs (including training, state-of-the-art equipment, predictable pay scales, and the opportunity for advancement and promotion based on merit, not politics) to best serve this parish. I will always be responsive to your needs and will always treat each of you with the dignity and respect you deserve. I know that my commitments will require much work and I am looking forward to the challenge. One thing is certain, I cannot do this alone. I have taken the time to write this out so that each of you can hold me to my commitments.

In talking with some of the deputies, it has come to my attention that some of you may have been told, erroneously, that it is possible for someone to find out who you voted for. This could not be farther from the truth. Once you are at the voting machine in the registrar’s office or behind that curtain at the polls, only you and God will know the person you voted for. As the Registrar of Voters has verified, there is absolutely no way anyone can ever tell how you voted. Your vote is a right and privilege, and will always be kept strictly confidential.

I have many more plans for this department, but I just wanted to touch on some key points. Sheriff Hilton has done a magnificent job in his tenure as sheriff of Rapides Parish. But, as many of you have already said, my opponent is no William Earl Hilton. If you are looking for someone who will allow you to do your job and provide you with the training and equipment necessary to do it, who will treat you with the respect you deserve as the primary law enforcement agency for this parish, and who will welcome the ideas and suggestions you can offer as veterans of this department, then I would humbly and respectfully ask for your vote.

Thank you for your time and consideration. If any of you would like to know more about my plans and ideas for this office, or just would like to talk to me personally, please feel free to call anytime.

      Sincerely and respectfully,

      Charles F. “Chuck” Wagner, Jr.