Sheriff: Extra patrols underway for St. Landry Parish crawfish ponds

St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz is announcing that extra patrols are underway for he parish’s crawfish ponds.
During the peak harvest season, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division devotes hundreds of man-hours to perform extra-patrol of the ponds across the parish, a news release stated.
Since 2011, there have been only nine reported incidents of crawfish theft in St. Landry Parish, the news release stated.
Prevention… through patrol… is the key for that success, the news release stated.
It also stated state law makes stealing crawfish a felony if the total value of the stolen property is over $300.
Values are calculated at market retail, so if you plan to steal a few sacks of crawfish, you should also plan to do serious time, the news release stated.
Guidroz stated, “Our farmers work very hard for their crop. Crawfish farming has been a great savior for rice-farmers across the parish. As Sheriff, I am dead serious about protecting these ponds. We will not tolerate a crawfish thief. If we catch you, you will go to jail… and the sentences are stiff.”