Sheriff, Higgins part ways

Former St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Capt. Clay Higgins’ resignation revealed a rift between the swaggering Crime Stopper figure and his boss, Sheriff Bobby Guidroz, in a very public way.
On Monday and on the steps of the St. Landry Parish Courthouse, Higgins announced his resignation with a full array of reporters and photographers called to the scene.
The deputy deemed the “Cajun John Wayne” by some in the news media, announced, “I’ve asked y’all here today with a heavy heart to advise of my resignation from the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office,” Higgins said.
“I have met with the sheriff. He has accepted my resignation. I was not forced to resign. The sheriff didn’t ask for my resignation. Rather, I have turned in my badge as a matter of conscience,” he said.
Guidroz, in a statement, said, “The public needs to remember the department public information officer is a spokesperson for the sheriff and represents the sheriff’s words, thoughts and message. If Clay Higgins cannot agree with my words, thoughts and message, then he is correct in resigning his position.”
On Wednesday, the sheriff released a new statement that included, “I reined Higgins in knowing there would be resistance. His experience and former occupation as a car salesman has given him the gift of a silver tongue. His gifted ability to speak is making him appear as a ‘Fierce Crime Fighter.’ Let’s not mistake the fact that I have the highest regard for car salesmen.”
Higgins served as the sheriff’s public information officer and the star of the weekly St. Landry Parish Crime Stopper segments for about 16 months.
A Crime Stopper episode aired Feb. 17 with Higgins at the center of a massive show of force to call down the Gremlin Gang apparently triggered the resignation and a war of words with the sheriff, who was recently reelected without opposition.
The Gremlins’ installment raised protests from the American Civil Liberties Union, family members of accused gang members and civil rights activists.
On Feb. 21, several family members of accused Gremlins gang members met in Abbeville, voicing their disapproval of the segment.
The week after the segment, Higgins was said to be on vacation when Guidroz explained, “We are going to tone it down” in reference to the Crime Stoppers performance.
The sheriff praised Higgins and said, “We will go back to the basics of Crime Stoppers and request tips and information about crimes. We will stick to that mission.”
Guidroz also took responsibility for the controversial Gremlins video.
Meanwhile, a fissure developed between Higgins and State Police.
In an e-mail to news media, Higgins said Louisiana State Police had asked to use Crime Stoppers to highlight felony warrants for alleged Gremlin gang members.
State Police Troop I spokesman Master Trooper Brooks David said Higgins did not represent or speak for State Police. David said State Police did not participate in the Crime Stopper segment on the Gremlins.
Higgins dropped the resignation bomb with characteristic swagger mixed with religious references.
“I would give my life, leave my wife without a husband, my children without a daddy, rather than kneel to the very forces of evil that I have so long stood against,” he said. “So, if I would sacrifice my life for my principles, surely you would understand I must sacrifice my job. It saddens me that I feel compelled to do so because I love my sheriff. I admire my sheriff. I respect him. He is a good man with a good heart.
“Although I would take a bullet for my sheriff, although I would stand with him against any peril, I cannot abide by his current orders. I’m sorry, I just can’t.”
Higgins said, “Place not your faith in the wisdom of man but in the spirit and power of God.”
Higgins added, “I haven’t always been the man that stands before you today. I have spent the last 15 years of my life struggling to become a better man. I will not go back. I will not retreat. I will not step away from the path the Lord has prepared for me. I will not succumb to the powers of darkness that I have encouraged the world to stand up against. I will be the man that our Lord intended for me to be, no matter the cost.”
Higgins said the oath he took to uphold the law, the allegiance, was not to a sheriff or a chief but to the constitutional principles that wearing a badge represents.
“It’s (the oath) to the people that we have sworn to serve and protect,” he added.
He continued, “Many of you know they way I grew up. We raised and trained horses. There is as saying amongst equestrians and cowboys — ‘Some horses just don’t’ run with a bit in their mouth.’ I am one of those horses. I don’t do well reigned in. So although I love and respect my sheriff, I must resign, because as a soldier, if I cannot consciously carry out my assigned orders, then I must resign my post.”
Higgins said it was an honor to serve with the men and women of the sheriff’s office and privilege to serve the citizens of the parish. When asked what he would be doing next in his life, Higgins said he would remain in law enforcement, and he was already fielding phone calls about other possible job opportunities.
“I have speaking engagements through next March for law enforcement agencies across the country,” Higgins said. “They hunger for the message of unwavering respect for constitutional rights, for prisoner’s rights, penitentiary reform, for the meaning and the history and the heritage behind the badges that we wear and the sacred duty that we are sworn to uphold.”
He added, “My future is bright because the path I am on is illuminated by God’s light and by his grace I will move forward.”
“I have to continue to follow my heart,” Higgins said. “Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m wrong, but if I’m wrong, I have reached the point of being wrong from bended knee. I place not my faith in the wisdom of man but in the spirit and power of God.”
Guidroz followed with a series of statements to the news media explaining his side of the controversy. The most recent was a statement Wednesday afternoon.
“ My orders to Higgins were to, first of all; ‘tone down’ his unprofessional and despairing comments on our weekly Crime Stoppers program. Additionally, the St. Landry Parish Crime Stoppers Board was not pleased with the direction the Crime Stoppers message had taken. My displeasure with Higgins had nothing to do with the Gremlins video that appeared on the networks. I agree with the Gremlins video. Second of all; I repeatedly told Higgins to stop making comments that were totally disrespectful and demeaning. Thirdly; Clay Higgins appeared on the cover of a local magazine in full dress uniform without my approval or authorization. Fourthly; Clay Higgins formed a personal business venture to raise money by selling mugs, t-shirts and other trinkets using department badge and uniform.” All of which are against department policy.”
Guidroz added, “Whether I was great, decent or imperfect, I knew people were going to have a strong reaction because of his ability to portray something he is not. I took phone calls from all over the country regarding Higgins’ perceived ability to fight crime. They too were fooled by the message(s). Callers said they like him because they thought he was a crime fighter. Higgins five or six years as a patrolman (not supervisor), doesn’t give him the inherit right to claim to be a crime fighter. Doing that is a slap in the face to all law-enforcement officers that risk their lives on the street doing the things he talks about doing. His crime fighting experience consists of patrolling the parish on the night shift as a deputy. Higgins was not in the trenches working undercover making drug buys or executing arrest warrants and search warrants on criminals, nor was he involved in any physical street work.”
Guidoz said Higigns had 12 weeks of academy training and five to six years of enforcement time, “which pales by comparison to the training and crime fighting experience I and many other fine officers have in the law-enforcement field.”
Guidoz said, “I say to those on social media that support Higgins’ stance and want to give him another chance, ask your local Chief of Police or Sheriff to give him the job and the opportunity to ‘go unbridled with no bit in his mouth’, as self proclaimed in his press release. Ask your Sheriff or Chief to allow Higgins to say and do whatever he wants publicly in the media outlets. If any of his social media supporters think that he would be allowed to do that with any other law-enforcement agency or business, please let me know!”
Guidroz said Higgins needs to follow his own advice and be respectful of department policy.
“If Higgins continues to belittle people, continues name calling and expressly admits a hate message is the right message, then his Christian values are not the same as mine and yours,” Guidroz said.
The public information officer is a spokesperson for the sheriff and department, he stated.
“If Clay Higgins cannot agree with my directives, messages, and abide by our policies and procedures, then he is correct in resigning his position and I wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Guidroz said.
In an earlier interview, Higgins said he joined the Opelousas Police Department in 2004 and transferred to the sheriff’s department four years ago. Higgins said he worked the night shift on patrol for 11 years and also worked as a SWAT team member.
In October 2015, Guidroz asked Higgins to take the post of public information officer for the department and with that position came the Crime Stoppers assignment. Higgins’ Crime Stoppers segments garnered reactions from the around the globe, and in his popularity, some called him a “Cajun John Wayne.”
Higgins said he will continue to serve as constable of St. Landry Parish District 8.
Higgins said the non-profit he formed, Capt. Higgins Gear, to help fund homeless shelter in the parish, will continue.
A protest was held Tuesday in front of the Vermilion Parish Courthouse by family members of the alleged Gremlin gang and civil rights activists, the Abbeville Meriodinal reported.
One of the activists, the Rev. John Brown, decried the negative pre-trial publicity and said Higgins said, “We will hunt them down animals,” in the Crime Stopper segment.
Another activist, John Barnett, denied the existence of a Gremlin Gang, saying it was an old rap group and made up to help law enforcement get federal money to help battle gang activity.

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