By T. Scott Boatright
Lincoln Parish Sheriff Stephen Williams was sworn into his second term of office by Third Judicial District Judge Monique B, Clement during a brief ceremony held Friday at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Complex.
Williams began his career in law enforcement at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff Office in 1993 as a patrol deputy. In 2004 he was promoted to the Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team (LPNET) as a Narcotics Investigator.
While at LPNET, Williams excelled in investigating drug crimes and in 2006 was promoted by then Sheriff Mike Stone to lead the Criminal Investigative Division of the sheriff’s office.
A promotion to Administrative Captain in 2008 placed Williams over Internal Affairs, Training and appointed him as the Public Information Officer. He remained in that position until he was promoted to Commander in 2013 and assigned to supervise the Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team (LPNET).
As the supervisor of this multi-jurisdictional unit, Williams led the largest narcotics investigation in Lincoln Parish history. “Operation Pit Stop” resulted in stopping the flow of 4-6 kilos of cocaine per month into north Louisiana and the seizure of over $500,000 as well as numerous vehicles.
In 2016, Williams was promoted to Major and placed over the entire Criminal Division of the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Williams served in this role until 2018 when he was promoted to Chief Deputy, making him responsible for all divisions and programs of the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office.
After taking his second oath of office as Sheriff, Williams admitted that he still sometimes feels surprised to be in that role.
“I don’t like politics,” Williams said. “I do not know how I ended up here. But I would like to thank the judge for doing this for me and thanks to my family. The night I got elected I forgot to even mention my kids, so I have never lived that down (Williams and his wife Laundi have three children — sons Jordan and Cade, and daughter Reagan). Thanks to all the people in the back of the room (LPSO employees). I am Sheriff because of them. It is not because of anything I’ve done. I just put my name on the line and wrote it down.
“In 2019 we promised during the campaign to (implement) body-worn cameras. That is done. We said we would open a shooting range to the public. That’s done. Continue the fight against drugs and join the DEA Task Force. That’s done. School resource officers in every school — done. Sheriff’s Office Litter Patrol — done.”
Williams also mentioned finances.
“We promised to operate within our means and use taxpayer’s money responsibly, and we have done that. We are adding to our surplus a little bit — inch by inch — every year. It is nothing I’ve done. I just laid out what I wanted done and asked you guys to do and y’all have done it.”
“And we also started a Youth Academy that has taken on a life of its own. It is going to pay dividends for his office long after I am gone.”
Williams admits he faced challenges, especially in his initial years as Sheriff.
“Early on in the first couple of years of my first term, I wondered what the heck I had done,” Williams said. “We have dealt with hurricanes, we dealt with tornadoes, we dealt with COVID, we had a seven-day ice storm. And then the nationwide unrest where it seemed like the whole world turned against law enforcement.
“That last year has really changed and I am getting the wind back in my sails and feeling better about the whole situation. But I want people to know I could have done any of it without the people within the Sheriff’s Office. Without this department, I would just go home.”
Williams also knows one of the biggest challenges he faces in his second term as Sheriff.
“We’re doing better on recruiting, but with all the negative press regarding law enforcement, it got to where nobody wanted to do this job,” Williams said. “But you can feel the tide turning and the country is realizing that they do need law enforcement.
“But recruiting people is still a challenge. We have been better off than a lot of departments. Lincoln Parish is still a great place to live and people want to be here, so that’s helped us. But still, finding the right people for this job is a struggle.”
