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SBSO WRAPS UP 2026 JUNIOR DEPUTY PROGRAM

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office wrapped up its 2026 Junior Deputy Academy summer program with a graduation ceremony held Friday, June 5, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

This year’s graduates are Kate Adams, Vanessa Dusang, Nathan Fernandez, Gregory Fernandez, Emerson Fleetwood, Jonathon Garcia, Jayden Grice, Israel Herkes, Princeton Herkes, August Hill, Cohen Hummel, Kathryn Koepp, August Landry, Avery Lentz, Jeremiah Nea, Thomas Ponthieux, Badger Riviere, Julian Sansone, Heaven Sitzen and Zachary Wilson.

Each graduate received a certificate of completion, a Junior Deputy badge, and T-shirt.

Princeton Herkes received a trophy for being named Top Shooter on range day, and Julian Sansone received a second-place shooting certificate.

During the ceremony, graduates and their families heard from Col. Chad Clark, commander of the Criminal Investigations Division, Capt. Stephen Ingargiola, director of training, and program coordinator Chaplain Dep. Aaron Johnson. All three congratulated the Junior Deputy graduates on their accomplishment and thanked them for their interest in law enforcement and their community. They also reminded them about making good choices, always doing the right thing and following the rules, even when it’s difficult.

Several former Junior Deputies returned to participate in this year’s ceremony, including Dep. Bronson Navarro, who now works in the Corrections Division at the St. Bernard Parish Correctional Facility, as well as Troy Sino, a 2017 graduate, and Josiah Garcia, a 2023 graduate.

Formed in 2015, the Junior Deputy Academy is open to St. Bernard Parish children ages 10 to 12 and is held every June. The annual program, led by Lt. Eric Eilers and Chaplain Dep. Johnson, is designed to create community pride and self-esteem, while teaching youngsters about the various aspects of law enforcement.

This year’s program, held June 1-5, included visits from deputies across various divisions of the Sheriff’s Office, including Patrol, Narcotics, Marine, the 9-1-1 Center, Criminal Investigations and Corrections. Activities included a tour of the parish jail, demonstrations of departmental equipment, a visit from the K-9 Unit and firearm safety instruction at SBSO’s shooting range. Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office and the St. Bernard Fire Department also participated.

On behalf of Sheriff Pohlmann, Lt. Eilers and Chaplain Dep. Johnson would like to thank the following individuals who helped make this year’s Junior Deputy Program a success: Bill and Chris Haines and the Meraux Foundation, Hilton and Pat Preau, Norman Landry, the Vietnam Veterans of America St. Bernard Chapter 550, the Chalmette Home Depot, Domino’s Pizza, Brewster’s Restaurant, Awards Unlimited, Clements Insurance Services, Clements Physical Therapy, the St. Bernard Fire Department, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, Louisiana State Police, and nearly 30 members of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office who participated.
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