On Friday, November 14th, the end of a glorious era in local law enforcement concluded as Jackson Parish Sheriff Andy Brown announced his retirement. The one-time youngest Sheriff in Louisiana, who also held the distinguished office for more years than anyone in the history of Jackson Parish, steps down after six terms as Sheriff and spending nearly 40 years in law enforcement. 

Brown first came to work at the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office in September of 1985, working on the radio and then in Patrol and Investigations before being promoted to the rank of Chief Deputy in 2000. In 2003, he ran and was elected with over 80% of the vote by the people of Jackson Parish to be the next Sheriff and was unopposed in every election prior to the sixth and final time he ran for the office in 2024.

During his tenure, Brown turned the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office from a small, understaffed department into the second largest employer in the parish. He has also fortified the department with some of the most advanced law enforcement technology and modern prisoner housing available.

“When I first started, we had the capacity to house only 38 inmates at our jail, which was on the top floor of the Courthouse,” reflected Brown in a 2024 exclusive interview with the Jackson Parish Journal. “One of my first goals was to develop a way to keep our inmates in the parish so that we could not only cut our costs but also generate money for the department,” continued Brown.

The result was the building of the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in 2007, which could hold up to 1,000 inmates. As a result, not only could Jackson Parish house all of its inmates, but also those from other parts of the state, creating a large tax revenue for the parish. It also provided for tremendous employment opportunities for a large number of residents of Jackson Parish.

In 2009, Brown was the recipient of the distinguished Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, which represents the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers for their outstanding support of their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

In a progressive move that brought even more revenue to Jackson Parish and increased employment opportunities, in 2019, the Jackson Parish Correctional Center became an official ICE immigration detainment facility, housing upward to 1200 illegal immigrants. It also forced the Louisiana Department of Corrections inmates who had been housed at the prison to be moved elsewhere.

This led to the building of a new 7 million dollar facility in 2023, housing upward to 400 inmates, which allowed the JPSO to once again house their own inmates and those from other parishes. Included was the incorporation of a juvenile division, one of the few in the state.

When asked to reflect on his career, Brown was quick to point out that he was proud of many strides his department has made, including the formation of civic divisions that help all aspects of the community and the move to the new JPSO headquarters.  

“We have a fully staffed Senior Patrol Division whose only objective is to help the senior citizens of our parish. We also have a great team of SRO officers who work in our school system,” noted Brown. “Of course, I am also especially pleased with our ability to move into the state-of-the-art facility that the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office is now in.’

In a closing statement given to the Jackson Parish Journal, Brown explained his decision to retire and gave his thanks to local residents for their support over the years.  

“After 22 years as sheriff and almost 40 years in law enforcement, I’ve decided to retire. I plan to spend time with family and pursue other business opportunities. This is something I’ve debated for quite some time, and I feel that the time is right for me to move forward and begin this new chapter in my life. Many rumors have floated around about investigations and such, but none are true. This is something I’m doing because I’m ready to move on. I’m thankful to the people of Jackson Parish for the many years given to me to serve, and I feel that I leave the Sheriff’s Office in good shape and under strong, capable leadership. I pass the torch on to my chief deputy, Brent Barnett, and hope that everyone gives him the support he needs to continue moving the department in the direction it needs to go. God bless !!”