Committee recommends up to $2.5 million toward sheriff—s office capital request

The Caddo Parish Long Range Plan & Special Projects Committee voted to recommend to the full commission that up to $2,500,000 be allocated in the 2026 budget for the sheriff—s office capital request.

Administrators told the committee they had reviewed a video and visited the existing sheriff—s facility and that parish finance estimated the parish—s potential exposure to secure or renovate the current building at "about 2 to 3,000,000 dollars," according to the administrator, Miss Bryant. She said the parish—s legal obligation under state statute is to provide safe, secure office space for the sheriff but noted the sheriff—s choice of location—stay, renovate, or relocate—is the sheriff—s prerogative.

Committee members pushed for more comparative cost detail—rent versus buy, retrofit estimates and the sheriff—s own cost numbers—saying they had not seen a full business-case comparison. One committee member described the current facility as in "deplorable conditions" and said renovating it posed risk to evidence storage and first-responder safety.

On the size of funds requested, the administrator reported that the sheriff had provided a purchase price for a prospective new building of $5,500,000 but that the parish—s exposure if the sheriff remained at the current site and the parish had to secure it was estimated at $2 million to $3 million. The administrator also said the sheriff currently pays some maintenance costs and had offered to cover four years of maintenance as part of his proposal; any long-term maintenance obligation by the parish would require negotiation.

Committee members and staff clarified how criminal-justice funding flows: the parish pays certain operational costs for the Caddo Correctional Center (CCC) and the sheriff—s office receives per-diem reimbursements for nonparish prisoners; those reimbursements go to the sheriff—s accounts rather than to the parish.

Faced with competing motions, the committee ultimately approved a recommendation to the full commission to fund up to $2,500,000 for the sheriff—s capital request. The motion passed on a roll call vote and will be presented to the full commission for final action in the 2026 budget cycle.

Next steps: the recommendation will be placed before the full Caddo Parish Commission; administrators said the CEO will work with the sheriff to settle negotiation details and return to the commission with final terms if any increase beyond the recommended ceiling is needed.