Terrebonne Parish

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Lore & Background

Terrebonne Parish is one of five parishes assigned to Louisiana State Police Troop C, based in Houma. The troop also covers Assumption, Lafourche, and the west banks of St. James and St. John parishes. The Louisiana State Police began in 1922 as the Louisiana Highway Commission with 16 Highway Inspectors patrolling approximately 2,700 miles of roadway exclusively by motorcycle. These motorcycles were personally owned by the patrolmen and maintained by a state allowance. The force was divided into ten districts, with the Baton Rouge District having two patrol officers and the New Orleans District having three. The other eight districts had one patrol officer each, while two officers patrolled statewide on main highways. By 1928, the agency employed 70 uniformed officers and formed the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. In 1932, it became the State Highway Patrol and was given authority to carry firearms. Governor Huey Long used the agency as his personal bodyguards, escorting him across the state.

In Their Own Story

In 1936, the Louisiana Legislature combined two law enforcement divisions to form the Louisiana Department of State Police, with over 40 patrolmen primarily using motorcycles. By 1939, the State Police was divided into eight 'troops,' with troopers in cars and motorcycles patrolling nearly 2 million miles per year. The fleet of patrol motorcycles eventually grew to 64. In 1942, the legislature abolished the Department of State Police and made it a division of the newly created Department of Public Safety. New responsibilities came in 1946 when the state's Drivers License Law was enacted, requiring every driver to hold a license. By 1948, the number of motorcycles had fallen to 36 as the department relied more heavily on automobiles. Motorcycle patrol units were used throughout the 1950s, with Governor Earl Kemp Long also using them as bodyguards. In the 1960s, the department utilized motorcycles, automobiles, airplanes, and helicopters for enforcement. The department used Harley-Davidson motorcycles until the 1980s when it switched to Kawasaki, shortly after which the motorcycle patrol program was disbanded. In 1997, patrol motorcycles were brought back on the force.

Reader's Guide

Terrebonne Parish falls under Troop C of the Louisiana State Police, which is headquartered in Houma. The department is divided into nine troops, with its headquarters in Baton Rouge. Troop C covers five parishes: Assumption, Lafourche, Terrebonne, and the west banks of St. James and St. John. The Louisiana State Police is officially known as the Office of State Police within the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. The agency was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies from 2003 to 2008, voluntarily ceasing its association with CALEA in 2008. The current standard issue firearm for LSP Troopers is the Glock 17 in caliber 9mm or Glock 22 in caliber .40 S&W. Previously, the standard issue sidearm was the SIG Sauer P220 semi-automatic pistol in caliber .45 ACP. Each trooper is also issued a Remington.

Did You Know?

• The Louisiana State Police began in 1922 with only 16 Highway Inspectors patrolling on personally owned motorcycles.
• Governor Huey Long used the State Police as his personal bodyguards during his statewide travels.
• The agency's motorcycle fleet grew to 64 bikes by the late 1930s but dwindled to 36 by 1948 as automobiles became more common.
• Trooper Kasha Domingue's 2020 indictment for shooting an unarmed passenger was the first time in District Attorney Hillar Moore III's 11-plus years that an officer was charged for injuring a civilian with gunfire.
• The U.S. Department of Justice opened a Pattern-or-Practice investigation into the Louisiana State Police in June 2022.

Origins and Early Evolution

The agency's roots trace back to 1922 when it began as the Louisiana Highway Commission, initially staffed by just sixteen motorcycle-riding inspectors. These early officers personally owned their bikes while receiving state allowances for maintenance, patrolling roughly 2,700 miles of road across ten districts. By 1928, the force had expanded to seventy uniformed officers and adopted the title Law Enforcement Division, eventually becoming the State Highway Patrol in 1932 with new authority to carry firearms. During this era, Governor Huey Long notably utilized these troopers as personal bodyguards for his statewide travels. The organization underwent significant structural changes in 1936 when legislative acts merged law enforcement divisions to form the Louisiana Department of State Police. By the late 1930s and early 1940s, the force operated over forty patrolmen covering nearly two million miles annually, utilizing a fleet that grew to sixty-four motorcycles before shifting focus toward automobiles in subsequent decades.

Operational Shifts and Accreditation

Throughout its history, the agency has adapted its tactical methods and equipment to meet changing law enforcement needs. While motorcycles were once the primary patrol vehicle, their usage fluctuated significantly; by 1948, the fleet had dwindled to thirty-six bikes as cars became more prevalent for general patrols. The department eventually integrated airplanes and helicopters into its operations during the 1960s, marking a modernization of state-wide surveillance capabilities. For decades, troopers rode exclusively Harley-Davidson motorcycles until switching to Kawasaki models in the 1980s, shortly before the motorcycle program was temporarily disbanded only to be reinstated in 1997. In terms of professional standards, the agency achieved premier status by earning accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies between 2003 and 2008. Although it voluntarily ceased this association in 2008, the period highlighted a commitment to meeting rigorous national law enforcement benchmarks before the organization faced later scrutiny regarding its internal practices.

Controversies and Legal Scrutiny

In recent years, the agency has faced intense public and legal scrutiny following several high-profile incidents involving excessive force and misconduct. A 2018 traffic stop resulted in Trooper Kasha Domingue shooting an unarmed passenger in the back, leading to a historic indictment in 2020 for aggravated battery and illegal weapon use—the first such charge against an officer under District Attorney Hillar Moore III. Further controversy arose when troopers were found using lists of personal information regarding supposed Antifa members sourced from online forums to initiate criminal investigations. The death of Ronald Greene in 2019, following a traffic stop where he was stunned and dragged by officers, sparked federal civil rights inquiries after body camera footage contradicted initial crash narratives. These events prompted the ACLU to call for federal intervention and led to an internal administrative investigation that began nearly a year and a half after Greene's death.

Federal Investigations and Reform Efforts

The accumulation of misconduct allegations culminated in a major federal response, with the U.S. Department of Justice launching a joint Pattern-or-Practice investigation in June 2022. This inquiry, conducted alongside U.S. Attorney offices across Louisiana districts, examines potential systemic discrimination and unlawful conduct under federal civil rights statutes. Concurrently, local legal actions have targeted individual officers; a grand jury in Union Parish indicted four troopers and one deputy on charges including negligent homicide and obstruction of justice following the death of Trooper Chris Hollingsworth. In response to these crises, Governor Jeff Landry has pledged sweeping reforms, appointing Major Robert Hodges, a twenty-eight-year veteran, as the new superintendent based on advisory council recommendations. Additionally, Attorney General Liz Murrill plans to hire former federal prosecutors to assist in overhauling the agency's accountability structures and ensuring adherence to the law.