DA calls Parish non-support roundup historic

Published 5:08 am Friday, March 8, 2013

District Attorney Walter Reed reports that last month’s “non-support roundup” was a “great success.”

The Washington Parish Sheriffs Office initiated the operation last summer, and those with court orders who did not pay for the support of their children and those who failed to appear in court were identified for arrest, according to the DA.

Reed said his office provided law enforcement with target information and obtained the arrest warrants during prosecution of the non-support cases.

The roundup began in earnest before dawn on Tuesday, Feb. 26 when 15 teams of 4 officers started executing the warrants in the Bogalusa area and then continued throughout the parish.

The multi-agency operation that included the WPSO, Department of Children and Family Services Child Support Arrest Team, Bogalusa Police Department, Franklinton Police Department, Rayburn Correctional Center, Louisiana Probation and Parole and the Washington Parish Drug Task Force ultimately made 75 arrests and collected more than $25,000 for children in need of support.

That’s not all, Reed said.

“Law enforcement has taken our arrest warrants and made history,” he said. “Not only did they arrest 75 parents who had refused to support their children — many more people are calling and coming in to catch up their court ordered payments.

“This roundup is a big win for the children who desperately need ongoing support.”

The District Attorney’s Office assisted in collecting almost $19,000,000 in child support in 2012, according to Reed.