Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office

Administration

Willie Graves
Sheriff

Sheriff Graves serves on the Advisory Boards for the Livingston Parish Council on Aging and the LSU Law Enforcement Academy. He is also a member of the Denham Springs Rotary Club, Louisiana Sheriffs Association, National Sheriffs Association and the Louisiana Peace Officers Association. He is married to the former Elaine Edwards and has a teenage daughter, Whitney. They live in Watson where they are active members of Live Oak United Methodist Church and enjoy camping in their spare time.

Jason Ard
Chief Criminal Deputy

Jason started his career with the Sheriff''s Office at the Parish Prison in July of 1993. He worked in that capacity until September of 1995 where he moved to Uniform Patrol. In October of 1997 Dy Ard was promoted to Uniform Patrol Supervisor, and also in the same year helped to create the Livingston Parish S.R.T (Special Response Team). Jason served as the patrol supervisor until November of 1999, where he was then moved to the Detectives Office. While in the Detectives Office he attended numerous schools and classes, some of them including, P.O.S.T. IAA Investigations, Basic/Advanced Burglary, Homicide School and Crimes Scene Investigation.

In March of 2001 Jason moved to the LPSO Training Center where he served as a P.O.S.T Firearms Instructor and Physical Fitness Instructor. After a little more than a year at the training center Jason went to the Courthouse to assis Chief Kearney Foster, and was later promoted to Chief of Operations where he works at this time.

Jason is also a member of the 911 District, the Louisiana Tactical Police Officers Association, and the Louisiana Sheriff's Association Task Force.

Perry Rushing
Chief of Operations

Born in Fredericksburg, Va. While my father was serving as a United States Marine @ Quantico, Va.

Grew up in Watson, La. where I graduated from Live Oak High School in 1975.

In 1979 I graduated from LSU with a degree in Business Management. It was during this time that I began my employment at LPSO as a weekend radio dispatcher. Upon graduation I kept this part time job while also working in the family owned retail business in Watson.

I worked a short time in the old parish jail in the upstairs section of the courthouse. In 1981 I transferred to the road and then eventually moved to the civil office.

For the next two decades I had a very eventful yet rewarding career. I was bitten by both a woman and a dog (both were eventually incarcerated), was kicked in the stomach, punched in the face (knocked out), shot at several times (never hit), and involved in a few “very exciting” pursuits (no crashes). My faith in God carried me through it all.

In 2007 the family business was sold and Sheriff Graves graciously gave me full time employment. In October 2008 I was appointed as Chief of Operations. In that capacity, I am responsible for many things ranging from human resource issues to fielding media questions to “filling in” when the Sheriff or Chief Criminal Deputy are unavailable.

Ronald J. Morse
Chief Civil Deputy

What started out as a temporary job turned into a long-term career with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office for Ronnie Morse. While working in the shipbuilding industry, Morse was asked by Sheriff Taft Faust to help him “run his office” for about six months while he searched for someone to fill the position of Chief Civil Deputy. That was in 1973, and Sheriff Faust never did find anyone else to fill that role – a leadership role that seems to have been destined for Morse. He has served in that capacity for over 29 years under three different Sheriffs, supervising the financial, administrative and technical functions of the Sheriff’s Office – a role that has changed greatly as the Sheriff’s Office and the parish have grown.

Morse served for three and a half years in the U.S. Army and earned a degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Louisiana Sheriffs Pension Fund and on the Board of Directors for the Capital District Law Enforcement Planning Council, which administers and directs federal grants. He also serves on the Board of the Parish Emergency Communications Commission.

Morse and his wife Joy Ann have two grown children and one grandson. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, hunting and working in the garden. He is also hailed as one of the top chefs within the Sheriff’s Office, often teaming up with Deputy Wayne Strickland of the Water Patrol division to cook up Southern delicacies for various LPSO and community functions.

Stan Carpenter
Chief of Detectives

Stan began his career with the Sheriff's Office in October of 1986 working as a Correctional Officer. He later worked in Uniformed Patrol and from there was transferred to the Juvenile Division as a Juvenile Officer.

In September of 1988 Stan was promoted to the Detective Division. While working in Detectives he was given a temporary assignment in Narcotics and worked for a year assigned to the Tri-Parish Narcotics Task Force working alongside St Helena and Tangipahoa Parishes. Through the years while assigned to the Detective Division Stan has split his time working investigations and narcotics.

In November 2004 he was promoted to Detective Supervisor and was again promoted to Chief of Detectives in March of 2007, the position he currently holds.

Stan currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Capital District Commission of Law Enforcement, Tri-Parish Narcotics Task Force, 21st Judicial Truancy Assessment Center and the 21st Judicial Juvenile Drug Court.

Sherri Palmer
Administrative Assistant

It was all a matter of being in the right place at the right time for Sherri Palmer. Just out of high school in May of 1970, at the age of 17, she showed up looking for a job at the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office just as a deputy in the Civil and Tax Division was giving notice of leaving. She worked in that position until 1975 when Sheriff Odom Graves asked her to be his secretary. She was promoted to the position of Administrative Assistant in 1982 and continues to serve in that capacity today, 37 years after starting her career with the LPSO. Sherri is responsible for handling all the correspondence for the Sheriff as well as some accounting duties. Another big part of her job is writing and producing the All Points Bulletin, the monthly employee newsletter.

Jim Brown
Warden

Jim began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in January of 1990 with the Uniform Patrol Division. In August of 1992, after completing DARE school, he became the very first DARE Officer in Livingston Parish. Jim served as a DARE Officer from 1992 – 1999. In November 1999 Jim was promoted to Shift Supervisor in the Uniform Patrol Division. In February 2000 Jim was promoted to the Detective Division, where he served until October of 2003. In October Jim was promoted to Warden of the Livingston Parish Prison.