Judge Crichton presents Liberty Bell Award to Sheriff Prator
Thursday, May 01, 2008 5:00pm

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The Shreveport Bar Association, recently asked me to present the 2008 Liberty Bell Award* to Sheriff Steve Prator.  On Law Day, April 30, 2008, I presented this prestigious award to Sheriff Prator with the following remarks:

Every year since 1965 the Shreveport Bar Association has presented the Liberty Bell Award to one of our fellow citizens who has demonstrated a commitment to this community and has advanced the rule of law.  You can look at the impressive list of Liberty Bell recipients and quickly come to the conclusion that those 43 citizens have been recognized leaders in this community, people that have put their hearts and souls into making Shreveport and Caddo Parish a better place to live. 

As our theme this year is observing the Rule of Law, Foundation for Communities of Opportunity and Equity, the committee without hesitation focused on our sheriff, Steve Prator.  We know Steve Prator as the former Chief of Police for the Shreveport Police Department and we know Steve Prator as our Sheriff, now closing in on the end of his second term.  Of course, he has been re-elected to his 3rd term and will be sworn in on July 1. 

Caddo Parish is extremely blessed to have a man of Steve’s caliber serving as our chief law enforcement officer who administers and implements the rule of law each day.  It would take a while to list his personal accomplishments; it would take even longer to list the community programs he’s implemented as Caddo Sheriff.  The CaddoSheriff.org website on community programs has an impressive listing. 

However, I do want to focus on his most recent project, Sheriff’s Safety Town.  This is Steve’s conception and there’s no other similar program in Louisiana.  This community service project focuses on educating our young children about numerous safety issues.  The objective, of course, is to educate all of our young children about safety, to provide them the tools they need to protect themselves from injury and harm, and to teach them lessons that will carry them through their teen years into adulthood.  The program will target all Caddo Parish second graders in public and private schools.  The facility will also be available after hours for adult education programs including self defense, protection of senior citizens, etc.  The project is about 1/3 through construction and should be completed this October.  The Sheriff can tell you more about Safety Town.

Because of his commitment to the concept of crime prevention and injury prevention through education as well as his substantial contributions to our community, Sheriff Prator has earned the 2008 Liberty Bell.  It is an honor to present the 2008 Liberty Bell Award to the 44th recipient – my friend and our sheriff, Steve Prator.

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*The purpose of the Liberty Bell Award is to recognize community service, particularly among non-lawyers, which strengthens the effectiveness of the American system of freedom under law.  Among other service activities, the recipient’s activities should promote: (1) A better understanding of our form of government, particularly the Bill of Rights; (2) A greater respect for law and the courts; (3) A deeper sense of individual responsibility in recognition of the duties as well as rights of citizens; (4) Effective functioning of our institutions of government; and (5) A better understanding and appreciation of the Rule of Law.

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