Beauregard Parish Chief Det. Sylvester Denmond Jr. believes that serving the same community he grew up in has been an incredible asset in his career in law enforcement.

Born and raised in DeRidder, Denmond graduated from DeRidder High School in 1987, but it wasn’t his hometown where he began his law enforcement career.

After graduating from high school, Denmond attended ITI in Baton Rouge, where he received certification as an industrial electrician in 1988. After working in the industrial field for six years, Denmond returned to Beauregard Parish and made the decision to enter law enforcement.

He began working at the Allen Correctional facility in 1994 and moved to the DeRidder Police Department in 1995 as a reserve police officer and a member of the SWAT team.

In 1996, Denmond went to work for the Leesville Police Department where he accepted a position in the uniform patrol division. While there, he received a master’s K9 certification and was moved to the Vernon Parish Narcotics Task Force. It was in the role of investigating that Denmond’s skills and abilities truly shone through.

Over the years, he assisted in undercover operations throughout Louisiana and east Texas, and for a time he served as the president of the Louisiana Narcotics Division.

In 2001, he accepted a position at the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office within its criminal investigation division. There, Denmond became instrumental in solving cases and bringing those responsible to justice.

In 2020, Denmond made the decision to return to his roots and he moved his career to Beauregard Parish under newly-elected Sheriff Mark Herford.

Now, serving the community that he calls home and knowing the names and the faces that come to him for help has made his work that much more personal, he said, and has played a valuable role in his work.

“Knowing these communities and how best to help them has been very helpful to me, and I find that it is actually comforting to the people I am trying to help when they know that I’m from here, too,” Denmond stated.

While some things may change over the course of years and decades, Denmond said the heart of the community in Beauregard Parish has remained steadfast, and that he is proud to see that his community continues to grow and adapt.

It’s that pride in the community that raised him, he said, that motivates him each and every day to continue his work no matter how difficult it may be.

“By the grace of God, I am able to go to work every day and have the expectations to do my job to the best of my abilities. I hope and pray for everyone I come into contact with through my job, whether it be good or bad, that I leave a good impression on them and that they know I have their best interests at heart. God has graced me with the knowledge and abilities of how to best serve my community and I believe that He shines through me and allows me to be someone that my family and friends will be proud of at the end of the day,” he stated.