Partnerships
At the heart of justice is connection. The District Attorney’s Office is proud to collaborate with a wide range of community organizations, law enforcement agencies, advocacy groups, and public institutions. Through these partnerships, we work to enhance public safety, promote fairness, support victims, and address the root causes of crime. Together, we build stronger, safer, and more resilient communities—because justice works best when we work together.
The Alliance to Fight Human Trafficking in Southwest Louisiana is dedicated to putting an end to human trafficking through education, advocacy, and action.
The Alliance seeks to create a community where every individual is valued and respected.
On September 7, 2022, District Attorney Stephen Dwight announced a
partnership between the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office, Calcasieu Parish School Board, and McNeese Athletics called Rowdy for Success.
In addition to the District Attorney’s Office Early Intervention
Program, this partnership will provide extra support to encourage student success in the classroom and at home. This partnership aims to promote positive behaviors by using students, athletes,
and coaches from our community that most elementary-age students admire. The District Attorney’s Office believes that showing area students what they can achieve with hard work will motivate them
to improve their effort and behavior at school.
In the program's first year, the focus will be on 5th-grade level
students because they are starting middle school the following year. The original goal of the Early Intervention Program is to use early interventions to correct potential delinquent behavior at
the elementary level.
“This is a great day for Southwest Louisiana and our students,” said
District Attorney Stephen Dwight. “I’m excited for these students and hope they see that they have a community and resources available to them if they are at a crossroads. Our office, as well as
the School Board and McNeese, saw the need for something that would get students motivated, and we came together to think outside the box and ultimately created Rowdy for Success. I hope that the
coaches and athletes of McNeese can share their stories and inspire our area students to never give up despite the challenges they face and show them that with hard work, anything is possible. I
believe this program will change students' lives and hopefully keep them out of the juvenile justice system,” ended Dwight.
The Rowdy for Success program will include:
• 30-minute Rallies held at various elementary schools throughout the
school year
• Athletes, coaches, and other influential participants representing
McNeese and the District Attorney’s Office.
• Motivational speakers with common backgrounds of
students.
Stephen Dwight, Calcasieu Parish District Attorney, and Tony Mancuso, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff, are working together to fight contractor fraud in the parish and have formed a Contractor Fraud Response Team.
“The incidence of contractor fraud is on the rise and we are taking action to send a clear message to those criminals who are taking advantage of our citizens as they work to rebuild and recover from last year’s hurricanes,” said Dwight. “We will pursue, arrest and prosecute anyone committing contractor fraud in Calcasieu Parish.”
Mancuso says a hotline has been established for the reporting of contractor fraud. “This is something we take very seriously and we want to make it easy for citizens to report cases of fraud. These criminals are taking advantage of citizens at a time they need help the most. We are not going to allow this to go on unchecked in our parish.”
He adds that prevention is also important, asking citizens to always check references and to be alert to the warning signs of common contractor scams, such as door-to-door solicitations, demands for cash, unusually large down payments, no references, no permanent address, high pressure sales or scare tactics, no insurance or license, or no contract.
When it comes to contractor fraud, Dwight explains that in some cases, the matter may be civil and not criminal. “There are some critical distinctions. Examples of civil matters are when faulty work is done or when a substantial amount of work has been completed. Contractor fraud is considered a criminal offense when the contractor fails to perform work 45 days after receiving payment, unless a longer period is specified in the contract. It is also considered fraud when a contractor does work without a construction license.”
Both Dwight and Mancuso urge citizens to report suspected fraud even if they are unsure whether actual criminal fraud has been committed. “We’ll look into the situation and determine if a crime has been committed,” said Mancuso. “If it has, we will file charges.”
The Contractor Fraud Response Team number is (337) 437-3405.