Union Parish Sheriff's Office
The Union Parish Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency of Union Parish, Louisiana. It falls under the authority of the Sheriff, an elected official who is the chief law enforcement officer of the parish. UPSO is headquartered in Farmerville, Louisiana.
| Union Parish Sheriff's Office | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | UPSO |
| Motto | Service Before Self |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1839 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Union, Louisiana, United States |
| Size | 905 sq mi |
| Population | 22,344 |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Farmerville, Louisiana |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | |
| http://www.unionsheriff.com/ | |
The Sheriff
The current Sheriff of Union Parish is Dusty Gates.[1] He was first sworn as the sheriff following long time Sheriff Bob Buckley's death in September 2013.[2] He began his career in law enforcement with the Farmerville Police Department, working six months and then moved to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, where he worked for four years. He then became a state trooper for Louisiana State Police, eventually retiring as the supervisor of criminal investigations in north Louisiana after 30 years of service.[3] After retiring from Louisiana State Police in 2009, he joined UPSO as the Chief Deputy.
Fallen Deputies
Four UPSO deputies have been killed in the line of duty. The first line of duty death was in 1964 and the most recent was in 1986.[4]
| Date | Deputy | Cause | Age | Tour Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 12, 1964 | Deputy Alymer Gray Taylor | Gunfire | 46 | Unknown |
| Friday, June 12, 1964 | Chief Deputy George Miller Edwards | Gunfire | 77 | 40 years |
| Sunday, September 17, 1978 | Deputy Robert V. "Piddle" Taylor | Gunfire | 45 | 6 years |
| Friday, November 21, 1986 | Deputy Brantley Nolan | Heart Attack | 38 | 2 years |