Louisiana is a blend of expanding cities and rural expanses, quaint parish regions, and picturesque seaside towns. It is also home to the Port of Louisiana, the largest volume shipping port in the Western Hemisphere and the largest bulk cargo port in the world. International trade makes its way through the mouth of the Mississippi and through the New Orleans International Airport, while a number of large military installations, including Barksdale Air Force Base and the U.S. Army Post at Fort Polk, translate into a large military presence.
The presence of federal law enforcement agencies in Louisiana is strong, not only because of its international trade and military installations, but because it is also the site of:
- A federal penitentiary and correctional center in Pollock
- A federal detention center and federal correctional institution in Oakdale
- An immigration detention center in Jena
- Veterans Administration hospitals in Shreveport and Pineville
- A number of large, national wildlife refuge areas and national forest areas
- Four federally recognized Native American tribal communities
It comes as no surprise, then, that there are 1,562 full-time federal law enforcement officers in Louisiana, as of 2008, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Of those, the largest number of law enforcement officers (668) is in the area of criminal investigations/enforcement, followed by corrections/detention (476) and police response/patrol (202).
Federal Law Enforcement Education and Training in Louisiana
Careers in federal law enforcement have become increasingly geared toward individuals with college degrees. Many individuals who are pursuing careers in this field, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the U.S. Secret Service and beyond, are choosing to complete a college degree program so as to better position themselves for a wide array of federal law enforcement jobs and disciplines.
Beyond a college degree, which often means, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree, professionals in federal law enforcement are typically required to complete a specific course of training through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC).
Federal Law Enforcement Offices in Louisiana
There are a number of federal law enforcement agency offices located in Louisiana:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)
- Baton Rouge
- Metairie
- Shreveport
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- Baton Rouge
- Gramercy
- Lake Charles
- Morgan City
- New Orleans (service port)
- Shreveport-Bossier City
United States Coast Guard
- Colfax
- Baton Rouge
- Lake Charles
- Morgan City
- Mandeville
- New Orleans
- Belle Chasse
- Lockport
- Houma
- Dulac
- Grand Isle
- Venice
- Avondale
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Metairie (New Orleans Division)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- New Orleans
- Alexandria
- Baton Rouge
- Lafayette
- Lake Charles
- Monroe
- Shreveport
United States Secret Service
- Baton Rouge
- New Orleans
United States Marshals
- New Orleans
- Baton Rouge
- Shreveport
Federal Law Enforcement Specializations in Louisiana
The U.S. Attorney’s Office divides Louisiana into three districts: the Eastern, Western, and Middle Districts, each of which has a Criminal Division that organizes efforts and resources involved with investigating and prosecuting federal crimes.
Within the Criminal Division are the following units, all of which involve the collaboration of federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies:
General Crimes Unit: Includes the investigation and prosecution of a broad range of federal crimes, including identity theft, public corruption, crimes occurring on government property, immigration and naturalization offenses, and credit card fraud, among others; includes work with a large number of federal agencies, including the FBI, the DEA, the Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals, and the IRS, among many others
Financial and Computer Crimes Unit: Includes the investigation and prosecution of types of financial crime; federal agencies include the FBI, the IRS, and the U.S. Postal Service
Drug Unit: Involves the investigation of drug trafficking organizations; works with a number of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and task forces through the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
Organized Crime Strike Force Unit: Involves the investigation and prosecution of both traditional and non-traditional organized crime groups with a specific focus on international organized crime and corruption
Violent Crimes Unit: Includes federal law enforcement agencies and task forces aimed at suppressing violent crime and crimes involving the possession and use of firearms through federal statutes and penalties.