It’s most distressing that Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal and one of his top deputies have been indicted for conspiracy and civil rights violations and that eight other deputies have pleaded guilty in recent weeks, some to being involved with beatings of inmates and suspects, others for lying during depositions in civil lawsuits related to those beatings.

Sheriff Ackal has said publicly he intends to fight these charges and that he is confident he will be vindicated.

We’ll have to wait to see how all of this plays out.

But while we do, it’s important to remember that these allegations and charges involve only a small minority of the more than 300 persons employed by the Sheriff’s Office.

The charges and allegations involve serious offenses, no question.

But the super majority of deputies and employees in the IPSO are not suspected of having acted improperly and should not be assumed to have done anything except to try to do their job of serving the residents of Iberia Parish to the best of their ability.

In Sheriff Ackal’s response to his indictment, he said about his department’s current employees, “… I am positive they are dedicated to protecting the citizens of Iberia Parish.”

I believe that’s true and that’s important to consider especially with all the attention about the eight who have pleaded guilty and the two who are facing charges. Though the allegations about them are most serious, the vast majority of the deputies, other officials and other employees have not been linked to any wrongdoing and we would presume it’s unlikely they will be.

And those good people are still on the job, still responding to calls from parish residents, still trying to do their part to protect and serve despite the cloud that hangs over the department while these legal issues proceed.

Those IPSO employees deserve our continued support and appreciation during these times when their already difficult jobs are even more difficult because of these serious issues involving a few of their number.

WILL CHAPMAN

PUBLISHER