Court Support - Security
Captain Chris Thurmon leads the Court Support and Security Division of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, bringing more than 25 years of law enforcement and military experience to his role.
A United States Marine Corps veteran, Captain Thurmon is also a graduate of Louisiana Tech University. He began his OPSO career in 1997 at the Ouachita Correctional Center, where he was elected class president of the 59th Session of the North Delta Regional Training Academy.
In 1998, he joined the West Monroe Police Department, serving in multiple divisions over a 14-year career, including Patrol, Field Training Officer, Investigations, SWAT, and Honor Guard. In 2005, he was assigned to the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, covering 19 parishes across Northeast Louisiana.
Captain Thurmon returned to OPSO in 2012, serving in the Uniform Patrol Division while also completing 20 years of combined service with SWAT and the Honor Guard. In 2020, he was promoted to Captain of the Court Support Division, where he currently oversees courthouse security and related operations.
Beyond his professional service, Captain Thurmon is a devoted husband and father of three, all graduates of West Monroe High School.
Thirty-two P.O.S.T. certified deputies are assigned the Court Support Division of the Sheriff’s Office. While the overall mission of the division is the security of the Courthouse for court proceedings, several other responsibilities are handled as well:
Court Bailiffs keep accurate court disposition information during court proceedings regarding court defendants
Deputies working as subpoena servers are responsible for serving all criminal court subpoenas for Ouachita Parish residents, which exceeds 1800 per month
Deputies assigned to the Courthouse Security detail operate metal detectors during business house and monitor all persons entering the courthouse to assure no weapons are brought into the building.
Transportation Division Deputies transport inmates from OCC to court appearances at the Courthouse daily. They also transport prisoners held in other facilities to court and are responsible for returning extradited prisoners to Ouachita Parish.
