Caddo's first elected black sheriff is set to don his badge next week

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – History will be made Monday, July 1 when Henry Whitehorn is sworn in as Caddo Parish’s first African-American sheriff.

After months of campaigning and legal battles, Whitehorn is set to be sworn in as the next sheriff of Caddo Parish.

KSLA’s Steven Maxwell spoke exclusively with the sheriff-elect as he prepares to don the badge.

“It was a long and difficult fight. We were victorious and I’m just grateful to be here, honored that the people trusted me to be their next Caddo Parish Sheriff. »

Whitehorn defeated Shreveport attorney John Nickelson in a special election in March. That came after a judge threw out the results of the November runoff, citing too many voting irregularities after Whitehorn edged Nickelson by just one vote.

Whitehorn won the rematch decisively with 53% of the vote.

“I am part of the lineage of the previous twenty-four sheriffs. But what is historic is that I stand on the shoulders of people who fought for this opportunity. So for me it’s the historic piece. And I appreciate that,” Whitehorn said.

The future sheriff said he has met with staff and worked on the transition. He takes over from an administration that has been in place for nearly 24 years…

Steve Prator, the former Caddo sheriff, announced his retirement in June 2023 and subsequently accepted a position on the State Board of Pardons last February.

“We talked about a lot of things. Just how much we worked together over the last few years. (Steve Prator) left me a good department, and I’m grateful for that. We have a lot of work to do moving forward. I feel like if I need to call him, I can call him,” Whitehorn said of the previous sheriff.

Whitehorn also says he wants to focus on community policing efforts, saying deputies can’t solve crimes on their own.

“Ask our citizens to participate and get involved because they are part of the solution,” he said.

Sheriff’s departments across the state are facing a shortage of officers, so the sheriff-elect will have to find a way to implement his plans with less assistance from the force.

“Everyone is suffering with the staff. We really need to step up our recruiting efforts,” Whitehorn said.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH WHITEHORN:

“I’m just grateful to be here, honored that the people trusted me to be their next sheriff of Caddo Parish. »

He will be sworn in as sheriff at the Shreveport Convention Center on July 1 at 5 p.m.