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Sheriff-elect talks about escapes
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AMITE - The search continues for two inmates who escaped from the Tangipahoa Parish Jail over the weekend, and the parish sheriff-elect says the situation law enforcement is facing comes as no surprise.
Four inmates escaped from the Tangipahoa Parish Jail over the weekend and deputies were not aware they were gone until a family member of one of the inmates that escaped Saturday called the jail Sunday afternoon. Two of the inmates, Travon Johnson, 21, and Avery Guidry, 19, were taken back into custody after they were found in a dumpster behind a Hammond Dollar General.
Deputies are still searching for 20-year-old Omarion Hookfin (left) and 20-year-old Jamarcus Cyprian (right).
"We've known from Day 1 of our commitment to taking this agency and parish in a new direction that the jail would be a pivotal piece of that plan," said Sheriff-Elect Gerald Sticker. "While this current incident is no surprise, it's not acceptable, and it furthers our awareness that major changes to the entire jail system, not just its structure, must remain one of our most critical priorities.
"Myself and my team are deeply involved in this current response, operational and physical review, as well as in engaging the federal, state and local partners we know we will need to address these long-standing security and staffing challenges at the jail. We ask the community to remain vigilant in assisting with locating these last two inmates and to be confident that their (the public's) safety is my primary concern right now."
Sticker is expected to speak publicly today at noon regarding the ongoing search.
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