Sergeant-At-Arms

James Jefferson III is a 16-year veteran with the Louisiana State Police and currently serves as a Lieutenant over the Criminal Patrol Unit. Lieutenant (Lt.) Jefferson started his LSP career in Uniform Patrol at Troop A in Baton Rouge, LA. While at Troop A, Lt. Jefferson worked aggressively to enforce state laws while concentrating on DWI enforcement, drug arrests, and accident investigations. Although Lt. Jefferson loved Uniform Patrol, his work ethic was recognized, and he was selected to be part of the Louisiana State Police Criminal Patrol Unit, where he served for three years. In 2017, Lt. Jefferson transferred to Louisiana State Police Internal Affairs Section. While in Internal Affairs, he coordinated the entire background process for cadet class 98 (2018) and cadet class 99 (2019). In this capacity, he assisted with the cadet physical assessment process and LSP’s Oral Assessment Board and coordinated the cadet final selection process. In 2018, Lt. Jefferson was promoted to Sergeant over the Background Investigation Unit.

In October 2021, Lt. Jefferson transferred into the Operational Development Section, where he served as the Sergeant in the planning section. In this capacity, he oversaw 11 grants totaling approximately $12 million in Federal and State funding, managed the contracting phase of the Louisiana State Police Crash Reconstruction program and assisted with the Louisiana Legislative Session and the perpetuation of the Department’s Budget. Lastly, he assists with the updating of Department policies and procedures.

In 2015, Lt. Jefferson began teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Southern University A&M College-Baton Rouge in the Criminal Justice Department. In this role, Lt. Jefferson designed curricula, created lesson plans, and delivered instruction on Criminology, History of the Policing in America, Community Policing, and Senior Seminar Classes. In 2022, Governor John Bel Edwards appointed Lt. Jefferson to the Capital Area Human Services Board.

On June 3, 2020, Lt. Jefferson completed the “Leadership Baton Rouge Program.” This is a one-year leadership program hosted by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce. Lt. Jefferson is also a graduate of the “FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association” (FBI-LEEDA) program and achieved the “Leadership Trilogy” award. In 2021, Lt. Jefferson was accepted into the “Leadership Louisiana Program,” a one-year leadership program hosted by Council for a Better Louisiana and graduated in March of 2022.

Lt. Jefferson’s experience has allowed him to grow as a servant leader, mentor, and coach. He attributes his success to being a dependable resource, loyal, positive thinker, and team player. “Being a leader committed to developing other Leaders” is just one of his mottos.

Lt. Jefferson holds a bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Investigations from Southern University A&M College. He has received numerous commendations and awards, including Unit Citations and several community achievement awards.