St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office has recently announced Agent Patrick Clark as the recipient of the 2025-26 Deputy of the Year award, recognizing his exemplary service in the field of law enforcement, particularly within the Special Investigations Division (SID) Narcotics Unit where he operates as a K-9 handler. The honor, announced at an event held on Sunday, underlines the officer's commitment to protecting the community and his extraordinary partnership with his K-9 counterpart, Pit. The award celebration also acknowledged other community servants including St. Bernard Firefighter of the Year, Engineer Paul Royer, and Acadian Ambulance Paramedic of the Year, Justin "Jay" Harrison, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office reported.
Sheriff James Pohlmann highlighted Clark's role in the fight against narcotics, commending his dedication to duty that Clark expressed his gratitude for the recognition, saying, "To be named Deputy of the Year truly means the world to me," he said, "It reminds me that the hard work, dedication and sacrifice we put in does not go unnoticed," in a statement obtained by the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office Facebook page.
Since joining the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office in 2019 and transferring to SID in 2023, Clark has been a pivotal figure in the unit's success and the reintroduction of the narcotics-detection K-9 program, according to Col. Daniel Bostic Jr., Clark's supervisor. The dynamic duo of Clark and his four-legged partner has been credited with seizing more than 30 pounds of illegal narcotics, including almost nine pounds of fentanyl and over 1,400 fentanyl-laced pills, having collaborated with federal and state law enforcement to achieve substantial drug proceeds interceptions.
Agent Clark's responsibilities span beyond his role with SID, as he is also an active member of the S.W.A.T team and serves as a sergeant in the Louisiana Army National Guard since 2018, the complexities of his job interwoven with the equally demanding roles in other spheres of public service yet becoming a husband and new father is cited among his most treasured personal achievements. The recognition as Deputy of the Year appears as a reflection more so of the collective mission embodied within the fraternity of protectors, lawmen, and guardians that Clark represents; this chapter affirming an untiring commitment to safety and integrity.
The partnership between Clark and Pit extends further than mere duty, with Clark considering Pit as part of his family and being responsible for the canine's annual narcotics-detection certification entailing intensive training, which exemplifies the devotion and bond shared between the man and the animal. As Clark himself stated, "Pit may be a working dog, but to me, he's family," he told the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office.
