Changes

Prator's term began on July 1, 2000, when Don Hathaway retired after twenty years as sheriff.  Upon taking office, Prator streamlined certain operations and saved $3 million in expenses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caddohistory.com/about_sheriffs_4.html|title=About our Sheriffs|publisher=caddohistory.com|author=[[Eric Brock]]|accessdate=May 23, 2012}}</ref> Prator introduced "community-oriented policing" and developed a network of volunteer programs. He opened the first centers to deal with juvenile truancy, including a temporary holding facility.<ref name=bio/> He supported the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in public schools, which Hathaway had first instituted in Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caddosheriff.org/content.php?c=105|title=D.A.R.E.|publisher=caddosheriff.org|accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref> Prator established bicycle patrols, neighborhood watch teams, and a drug interdiction unit. He developed a work-release program for inmates at the Caddo Correctional Center.<ref name=bio/>  

Prator's term began on July 1, 2000, when Don Hathaway retired after twenty years as sheriff.  Upon taking office, Prator streamlined certain operations and saved $3 million in expenses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caddohistory.com/about_sheriffs_4.html|title=About our Sheriffs|publisher=caddohistory.com|author=[[Eric Brock]]|accessdate=May 23, 2012}}</ref> Prator introduced "community-oriented policing" and developed a network of volunteer programs. He opened the first centers to deal with juvenile truancy, including a temporary holding facility.<ref name=bio/> He supported the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in public schools, which Hathaway had first instituted in Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caddosheriff.org/content.php?c=105|title=D.A.R.E.|publisher=caddosheriff.org|accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref> Prator established bicycle patrols, neighborhood watch teams, and a drug interdiction unit. He developed a work-release program for inmates at the Caddo Correctional Center.<ref name=bio/>  

   

   

Prator is a member of the Louisiana Sheriff's Association, Cops for Christ, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.<ref name=bio/> He was named in 2008, along with his then colleague, Larry Callaway Deen, former sheriff of Bossier Parish, to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, a multi-agency program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=98&printer=1|title=Governor Bobby Jindal Announces Appointments to the Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, March 4, 2008|publisher=gov.louisiana.gov|accessdate=February 4, 2014}}</ref>Prator is active in the Louisiana State Fair Board, the LSUS Foundation, and the Norwela Council of the [[Boy Scouts]] of America.<ref name=caddogop>{{cite web|url=http://www.caddogop.com/docs/c03308.pdf|author=Louis R. Avallone|title="This Month's Meeting"|publisher=''The Caddo Republican'', Vol. 17, Edit. 4 (April 2012)|accessdate=May 22, 2012}}</ref>

Prator is a member of the Louisiana Sheriff's Association, Cops for Christ, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.<ref name=bio/> He was named in 2008, along with his then colleague, Larry Callaway Deen, former sheriff of Bossier Parish, to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, a multi-agency program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=98&printer=1|title=Governor Bobby Jindal Announces Appointments to the Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, March 4, 2008|publisher=gov.louisiana.gov|accessdate=February 4, 2014}}</ref> Prator is active in the Louisiana State Fair Board, the LSUS Foundation, and the Norwela Council of the [[Boy Scouts]] of America.<ref name=caddogop>{{cite web|url=http://www.caddogop.com/docs/c03308.pdf|author=Louis R. Avallone|title="This Month's Meeting"|publisher=''The Caddo Republican'', Vol. 17, Edit. 4 (April 2012)|accessdate=May 22, 2012}}</ref>

Prator was instrumental in the establishment of "Safety Town" located between Walker Road and Jewella Avenue near the South Park Summer Grove Baptist Church. "Safety Town" teaches children how to avoid danger and how to protect their own safety. Robert Madison "Bob" Griffin of KTBS-TV worked with Prator to promote the project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sheriffssafetytown.org/|title=Sheriff's Safety Town - Shreveport|publisher=sheriffssafetytown.org|accessdate=June 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ktbs.com/story/22271185/bob-griffin|title=Bob Griffin|publisher=KTBS-TV|accessdate=June 11, 2014}}</ref>

Prator was instrumental in the establishment of "Safety Town" located between Walker Road and Jewella Avenue near the South Park Summer Grove Baptist Church. "Safety Town" teaches children how to avoid danger and how to protect their own safety. Robert Madison "Bob" Griffin of KTBS-TV worked with Prator to promote the project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sheriffssafetytown.org/|title=Sheriff's Safety Town - Shreveport|publisher=sheriffssafetytown.org|accessdate=June 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ktbs.com/story/22271185/bob-griffin|title=Bob Griffin|publisher=KTBS-TV|accessdate=June 11, 2014}}</ref>

As the disagreement with Prator escalated, Edwards stopped the pending appointment of Mrs. Prator to a seat on the Red River Waterway board of commissioners formerly held by the late [[Rogers M. Prestridge]] of Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/opinion/2018/08/16/gov-edwards-plays-politics-denies-caddo-waterway-commission-seat/1008148002/|title=Gov. Edwards plays politics to deny Caddo Parish a waterway commission seat|author=John E. Settle, Jr.|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=August 16, 2018|accessdate=August 30, 2018}}</ref> On August 30, Prator again questioned Edwards' criminal justice policies in an appearance on ''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]]'', a statewide [[radio]] broadcast. Instead, Edwards appointed Mike Deville of Rapides Parish to fill the slot. [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Neely Kennedy]] has strongly defended Prator in the dispute with Edwards. Kennedy, a potential Republican opponent to Edwards in 2019, said that he believes Edwards rejected Carolyn Prator's appointment because of the sheriff's earlier criticism of the governor's justice reforms, bipartisan measures that Kennedy himself also opposes. Kennedy cited the [[African-American]] Democratic state Senator Gregory Tarver of Shreveport, who was quoted in ''The Baton Rougee Advocate'' as having said that Edwards told him he blocked the nomination of Carolyn Prator because of her husband's opposition to the justice reforms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2018/09/13/kennedy-accuses-edwards-vendetta-against-caddo-sheriff/1291981002/|title=Kennedy accuses Edwards of vendetta against Caddo sheriff

As the disagreement with Prator escalated, Edwards stopped the pending appointment of Mrs. Prator to a seat on the Red River Waterway board of commissioners formerly held by the late [[Rogers M. Prestridge]] of Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/opinion/2018/08/16/gov-edwards-plays-politics-denies-caddo-waterway-commission-seat/1008148002/|title=Gov. Edwards plays politics to deny Caddo Parish a waterway commission seat|author=John E. Settle, Jr.|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=August 16, 2018|accessdate=August 30, 2018}}</ref> On August 30, Prator again questioned Edwards' criminal justice policies in an appearance on ''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]]'', a statewide [[radio]] broadcast. Instead, Edwards appointed Mike Deville of Rapides Parish to fill the slot. [[U.S. Senator]] [[John Neely Kennedy]] has strongly defended Prator in the dispute with Edwards. Kennedy, a potential Republican opponent to Edwards in 2019, said that he believes Edwards rejected Carolyn Prator's appointment because of the sheriff's earlier criticism of the governor's justice reforms, bipartisan measures that Kennedy himself also opposes. Kennedy cited the [[African-American]] Democratic state Senator Gregory Tarver of Shreveport, who was quoted in ''The Baton Rougee Advocate'' as having said that Edwards told him he blocked the nomination of Carolyn Prator because of her husband's opposition to the justice reforms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2018/09/13/kennedy-accuses-edwards-vendetta-against-caddo-sheriff/1291981002/|title=Kennedy accuses Edwards of vendetta against Caddo sheriff

|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]||accessdate=September 16, 2018}}</ref>

|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|accessdate=September 16, 2018}}</ref>

In the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 12, 2019. Prator led a four-candidate field with 39,140 votes (65 percent). He defeated two Democrats, George Eric Hatfield, who polled 12,724 votes (21 percent), and the African-American, Hersy Jones, Jr., who drew 6,887 votes (11 percent). A No Party candidate, Glen Cornell, ran fourth with 1,523 votes (3 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12, 2019.</ref>  

In the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 12, 2019. Prator led a four-candidate field with 39,140 votes (65 percent). He defeated two Democrats, George Eric Hatfield, who polled 12,724 votes (21 percent), and the African-American, Hersy Jones, Jr., who drew 6,887 votes (11 percent). A No Party candidate, Glen Cornell, ran fourth with 1,523 votes (3 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12, 2019.</ref>