The civil unrest in Louisiana's capital city continues following the shooting of Alton Sterling, so Baton Rouge is getting some local help.

Eighteen Caddo Sheriff's deputies arrived in south Louisiana Sunday, and 13 Bossier Parish deputies left for Baton Rouge yesterday, as part of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association Task Force.

"We stand for law and order, and it's a trying time for them down there," said Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington in a news release. "I know they would come and help us if the roles were reversed."

The Bossier team gathered riot gear and hit the road at 10:30 yesterday morning. According to the news release, preparations for a time like this actually began more than a year ago at the Bossier Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Whittington said his team has been training extensively.

"These are some of the finest deputies you'll find, and they prepared for just a time like this," Whittington said. "We pray for their safety and all of the law enforcement officers who stand to keep public safety as they represent the Thin Blue Line."

Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator and Chief Deputy D.E. Stevens are part of the Caddo Parish team. They were sent to the I-10 bridge over the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, where they assisted deputies from other agencies in a preventative operation after officials learned of possible disruptions to traffic there. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

Caddo deputies have joined their East Baton Rouge counterparts for patrol duties in the parish, riding in two-man units. They're expected to stay in Baton Rouge at least through today.

CSO TO BR
Photo courtesy of Caddo Sheriff's Office
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