Former Golden Meadow Police Chief Arrested for Deleting Records

Golden Meadow, LA (BuzzReport) – Troy Dufrene, the former police chief of Golden Meadow, Louisiana, has been arrested and charged with deleting over 12 years of police records after losing his re-election bid. Dufrene turned himself in at the Lafourche Parish Jail on charges of injuring public records, malfeasance in office, and computer tampering.

The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) launched an investigation into Dufrene’s actions after the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office reported concerns about misconduct. According to investigators, Dufrene accessed a shared case management system used by both the sheriff’s office and the Golden Meadow Police Department and deleted key data, including¹:

• Deleted Records:
  • Traffic Citations: Records of traffic infractions and citations issued by the police department
  • Arrest Reports: Documents detailing arrests made by the police department
  • Payroll Data: Records of employee compensation and benefits
  • Fuel Expenditures: Records of fuel usage and expenses

The deletion of these records has significantly disrupted the department’s operations, and efforts are underway with an outside vendor to recover the data.

Dufrene was booked on three felony charges and his bond was set at $15,000. The 17th Judicial District Court secured an arrest warrant following the investigation.

The Golden Meadow Police Department is working to recover the deleted records and restore its operations. The community is likely to be impacted by the loss of these records, and the department’s ability to serve its citizens may be compromised.