THE POLICE JURY
CALCASIEU PARISH, LOUISIANA

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury is to provide the people of Calcasieu Parish with high-quality services and actions that benefit present and future generations throughout Southwest Louisiana.

HISTORY OF THE PARISH LOGO

On June 20, 1991, the Police Jury of Calcasieu Parish adopted the official Parish flag design which reflects the history of Calcasieu Parish in its symbolism. "Calcasieu" is "Crying Eagle" in the Attakapas Indian dialect, the tribe native to the Calcasieu area and the Bald Eagle depicted is the national symbol of the United States.

Calcasieu Parish was created March 24, 1840, from St. Landry Parish, one of the original 19 parishes established by the Legislature in 1807. The five parishes that Calcasieu was finally divided into - Allen, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis, Cameron, and Calcasieu - are represented by the five stars. The original Parish was called "Imperial Calcasieu."

The deep blue, white, and red colors are the tri-colors of the French flag, representing the history of many of our laws, customs, and practices which are derived from the old Napoleonic code of the French. The green cypress branches come from the "Bald Cypress" tree which grows along the waterways of an area known in 1840 as "Marsh Bayou Bluff" where the Police Jury established the first Parish seat known as "Marion." This area today is simply known as "Old Town."