Major Dustin Reynolds has been elected president of the Ware Youth Center Authority’s Board of Commissioners, a four-year term that officially began Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Reynolds, who heads the Operations Division of the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, has served on the Ware board since 2016 and has held the vice president’s office since that time.
Ware Youth Center is a 24-bed non-secure residential group home for juvenile offenders located just north of Coushatta on U.S. Hwy. 71. Ware’s territorial jurisdiction includes Webster, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Red River and Sabine parishes.
Reynolds will lead a commission with the declared purpose “…to assist and afford opportunities to preadjudicatory and postadjudicatory children who enter the juvenile justice system to become productive, law-abiding citizens of the community, parish and state by the establishment of rehabilitative programs within a structured environment…”
Commission members are also empowered to authorize and approve contracts of employment for a superintendent or administrator and other personnel, plus enter into contracts for legal, financial, engineering and other professional services necessary for the operation of the facility.
“As a commission, we’re hoping to be a team that works with legislators and others within the juvenile justice system to find long-term solutions to the problems we’re facing,” Reynolds said. “I’m honored the commission selected me to be their president.”
Reynolds, a life-long Webster Parish resident, has been with the WPSO for 28 years, rising through the ranks from patrol to detective and head of the Criminal Investigation Division. As Major over operations, his duties include overseeing training, internal affairs, records, warrants, contracts, purchasing, public information, fleet and equipment and maintenance.
He graduated from the Bossier Parish Community College Law Enforcement Academy in 1996 and is POST certified.
Reynolds background in law enforcement includes extensive training and service focusing on juveniles. He served as the WPSO juvenile officer and graduated from the LSU Juvenile Officers Institute in Baton Rouge. He has been assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the Northwest Louisiana Crimes Against Children task force and the FBI Crimes Against Children task force.
“I’ve been involved in several areas where the focus is on juveniles and I know what we’re facing, especially in housing youthful offenders and staffing those facilities,” Reynolds said. “Ware is a fine facility. I know our board is willing to make the hard decisions necessary to keep it operating as a major part of the juvenile justice system.”