Administration

Sheriff Gary Driskell

After graduating from Morgan City High School, Gary Driskell joined the United States Army serving actively until 1990. He then joined the reserve and was called up for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. During his military career, he worked as an MP and reached the rank of Sergeant.

Driskell joined the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in 1990 at the parish jail. Since then, he has worked his way up through the ranks being promoted to supervisor in each division he was assigned; the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, Uniformed Patrol Section, Narcotics Section, and Criminal Investigation Section.

On January 8, 2018, Driskell was promoted to Chief Deputy. He was responsible for supervising personnel and managing the overall daily operations of the agency and assisted Sheriff Smith by promoting overall agency efficiency.

In the fall of 2023, Gary Driskell ran for Sheriff and won with 77% of the vote in a 4-candidate race. He was poised to be sworn in to take office on July 1, 2024, when the fiscal year began for Louisiana Sheriffs. 

However, Gary Driskell was sworn in early when Sheriff Blaise Smith passed away in February 2024. Driskell would complete the Sheriff's remaining four months of the current term before his formal swearing-in ceremony to begin his first elected term.

Sheriff Gary Driskell, his wife, Courtney, and son Jase reside in Morgan City. 

John Kahl

Chief Deputy

John Kahl serves as Chief Deputy for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office, where he oversees daily operations across all divisions. With three decades of law enforcement experience, Chief Kahl brings a deep commitment to public safety and professional leadership.

He began his law enforcement career in 1995 with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, working in the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. In 1997, he became a Patrol Officer with the Broussard Police Department before joining the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office in 1998 as a Narcotics Agent.

Throughout his career with SMPSO, Chief Kahl has served in a variety of specialized assignments, including positions with the St. Mary Parish Narcotics Task Force, Louisiana State Police West District Narcotics, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, and FBI Safe Streets Task Force.

He steadily rose through the ranks, being promoted to Captain in 2012, Major in 2016, and Lieutenant Colonel in 2020. In each leadership role, he has overseen critical divisions of the Sheriff's Office, such as Criminal Investigations, Narcotics, and the Special Response Team (SRT). In 2024, Sheriff Gary Driskell appointed him to the position of Chief Deputy.

Chief Kahl is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Class #266), a prestigious program for law enforcement executives recognized internationally for advancing leadership and professional excellence. He is also a graduate of Hanson Memorial High School in Franklin and holds a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Northwestern University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Administration of Justice at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Major Nick Rogers

Warden

St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center

A graduate of Berwick High School, Nick Rogers began his career in law enforcement in 2002 when he joined the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office. That same year, Rogers graduated from the Louisiana P.O.S.T. Academy and worked as a road deputy. In 2006, Rogers was promoted to the Narcotics Task Force. As a narcotics agent, he successfully completed an F.B.I. Instructor Development Course and was promoted to Lieutenant in the Patrol Division. During his time in the Narcotics and Patrol Divisions, Rogers attained multiple instructor certifications including Rapid Response to Active Shooter, TASER, and Standardized Field Sobriety Test. With those certifications, Rogers shares his expertise and experience by teaching fellow law enforcement officers attending the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy.

In 2010, Rogers was promoted to the Criminal Investigation Division as a Detective and was re-assigned to serve as a detective in the Marine Section in 2012. In 2014, Rogers led operations at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center in Centerville before returning to the Marine Section. Rogers was promoted in 2018 to command the Uniformed Patrol Section. Rogers built the Uniformed Patrol Section back up to the high standard that the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office requires of the Patrol Section. He was assigned to lead the Investigations Division in 2019. 

In January 2020, Rogers was promoted to the rank of Major and became the Warden at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.

Major Duval Arthur, III joined law enforcement in 2003 for the Berwick Police Department while also attending LSU. After graduating with a degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology, he accepted a position as a full-time law enforcement officer with the Berwick Police Department. In 2008, he accepted a position on the Narcotics Task Force at the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office. In 2016, Arthur was promoted to the rank of Captain supervising the operations of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division. As a supervisor, he challenged the members of his division to continually strive to better themselves and the work they do in pursuing local drug dealers. In 2021, Arthur was promoted to the rank of Major, and Investigations was added under his command.

Major Arthur also serves as a team leader and sniper for the Sheriff's Office Special Response Team.