Elmer Litchfield

Who was Elmer Litchfield?

Elmer B. Litchfield was a long-serving sheriff of populous East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, known for his modernization of law-enforcement procedures.

A Republican in an historically, but decreasingly Democratic state, Litchfield was first elected as sheriff of East Baton Rouge in 1983 and won large majorities in his five subsequent reelections. He retired because of health problems, effective December 1, 2006, with more than a year remaining in his sixth term.

Litchfield was a native of Meridian, Mississippi, the seat of Lauderdale County. He graduated from the University of Mississippi at Oxford in 1950. He served nearly two years in the United States Marine Corps.

Litchfield launched his career in law enforcement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1951. He worked as a special agent in Boston and Chicago, and eventually in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. He retired from the FBI in 1979 and then served with the Louisiana State Commission on Law Enforcement until he was elected sheriff.

Colonel Greg Donald Phares, the chief criminal deputy, succeeded Litchfield as acting sheriff.