New St. Mary jail warden, sheriff's spokesman named

Maj. Paul Scott is the new warden for the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center in Centerville, and David Spencer is the new public information officer for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Scott Anslum said in a news release.

Scott, who took over as warden in July, began his career in law enforcement in 1996. Throughout his career, Scott has received several instructor certifications. Scott’s experience in law enforcement has included special response team, narcotics, investigations, assistant warden, deputy warden, shift supervisor in a patrol division, and supervisor of a Transitional Work Program, the release said.

In June, after two separate inmate escape incidents when a total of five inmates escaped from the St. Mary Parish jail in less than two weeks, the former jail warden, Robin Landry, was reassigned to another position. Five deputies were fired in connection with the escapes.

All of the escaped inmates were captured within three days of their escapes.

As part of the comprehensive reorganization of the staff at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, Landry was transferred to another position within the sheriff’s office, Anslum said in a release.

Patrol Commander Capt. Nick Rogers served as acting warden until Scott took over the job of warden.

Spencer, who became public information officer in August, had previously been an educator in St. Mary Parish for the past eight years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, and a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Detective Whytley Jones had temporarily served as public information officer since June after Detective Lt. Traci Landry, who had been the sheriff’s public information officer since 2012, announced that she had accepted a job as public information officer with another agency.