Cpl. Brackett began his career in law enforcement in 2003 as a Deputy Sheriff working in Corrections for the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office. You have to wonder if anyone realized when he set a new record for the mile and a half run in the time of 9 minutes and 13 seconds at the Police Academy that it was just the first of many times that he would excel at the tasks put before him in the years to come. He spent the next several years working in Corrections, but his desire was to be on patrol. That desire was realized on the day he was hired by the Richwood Police Department. That was to prove to be a test both physically and mentally that would strengthen him and prepare him for what was to come later. He was the only officer on the night shift. Any of you who work the rural areas or have worked single-man patrols know that it requires you to be creative and think outside the normal parameters in terms of your own safety, how to handle those calls, and how to make the right decisions because you never know where your closest back-up is or if you have any back-up at all. It was during this time that Cpl. Brackett became extremely interested in drug interdiction. When he mentioned this interest, he immediately had our attention.
There are probably few among us whose lives have not been affected by the rampant drug use in today’s world. Whether it is someone in our family, a friend, or a co-worker whose life was directly or indirectly changed by the epidemic of illicit drug use, most of us have seen or felt the effects. Drugs can and most often do destroy lives physically, emotionally, and financially. Both humanity and morality die a slow agonizing death at the hand of this cancer that is eating away our very society.
When speaking of this new direction in his career, Cpl. Brackett stated, "That was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life. I later was asked to join their S.W.A.T. team. While there I was also fortunate to be given the opportunity to be a part of their Mounted Horse Patrol. There were several influential friends there who really helped me hone my skills as a police officer and as an individual, especially Assistant Chief Dennis Sims."
After being a part of the narcotics team for a while, Cpl. Brackett’s desire grew to become a more well-rounded officer so he stepped into working DWI's.
"That is a very challenging task to go from finding drugs to finding drunk drivers. The procedures in dealing with an intoxicated driver is much more in depth and precise. It’s not like finding the person's drugs, putting them in cuffs and taking them to jail. I wish it were that simple, but it’s not."
He began thinking that to further his career as a DWI enforcement officer he needed to find a law enforcement home that was well known for their DWI abilities and could give him the needed tools to further refine his skills. He wanted to find a state agency to work for because he knew that no one was better at putting drunk drivers in jail than the State Police. He found that agency...The University of Louisiana at Monroe Police Department. When he was given what he considers to be yet another grand opportunity, he started out focusing mainly on drug enforcement because that was what he knew best. During his first six months there, he got one of the first cases known to the department that resulted in both heroine and DWI on the same stop. (He pointed out that he wanted to make certain that we clarified that the arrestee was not a student but someone passing through.) His excellent work did not go unnoticed.
Cpl. Brackett, Lt. Chason
Cpl. Brackett's supervisor, Sgt. Chason (who is now his Lieutenant), approached him one night and posed a question. "Jackson, what is it that you really want to do? I know you like to find drugs, but I kind of get the feeling that you want to try something new." 
The answer came immediately. "I want to work more DWI's."
Sgt. Chason told him that he would do whatever it took to help him succeed in making that possible. ULM started the Crime Reduction Unit (C.R.U. - DWI and Drug Enforcement Unit) soon after that conversation. Cpl. Brackett credits Sgt. Chason with being kind enough to give him a slot on the C.R.U. It is possible that he does not realize that although Sgt. Chason is undoubtedly a fine man and a great officer...kindness probably had nothing to do with it. Cpl. Brackett earned that spot.
Chief Ellerman, Cpl. Brackett
It didn't take long for the knowledge to sink in that he had found his calling. As a member of the C.R.U. he was not only able to still rid the streets of drugs, but he could also focus on DWI's. The first year that C.R.U. was created (2007) Sgt. Chason and Cpl. Brackett made nearly 100 arrests each which included both DWI and drug arrests. Once again, his hard work and successes captured the attention of fellow officers. In late March of 2009 he was approached by their Chief. Chief Larry Ellerman informed him that he had entered Cpl. Brackett into a statewide program that was put on by the Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission to help make the roads of Louisiana safer from drunk driving. Cpl. Brackett accepted that challenge and took it to heart.
According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 11,773 alcohol related auto accident fatalities in 2008. That count does not include the number of those whose lives were destroyed by the loss of a loved one or life-altering injuries. For that same year, there were 912 fatality accidents in the State of Louisiana alone. Of those, 338 were alcohol related. That's 37% of the total. Only 8 states had a higher percentage. If you look at those numbers you can see why Cpl. Brackett knows that of the many tasks his job entails, getting intoxicated drivers off the roads is one of utmost importance. In 2009, the University of Louisiana at Monroe Police Department made 78 DWI arrests. Cpl. Brackett was instrumental in 52 of them.
He does what he does because he cares. He does what he does because that's his spot, his place where he makes a difference. The day may come that his spot will move. He may take another step that will lead him to a new spot. But for today, he's where he belongs. What he does matters. It's important. And he knows that. How does he feel about the award and wide-spread recognition?
"I count it a great honor and a privilege to have served my community and state in assisting to make the roads of Louisiana safer for the residents of this wonderful state."
Does everyone appreciate what he does? No, probably not. I can think of about 52 specific individuals off the top of my head that probably don't. But they should! Those 52 lives and perhaps countless more were very possibly saved because during one moment in time a guardian angel in blue, wearing a shield and a name tag that reads "J. BRACKETT" pulled in behind them and turned on his lights.
Like drugs, there are not many whose lives are not touched by the effects of drunk driving at some point. And, there is not a single officer who has not seen or will see what happens when one chooses to exercise a careless disregard for themselves and others. Some must stand strong as they pull the body of a child from the mangled wreckage caused by one who was so sure they were the one who could drive responsibly after having all those drinks. How many have had to look in the eyes of a sobbing mother or father who is just beginning to understand through their drunken stupor that they just killed their own child with their negligence? And many of them know only too well what it feels like to be one of the victims of just such a driver. Cpl. Brackett is one who does. We came very close to not having the opportunity to honor his work while he is still here with us. You see, on November 20, 2009, Cpl. Brackett was off-duty when he stopped at that red light. And like most, he had no idea that a vehicle with an intoxicated driver would plow into him at 70 miles an hour. For four days, he lay unresponsive in a hospital. He came away from that experience with an even deeper conviction to do everything he could to not let that happen to others.
“That really made me understand how important it is to take drunk drivers off the road. It also opened my eyes to the horrible impact that drinking and driving has on the victim and their families.”
Now I know that a lot of you reading this have at some point had a few drinks then crawled behind the wheel. And I'm sure you thought that was no big deal. Others might not be able to drive after a few drinks, but you can...right? Wrong. Hopefully, Cpl. Brackett won't mind us using him as the officer in this little scenario.
Okay maybe that's a little over the top and a tad simplistic, but not necessarily unrelated to scenarios that are played out across the country day after day, night after night. Now Cpl. Brackett takes his job very seriously. The need to make sure that the roadways are safe for all of us is paramount. The slogan "Drunk Driving - Over The Limit - Under Arrest" is not just a catch phrase for him. It's life and death. Now let's continue our story.
You're sitting on the side of the road with Cpl. Brackett at your window. And given that you're "just a little buzzed" you're giving him grief about stopping you when there are real criminals out there that he should be out chasing. Now let's just suppose that as you are protesting and complaining about how absurd it is that he stopped you, another car passes by. What you don't know are two things. One, your children have become concerned about you being so late and have set out in search of you. They're headed your way. Two, you know that car that just passed...the one that Cpl. Brackett might have stopped had you not been drinking and driving and he needed to stop you? Well that driver is intoxicated too. And, he's headed straight at your kids.
Can you see it now? Do you understand that just a few minutes before that YOU were headed straight at somebody's kids, somebody's brother or sister, somebody's mother or father? When you drink and drive you don't just take your life in your hands. You have the power to destroy entire families, both yours and others. That is why Cpl. Brackett does what he does. He and every other officer out there are not "out to get you". They're not out to harass you. They're out there to save you. They're out there to save all of the others who are on the roads with you. They're out there to stop you from causing an officer somewhere to have to walk up to one or more doors and tell the family inside that their world just came crashing down. Thank God that the Cpl. Brackett's of this world are there.
Chief Ellerman, Cpl. Brackett, Lt. Chason
His humility is evident in the way that he sees every step along the way in his career as a blessed opportunity, a gift given to him by his superiors when they gave him a chance. And he expressed his gratitude for those who helped him and allowed him to benefit from their experience along the way. He credits those around him for his success and abilities. And he knows the value of those intangible things that we so often take for granted like friendship, support, and family.
“I would like to give a special thank you to Chief Ellerman and Lt. Chason for all their support and believing in me. They have been very much instrumental in my success as a law enforcement officer. They are not only my Chief and Lieutenant, but they have grown to be my best friends also.”
The Brackett Family
He added an emotional thank you to his parents as well for guiding him through life and giving him the foundation on which the man and the officer is built today. We would like to add our thank you to them for that as well. It is doubtful that as they held that small bundle in their arms for the first time that they knew that they were holding one that would grow into a guardian angel who would give so much of himself to serve and protect others. But with their help, that little boy is today that man.
Each of us have people in our lives that inspire us to be better, go farther, work harder, and fly higher. If we're lucky we will have many such people in our lives. It's easy to see that Cpl. Brackett has always watched for those people and never failed to learn from them. But typically we all have very specific people who inspire us to be the very best that we can be. For Cpl. Brackett that inspiration comes from his sons. Children see the world through different eyes. They see it through a veil of innocence. Regardless of the stark contrast between what they see and what experience teaches us, those wise enough to let themselves view those things as they do will find inspiration in those young spirits. Being able to see what they see can and should inspire us all to make the world a better place. It does for Cpl. Brackett. What he learns from his sons inspires him to make the world better and safer, not just for them but for us all.
"Not On My Watch"
Accolades and praise are nice and always appreciated and accepted with pride in a job well done. But the real payback is in knowing he was in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing just because it is the right thing. The fulfillment of making the world more like what his children and our children see is the highest award he can earn and his most satisfying accomplishment.
There was one statement that Cpl. Brackett made that really stuck with us and tells in a few simple words the heart of this guardian of the Louisiana highways. "I am grateful to God for blessing me with the abilities he has given me and entrusted to me."
On behalf of those you serve and protect, let us just say that we are grateful as well, Cpl. Brackett. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and thanks for being one of those who won’t let the drugs and drunks go by unchecked, for being one of those whose credo has been and remains “Not On My Watch”.
Written By: Peggy Parker - Administrator of the Facebook Cause
~A Tribute To Those who Wear The Shield~
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