U.S. Attorney Zachary Keller Honors Law Enforcement During National Police Week

United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller publicly recognized the law enforcement community in the Western District of Louisiana on May 13 2026 during National Police Week.

The recognition covers officers and agencies operating across 23 parishes in the district an area that includes more than 1.2 million residents according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. Federal prosecutors in the district work with these departments on cases involving narcotics trafficking violent crime and public corruption.

The Department of Justice press release lists participation by the FBI the DEA local sheriff offices and municipal police departments.

The statement shifts the annual observance from an internal agency acknowledgment to a documented public record that federal prosecutors will reference in future budget justifications and interagency memoranda. National Police Week runs each year from May 9 to May 15. The 2026 observance therefore concludes in two days from the release date.

Downstream the recognition obliges the U.S. Attorney’s Office to maintain formal points of contact for the honored agencies when new federal grant cycles open under the Byrne JAG and COPS programs. Those grant applications carry fixed deadlines set by the Bureau of Justice Assistance typically falling in the third quarter of each fiscal year.

The documented appreciation also supplies supporting language that local departments can attach to state-level funding requests routed through the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement. In addition the release sets a precedent for similar annual statements that the office must produce in 2027 and beyond to preserve continuity in community relations reporting required under Department of Justice guidelines.

This marks the second consecutive year the Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office has issued a National Police Week recognition. The prior statement under the previous administration focused on pandemic-era operational challenges; the 2026 version centers on sustained partnership without reference to specific enforcement initiatives.

Congress separately authorizes funding each year for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program which distributed $214 million nationwide in fiscal year 2025 per the most recent Bureau of Justice Assistance report.