Born October 12, 1970, in Plaquemine, LA, Lafate Elliott Day, Jr. had roots immediately traced back to Thibodaux, LA. His mother’s parents were natives of Thibodaux. His grandfather and great-grandfather were both carpenters in the bayou region. Both of his uncles on his maternal side of the family were also carpenters and his brother is a cabinet maker. It seems only logical he would appreciate the work Habitat for Humanities does.

 

Lafate Elliott Day graduated from Brusly Hight School near Baton Rouge, attended LSU from 1988 to 1991, then transferred to NSU. Elliott joined the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office in March of 1992. He worked his way through the ranks as a Corrections Officer, Patrol Deputy, Detective, DARE Officer, Reserves and Youth Services Coordinator, Training Academy Director, Criminal Department Commander, Operational Support Department Commander, and currently the Community Events Coordinator.  He was named the National Sheriff’s Association Explorer Advisor of the year in 2010 and served on the Executive Board of the Louisiana Citizen Corps and the Louisiana Citizen Corps State VIPS Advocate. Lafate has served as a Crisis Negotiator since 2000 including 10 years on the Louisiana Association of Crisis Negotiators (LACN) Executive Board where he represented LACN for 6 years on the National Committee of Negotiation Agencies (NCNA). He still judges negotiations competitions and presents negotiations training nationally. He was the Training Director of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office Regional P.O.S.T. Training Academy from 2016 to 2021 where he implemented the tourniquet program, the Narcan program, updated and revised the AED program; and introduced the use of Zoom for the adaptation of Louisiana POST Training to include distance and virtual learning concepts during COVID-19 in 2020.  In 2017 he joined the regional Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) committee with the South-Central Louisiana Human Services Authority, specializing in Active Listening Skills, Louisiana laws pertaining to the handling of mentally ill persons, and scenario trainings.  In 2020 Lafate was elected Vice-President of the Louisiana Law Enforcement Academy Directors Association. On January 4, 2021, he was promoted to Major as Criminal Department Head, where he supervised the Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Narcotics Section, and the South Lafourche Sub-Station. On April 11, 2022, he was transferred to the Operational Support Department Head where he supervised the POST Regional Training Academy, Range, Reserves, Youth Services, DARE/SRO, Animal Control, COPPS and Communications.  In September of 2023 Major Day was tasked with creating the position of Community Events Coordinator to reach out to and assist community events in Lafourche Parish making sure the assets of LPSO benefit the programs and citizens of Lafourche Parish as much as possible. In 2024 Major Day was awarded the Beyond the Badge Heart of Law Enforcement Award for his work with Bless Your Heart Non-Profit in helping provide shelter for a homeless elderly handicapped couple. That year he was also inducted into the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Hall of Fame for over 30 years of service to the Hunter Education Program of Louisiana. In addition to his work in the community, negotiations, and LPSO, he was asked to compose and present on Leadership at the 2025 LACN Conference and recent Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Supervisor Leadership Training.

 

Major Day views his son, Lafate Elliott Day, III, as his greatest reward, achievement, pleasure, work in progress. Along with his wife, Ronica Day, Major Day is looking forward to starting is “terminal” leave with Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office next week! This is a step towards “retirement” which actually just means the next chapter in his community service career! Stay tuned!