BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – While many of East Baton Rouge Parish’s nearly 450,544 residents are asleep, trained officers work around the clock to keep them safe.
“I’m always on call if there is an incident,” Casey Rayborn Hicks said. “Crime doesn’t follow a schedule.”
As the award-winning public information director for East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, she provides local residents with much-needed safety information, updates on crime-related cases and public events.
It’s a position Hicks takes seriously. Her dedication to EBRSO and the community it serves requires more than a typical 9-to-5 schedule.
“My workdays are kind of 24/7, 365 days,” Hicks said. “My days can consist of media calls, press conferences, community events, meetings, researching, etc.”
A shift in focus
As much as she loves her job, it wasn’t her initial career goal.
“I actually wanted to go into journalism,” she said. “But after graduate school, I started working in public relations, and the position was offered to me.”
Like many of the capital area’s reporters and television news anchors, Hicks is an LSU alum with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and journalism. During her time at LSU, she took her studies seriously and graduated summa cum laude.
Her next career move was to accept a dual role with the Louisiana Secretary of State. As both public information officer and multimedia archives director, she gained real-world experience that paved the way for her next step.
Hicks earned her master’s degree in mass communication in public relations from LSU and then took the leap into law enforcement. She joined EBRSO as its spokesperson and hasn’t looked back since.
Navigating challenges, mastering the role
That said, the job wasn’t always smooth sailing, especially in the early years. Hicks said earning the respect of the individuals she represented was, at times, challenging.
So, she made it a point to make sure they knew that her primary goal was to represent them. In some cases, Hicks said, she simply had to learn through mistakes.
“In 15 years, I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and experience in law enforcement and crisis communication,” Hicks said. “Now I feel very passionate about supporting the men and women that protect and serve us every day. They have an incredibly difficult and dangerous job, and, in my opinion, deserve our gratitude and support.”
Hicks’ deep respect for her colleagues is a tremendous source of motivation that helps keep her focused and grounded.
What does her day-to-day look like?
Though every day comes with a lengthy to-do list, she’s up for the task.
“As agency spokesperson, I create and disseminate all external communications to the media and public after consulting with representatives from criminal, civil, corrections and special operations departments,” Hicks explained. “I also produce most agency publications, respond to requests for information from the public as well as requests for the release of information from all office divisions. I write speaking notes and develop communication plans and presentations for those throughout the office related to agency functions and community matters.”
Essentially, anytime information needs to be relayed to the public or to EBRSO deputies, she’s at the helm.
Hicks also created EBRSO’s social media accounts and continues to maintain them. The sheriff’s office has a total of approximately 87,000 followers. One post reaches up to 2.17 million people.
Hicks said, “I maintain, monitor and create the content for the social media platforms which inform the public of critical safety incidents, help solve cases for many divisions through tips, aid in locating and rescuing those in danger, promote and honor divisions and individuals and support a positive relationship between the public and law enforcement.”
Why she loves her job
Heavy as the workload may be, she finds joy in supporting colleagues and members of the public.
“I am very passionate about working to garner the community’s support for the men and women that protect and serve us every day,” Hicks said. “Oftentimes they are under extreme scrutiny, and their every move can be questioned. I’m honored and humbled to represent them, and I will always stand up for and defend those who do their job with integrity.”
“I also love to see the positive effects of our outreach efforts in the community,” she said.
Her work ethic has not gone unnoticed. In 2009, Women in Media presented her with the Award of Excellence in Public Relations. That same year, the Public Relations Association of Louisiana named her the 2009 Practitioner of the Year. More recently, the sheriff’s office honored Hicks with the 2022 Support Services Deputy of the Year award.
Advice for aspiring public information officers
When asked what advice she’d give to anyone interested in serving as a spokesperson in law enforcement, Hicks said, “Get as much experience as possible, even if you have to spend some time volunteering. Make sure you understand the media, how they work and what they are looking for. Work on your written and verbal communication skills — through education and training.”
If you have an interest in joining EBRSO, click here to learn more about the eligibility requirements and application process.
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