by Keith Burton - GCN 7/2/08 D'Iberville's new police department is showing off their new patrol cars complete with a unique graphic style to set them apart from other police departments on the Coast. The graphics are also being done by a local business whose owner has a long history in the booming city. Frank Lassere of Big "d" Signs on Gorenflo Road is doing all the
graphics on the city's patrol cars. The work is
"I have to cut them out using a computer, and it takes me about a day to finish a car," Lassere said. He has finished nearly 2 dozen cars, including a couple of jet skis. The graphics are put on the cars in layers and are not just one label. The yellow graphics are light reflective so they vehicles can be identified at night. Lassere's family has been in the sign business going back more than a generation. He said his father, Lee, started the business years ago hand painting names on boats. "Dad's 76 and can still do hand lettering." The company still does hand lettering on boats, but, "we don't do as much as we used to," Lassere said
D'Iberville's Police Department officially goes "online" in October. Since the city was incorporated in 1988, it has relied on a contract with the Harrison County Sheriff Department for city patrols. Since Katrina, the city has seen dramatic commercial and residential building that has provided enough tax income to establish the police department. Currently the department is operating out of trailer, but the city plans to build a public safety center.
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Keeping
It Local
clearly a labor of love for Lassere, who is well-known in the D'Iberville
community for his work with the city's ball clubs and as a coach.
Lassere
says the unique design of the patrol car graphics came from Police Chief
Wayne Payne.
