Sergeant Keniyelle “Nikki” Frank serves in the Community-Oriented Policing and Problem-Solving, or COPPS Section, of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. There, she is responsible for keeping communities safe and being a positive role model for the children that reside in her area. Sergeant Frank sees herself as a deputy who can bridge the gap between community and law enforcement, and it’s her lifelong dream to help others. Specifically, Sergeant Frank was nominated because of her involvement in the Beyond the Bell program, and its fundraising organization, Friends of Beyond the Bell. She has bene a part of the program since its inception in January 2015. The program is based at the Reverend Lloyd Wallace Community Center in Raceland and services the children of the Alidore Community, a community that is poverty-stricken and considered a high-crime area. The program is intended to expand to serve all children throughout the parish in the coming years. Referred to affectionately by the children as “Nanny Nikki,” Sgt. Frank has been a huge part of the program’s success over the years. The children are always excited when they see her LPSO car at the center. Not only does she provide them with a sense of security, but she also helps bridge the gap with unconditional love. She hosted her first community event at the center in 2015, a Father’s Day event, and went above and beyond by purchasing food and supplies for the children to make cards for their fathers and father figures. She has also helped organize events such as “Cookies with Cops” on Valentine’s Day, “Shop with a Cop” at Christmas, and “Backpack with Blue” where she coordinated donations for kids going back to school. There was even a picnic called “Crawfish with Cops” where she purchased extra crawfish when the event was going to be short. In 2020, she helped to found Friends of Beyond the Bell to help bring in more resources and opportunities for the children in the Alidore community. She served as president of the board in 2020 and 2021, and still serves as president. This allowed donations to be funneled into the program appropriately and legally. In 2021, she planned and coordinated the first fundraiser for the program and was able to provide an incredible summer program for the children thanks to those efforts. During a field trip, she even paid for lunch for a group of children out of her own pocket when the restaurant would not accept a check as payment.

While her involvement in the program has been valuable to her job and the COPPS Section, it is not a requirement. Furthermore, her leadership within the group and the giving of her extra time and donations are also purely out of the kindness of her heart. She is consistently surprising the children with snacks and goodies to make them feel special. Hope to break the cycle of hate and violence toward each other and law enforcement and help steer the kids on the right path to success. Sergeant Frank has previously stated that being a survivor of a tragic childhood with several heartbreaking events has provided her with life experiences to help others cope with devastation. It is with intention and energy that she has provided a much-needed spark to the lives of the children of the Alidore community.