Dennis Thornton

Dennis Thornton has over 41 years of law enforcement and leadership experience serving with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Throughout much of his career, he worked in the Homicide Division, investigating and supervising death investigations, and he is currently assigned to the Criminal Intelligence Center investigating cold case homicides. A graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, Dennis also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Loyola University-New Orleans, an MA in Criminology from Indiana State University, and both an MSUS and a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans. In addition to his years of police experience and criminological background, he also has extensive experience in the area of leadership dynamics within the realm of public safety, leading several employees and units in various roles throughout his long law enforcement career.