Capt. Clay Higgins of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana achieved Internet fame after he posted a series of stern videos, warning criminals of the consequences of their action, to the Web. Now he’s using the attention to benefit the St. Landry Parish by selling Higgins-branded items, such as T-shirts, bracelets, decals and drinkware.
According to The Acadiana Advocate, Higgins launched his Web store, captainhigginsgear.com, on Black Friday, with the goal of donating a share of the profits toward building a homeless shelter in the parish.
Higgins hosts a weekly segment called Crime Stoppers, which airs on the Lafayette ABC affiliate KATC-TV. The segments have gained more than 2.6 million views on YouTube. Jimmy Fallon even featured one of Higgins’ videos on “The Tonight Show.” Fallon jokingly endorsed Higgins for president, admiring his no-nonsense approach to justice.
“As the Capt. Higgins phenomena unfolded, I started to see a way that we could do good works with the money earned from a commercial endeavor like that,” Higgins told The Acadiana Advocate.
The items feature Higgins’ silhouette with phrases, such as “Get Your Affairs in Order” (referencing a message he sent a thief), “Listen To Your Uncle Clay” and “Strength, Compassion, Redemption.”
“We’re not just selling T-shirts,” Higgins told The Acadiana Advocate. “We’re delivering a message.”
Higgins said he hopes to use the funds raised from the website to create an alternative to the parish’s existing late-night shelters, which currently house a set number of people per night.
