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Post by Dorothy on Sept 27, 2006 18:04:36 GMT -6
I feel better now. The sheriff's spokesperson Stansbury says 300 of 2000 warrants have been "resolved". Trooper Williams says Willie Nelson was treated like any other person, and Corporeal Francis/Craft says crime just happens and there is not much we can do to prevent it. I wonder if these spokespersons have ever listened to what they say, or do they make it up as they go ? I sure would not pay any of these people to guard my house. I will rely on my hubby's .357.
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percy
Full Member
Posts: 101
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Post by percy on Oct 1, 2006 8:27:14 GMT -6
DRAG RACING RESULTS IN FOUR DEATHS
The driver will likely face criminal charges....
The driver will be arrested but charges depend on whether alcohol was involved....
Gee, Corp Francis, I can think of a few charges for you...for the driver in the hospital who should be under arrest NOW and handcuffed to the bed and for the one that got away
14§28. Inciting a felony 14§31. Manslaughter or 14§32. Negligent homicide if under influence of alcohol or drugs 14§32.1. Vehicular homicide
14§39. Negligent injuring if under influence of alcohol or drugs 14§39.1. Vehicular negligent injuring 14§39.2. First degree vehicular negligent injuring
14§98. (Et seq) Operating a vehicle while intoxicated 14§99. Reckless operation of a vehicle 14§100. Hit-and-run driving
not to mention the Title 32 violations
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Post by abbd on Oct 1, 2006 16:30:10 GMT -6
Percy, is there any reason you can think of on why the driver of the Mustang has NOT been identified? I find that rather strange. Just wondering here.
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Post by Johnny on Oct 1, 2006 20:03:53 GMT -6
I'm with ya here, Abbd. More information needs to come out regarding this tragedy, and soon. What a horrible thing...
Johnny
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percy
Full Member
Posts: 101
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Post by percy on Oct 2, 2006 5:43:18 GMT -6
Most likely the driver of the Mustang has not been identified because he has not yet been arrested. Additionally, nothing more has been said about the passenger in the Mustang either, I was under the impression there was a passenger in the vehicle.
And speaking of identity and arrested and of such like things, nothing more has been seen in the media about that Lafayette PD officer who struck and killed that person on I-10 near Duson last week. The officer has never been identified, what he was doing on I-10 near Duson ( kind of out of the city of lafayette ) , the person that was killed, etc, etc, etc
Nothing in the media at all. Just like it never happened.
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Post by abbd on Oct 2, 2006 7:25:32 GMT -6
What? Are you serious? Wow!! I haven't seen or heard anything about that. Do we even have a news media here??? Tell us more please.
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Post by str8up50 on Oct 2, 2006 10:18:46 GMT -6
There was enough coverage of the incident that happened on I10 involving a LPD officer. The officer was on his way home from working. Apparently a couple had pulled off the road and were apparently having an arguement. The female was apparently crossing I10 on foot when she was struck.
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Post by abbd on Oct 18, 2006 8:54:53 GMT -6
Wasn't sure where to post this sooo... I heard Hoyt yesterday explaining why the public wasn't informed right away about the prisoner who escaped from the LPCC. He basically said (I paraphrase from my recalection)....we didn't want to scare the public,, So my question is... what else is the news medais here in lafayette NOT reporting to us? Just wondering?
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Cajunguy
New Member
Duhhh, who's got the boudin?
Posts: 42
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Post by Cajunguy on Oct 18, 2006 10:10:49 GMT -6
I could be wrong abbd, but if I saw (and remember) it correctly, they were referring to the two escapees from St. Mary Parish, not the one here. I think the report on the from one here was on the next newscast.
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Post by zoe10850 on Oct 18, 2006 11:17:50 GMT -6
i do not know about St Mary, but another "just walked out" of LPCC yesterday. This was not the first time, but I believe the 3rd time THIS YEAR. Well, Dr Neustrom has probably been busy working on additional accreditations and unable to bother with things like jail security.
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Post by zoe10850 on Oct 18, 2006 11:42:24 GMT -6
Don't scare the public ? Warn us so we can at least protect ourselves. Blurb in paper today: it only took 396 complaints from a Moss Street Compex for LPD to act. Also, they had received numerous complaints of street racing and did nothing. And Major Craft wants to keep his job ?
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Post by abbd on Oct 18, 2006 15:15:32 GMT -6
Yeah, I gues it's better to have a few women raped, a couple of folks murdered and a car jacking or two instead scaring folks huh? What a freaking joke. I guess next we won't be having hurricane alerts when a storm is in the gulf cuz we don't wanna scare people huh? Inform us you bozos, we need to be aware!!! Losers!
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Post by RonS on Oct 18, 2006 16:59:15 GMT -6
I think Craft is, for better or worse, part of the system, and therefore, unable to fix the problem. I agree with other posters who have suggested letting the sheriff's office absorb the police department. I think the sheriff keeps dropping hints about a tax, and if re-elected, he will no doubt try. This will increase our cost of law enforcement a lot, and there is a lot of duplication already in a very small parish. I see no need to preserve the jobs of people like Craft, who can retire; the bulky administrative division would be eliminated completely. The money spent should be on placing more officers on the road because visibility encourages the "bad boys" to go elsewhere. We definitely need a better quality of law enforcement.
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Post by str8up50 on Oct 21, 2006 11:50:27 GMT -6
I dont think that the consolidation of the Sheriff's Office and LPD will solve anything as the two leaders for these two organizations have failed to realize the true problems in our parish/city. It is really discouraging when the administration outweighs the total number of actual road officers. A friend of mine, who works for LPD, has stated that since the conception of COMSTAT the department has really taken a nose dive. The turnover rate is high for road officers, whereas the office workers milk their position. Since the hurricanes, the call load/violence of crimes has increased whereas the manpower issue has idled. His biggest complaint is that a department of this size is still in a reactive mindset, instead of a proactive one. Big deal that there are 14 officers in the academy, considering that they wont be on the road for at least 6 months or so. And the constant turn over of officers, those 14 will fill the slots for those that leave during that 6 month time period. Officers are being drafted/mandated to work overtime details, even when they have already fulfilled their work hours obligation. And often times, they are told about a mandated detail the day before it begins. Some officers have refused to work the details, stating that the administration cannot force them into working it. Even when officers have made family plans on their weekends off, they are instructed to cancel them and report for duty on their day off I personally blame all the administration from Durel, past Chiefs, and supervisors for failing to adhere to the manpower shortages within the department. When an officer responds to 20-35 calls within a 12 hour time period, there is no time for being proactive. Instead down time is spent on the completion of paperwork. I have noticed that the Daily Advertiser shows the activity of the Sheriff/LFD in the paper, if they were to show the activity of LPD, LPD would have to front the money for another page. In closing, even thought the public may have a negative opinion of him, officers feel that Craft knows the problems within the department and he has talked to everyone and shown them his new plan for the department. Even though it may not happen overnight, the vast majority of officers have a better attitude about the department and Craft than they did with past chiefs.
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Post by zoe10850 on Oct 21, 2006 23:59:07 GMT -6
Well str8up50. while I do agree that the 2 leaders have shown nothing, as I have said numerous times, at least we can vote for the sheriff. I do not think the present sheriff has a clue what he is doing, but Major Craft, after 25 years on the job, has even less. Ask any state trooper who has to work with the LPD; they are largely ineffectual.
Consolidation will not solve all problems w/law enforcement, but will channel available resources better as well as provide a unified front. We do not need a police department with 225 members when only 72 are on patrol; this is bad, incompetent, and almost malfease. Craft is now in a position to remedy, but will not because he is the very problem. Why does the city have "qualifications" that virtually assure that the chief cannot be a deputy sheriff or state police officer ? Should make you wonder. It is not an issue of professionalism.
It is not manpower shortage as much as a misapplication of resources. If the "acting chief" cannot resolve that, who can ? As for our current sheriff, he is, I believe a Blanco puppet and not qualified to be chief law enforcement officer. Accreditation. Right, sounds like a school teacher bs to me.
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Post by str8up50 on Oct 22, 2006 19:25:23 GMT -6
ZOE, Im a little lost on some of your comments and would like further explanation if possible. What do you mean as far as LPD being ineffectual with LSP Troopers? What did you mean by stating that the city has "qualifications" that virtually assure the chief cannont be a deputy sheriff or state police officer? Thanks
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Post by zoe10850 on Oct 23, 2006 10:51:50 GMT -6
Well, as it happens, I associate with several state police officers, and they have expressed to me the difficulty in working with the city police, thus the ineffectual comment. The fact is there is little co-operation between the agencies, perhaps is a turf issue. I have heard similar comments from sheriff's deputies in spite of "metro" groups.
As for qualifications, those for chief were written, at Durel's request, to enable Hundley to get job, but did not allow for similar "experience" for other police agancies such as LSP or SO, thereby excluding such officers, even though their experience might be far broader.
We need only look at hietory to determine that education alone is not a good qualification in a law enforcement agency; See Dr Copes, Dr Neustrom.
I have lived in Lafayette a long time, and believe the best chiefs we have had were Roland Dart (an out of towner) and possibly John Hyde. Both had extensive experience elsewhere. But regardless of that fact, I believe a consolidated force would be more responsive to public needs, if for no other reason than politics; do a bad job and you are gone. If you treat public poorly, you will be retired.
That non withstanding, I think it will come down to the sheer cost of quality law enforcement . This is in fact the smallest (or 2nd) geographic parish in the state. We have over 500 deputy sheriff's, 225 city police, perhaps 20 city marshall's, approx 20 in Carencro, 20(?) in Broussard, 10(?) in Youngsville, and 25 (?)in Scott, plus a few troopers. Do you really belive this is efficient when each maintains an administrative function, each maintains dispatchers (in spite of 911), several are elected positions? Realize that the sheriff operates in all jurisdictions. And still our crime rates are climbing. This in no way reflects on the people on the streets, and if you know some, as I suspect you do, they would likely tell you they could do a better job if allowed.
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Post by April on Oct 23, 2006 17:27:09 GMT -6
I seem to recall an issue regarding job qualifications for our chief of police as well. I recall that the rules were tightened to recognize service with the police department in lieu of a college degree. I do not see where we have gotten better chief's of police based upon education as opposed to experience, so I agreed with the changes at the time. I thought advancement within the department was a good incentive. Not so sure now.
I liken our police department to a ship without a rudder. We have many fine young men who will be spoiled by the system by the time they accumulate enough seniority to make a difference
Perhaps we should seek an illiterate as evidently the ability to read does not ensure that one will in fact read the law. Example; I did not know it is against the law to wiretap without a court order per chief Hundley. Is that a plea of ignorance ? Jim Craft says crime is "a little bump in the road" and we had been receiving complaints about street racing for some time(and did nothing?) or some apartment complex on Moss Street has to file 400 complaints before they are heard. That my fellow citizens in not proactive, or even reactive enforcement. And that, Mr Craft is your job. Some poor street officer that responds to 20-35 calls is going to perform very poorly, and that is our fault for tolerating your inability to perform the task you are paid for.
And Zoe, those numbers indicate almost 800 police officers if accurate. Now, why is crime on the rise again ? We have experienced 2 car thefts in my neighborhood in the last couple of weeks. That has never happened before, and should not happen now. Visibility is a great deterrence, but cannot be accomplished if officers are short shifted and jumping from call to call. Why doesn't the Sheriff help the city ? We do pay taxes to him as well.
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Post by str8up50 on Oct 23, 2006 20:02:25 GMT -6
Well Zoe and April I read your posts and spoke to my LPD friend and he somewhat agrees with both of your statements. His focus was that since he has been here for the past 8 years, he has seen tremendous growth in Lafayette, however the PD never grew in order to accomodate such boom. Furthermore, he stated that the talk of admin. section is to get the Patrol Section beefed up, however the admin. section seems to just talk and not act.
It is sad when the admin at the PD puts out a internal memo stating that officers are forbidden from telling the public how many officers are actually working the road on that given day. That should be a CLUE!!
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Post by TBEAR on Oct 24, 2006 7:32:33 GMT -6
APRIL in reference to 800 officers, Zoe was including all commissioned personel in those agencies, there are actually about 60 total patrolman with the city, about 45 with the sheriff, and on and on with the smaller agencies. These officers are spread out over 4 shifts. there are also special units that work during peak hours that accounts for about another 10 - 15 with each large department. So actually at anyone given time there are only about 25 - 30 law enforcement officers working the entire parish and in the city. There are many more commissioned personel that have nothing to do with enforcing the law and have no arrest powers, therefore they do not patrol, which is what he was explaining.
and str8up50 you are right, this city has increased its population almost two-fold from ten years ago and there has been no increase in the officer on the street.
the national average of police to population is 2.5 per 1000
the population of lafayette parish in 2005 was 197,390 according to the census bureau.
we are below the national average as for as active patrolling officers around 100 or so for the entire parish.
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