- Mayor Carol Bourgeois describes what happened at the city council's special meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
- 4-5 deputies from the Jeanerette Marshal's Office will be available to help assist the police department at any given time.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Jeanerette Marshal's Office is stepping in to assist the city's police department. On Tuesday, Jan. 30 the city council held a special meeting, during which they voted to try and remedy an understaffed police department by combining resources.
"It was pretty much a no-brainer about reaching out to our city's marshal's office requesting their resources in the shortage," said Mayor Carol Bourgeois.
It's a nationwide issue; a shortage of people joining the force.
"It's just...hard, very hard, everyone knows, to get individuals to go into law enforcement."
But Bourgeois says the city council has found with a temporary solution.
"There's gonna be some coordination in the, what's called the 'Cooperative Endeavor Agreement,' to allow the marshal's office to work and assist with our policing of the community."
Bourgeois continued, saying that Marshal 'Pac Man' Martin and Chief Vallot will be "coordinating those efforts in supplying those services to the people of Jeanerette."
"Right now," Bourgeois said, "we are well below our compliment in the number of officers for the Jeanerette Police Department, that we're allotted."
The mayor says an additional 4-5 marshals will be helping to supply the police department at any given time.
"It's all gonna blend together."
To help incentivise others to join the force, the city is offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus. (Call the Jeanerette Police Department, 337-276-6323, if interested).
"We're well within our budget, and we should be fine going forward."
