LAFAYETTE PARISH — Nearly five years after it was dismantled, the Lafayette City Park Police has been reinstated under a new partnership with the City Marshals Office and Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG).
Marshal Reggie Thomas spoke with KATC TV 3 about the plans and what the return of the park police will mean for neighborhood safety.
“One of the things you want is safety, and when you bring your kids out there, it makes you feel safe,” Thomas said.
On Monday morning, LCG announced in a news release the return of the City Park Police, this time under the administration of the City Marshals Office.
The park police, which had been inactive for five years, will now have commissioned POST-certified officers. “The park police will be commissioned officers; they will be post-certified officers with the power to arrest. These officers will be hired by my agency, and when they’re hired, they will come with training,” Thomas explained.
According to Thomas, the hiring of officers will begin on November 1st. Under the new arrangement, the Lafayette City Marshals will patrol the city's 30 parks and recreation centers, with officers providing around the clock patrol. “What our plan is, is to have Marshals working different hours, and any assistance that is needed, we have other agencies that can assist us.
We want to always have marshals somewhere in the park,” Thomas added. LCG also announced that substations will be placed around the city to enable quicker responses to crime in park areas.
Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet called the reinstatement of City Park Police a “top priority” in a recent statement.
Recruitment for the Lafayette Park Patrol Division is currently open. For more information visit LafayetteMarshal.com.
