At the Breaux Bridge City Council Regular Public meeting on Tuesday evening three officers were hired and sent on their way for their first shift.
"All very well qualified,” Chief Buzz LeBlanc said. As a matter of fact, as soon as you hire them when they leave here, they’re going to work."
Before approval Breaux Bridge Mayor Ricky Calais said his decision was based on LeBlanc’s belief in the hires.
"I didn’t look at the applications and resumes,” Calais said. “Specifically, I got word from the chief verbally and he was high on and pleased about all three of them so I was excited."
LeBlanc said after the hiring the patrol force now has 12 policeman and are only short four. He said they previously were borrowing officers from different departments.
City council also approved of the purchase of a license plate reader system for a patrol car.
"We want to purchase one, but until the end of December Motorola has a deal where if we buy one, we get one free,” LeBlanc said. “So, this actually comes with two cameras which we could put on two cars."
Chief LeBlanc said the license plate reader camera will help Breaux Bridge with car theft.
"This tells them if the car matches the license plate, if the plate’s stolen if the car’s stolen, who’s the registered owner,” LeBlanc said.
“It’s across the board makes it safer for them and we know that we have a lot of bad plates in Breaux Bridge, we find stolen cars all the time this will just make it much easier."
City council also authorized the mayor to sign funding for a state project for the grand point sidewalk project.
