Recall efforts are underway to remove Arnaudville Police Chief Eddy LeCompte from office.
Organizers need 298 signatures within 90 days.
Dakota Arnaud, an Arnaudville resident filed the recall petition. He says the Chief does not complete his job efficiently, he’s a disgrace and he’s dishonest.
The Chief maintains he loves his job, but he’s not commenting directly on the recall efforts.
“He’s the only Chief of Police who hasn’t worked a shift throughout Arnaudville’s history, he refuses to work a shift because it’s not in his job description as he’s stated multiple times at town meetings and to elected officials of the Town of Arnaudville,” said Arnaud.
The 18-year-old who filed the petition on Wednesday also claims the Chief gave an officer a badge and gun, but that officer was uninsured by the department for 10 days.
Chief LeCompte said he cannot comment on the petition because he has not seen it. He said he does hope Arnaud comes and talks with him in person about his concerns.
“You can’t have any meaningful discussion unless you have both sides of the story,” said LeCompte. “At least get both sides of the story and not just listen to gossip and innuendos.”
LeCompte did say he is not upset with Arnaud for his efforts.
“I think it’s commendable. There’s not enough young people today that want to get involved.”
LeCompte believes he has a good track record and ultimately, the people will decide.
“I hope to get a better Chief of Police who will complete his job efficiently, not leave the town as a liability with issues where you don’t know what you’re doing,” Arnaud said.
If organizers do get enough signatures for the recall effort, they have to be certified by the registrar of voters before the Chief’s recall would end up on a ballot.
KATC Investigates uncovered the Arnaudville Police Department and the Chief have faced multiple lawsuits since taking office.
In August 2018, Arnaudville Police Chief Eddy LeCompte, the Arnaudville Police Dept., and other town leaders were sued by a St. Landry Parish business owner for allowing a locksmith company, on behalf of two individuals that she was in a legal property dispute with, to break and enter into her locked business without her consent. She had to temporarily close her business in order to change the locks on the building.
The suit claims that she went to a town meeting to present her concerns, she was rebuffed by the town attorney and the police chief who said they could not discuss the matter with her if there was going to be a lawsuit. The suit also claims that the interaction was not recorded in the minutes or printed in the newspaper. The next hearing, in this case, is June 14.
In November 2018, the Arnaudville Police Dept. was sued again by one of its full-time police officers who had requested to be transferred to dispatch because of complications that arose from her pregnancy that caused her physical limitations. LeCompte denied her repeated requests to be transferred to dispatch despite having provided medication documentation that indicated she should be limited to light-duty work.
The officer was later informed by LeCompte that she had been placed on unpaid administrative leave from APD in January 2018 until “such time in the future that she is cleared to return to full duty by her treating physician.” This led the officer to file a formal complaint against the APD with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The suit was ultimately dismissed in February 2019 for lack of procedural capacity.
