Elizabeth West/Ville Platte Gazette
The U.S. Department of Justice has been in town making their rounds visiting with the community, the Ville Platte Police Department and the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The DOJ’s visit has been for the purpose of working with the Ville Platte Police and the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office on correcting the wrongs that were cited in a DOJ report released in December of 2016.
Before meeting with the law enforcement agencies however, trial attorneys for the U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division Seth Wayne and Charles W. Hart, Jr. met with the community to hear suggestions on how they feel the law enforcement agencies could improve their operations on March 5.
At the beginning of the meeting held at the Northside Civic Center, the DOJ representatives explained to the crowd that the DOJ’s investigation into the police and the sheriff’s office revealed that the practice of illegal investigative holds were used regularly by the two agencies. This practice according to the DOJ report resulted in individuals being detained without probable cause, thus violating a person’s Fourth Amendment right.
Wayne and Hart then enlightened the room on the fact that their sole purpose for being in Ville Platte at this time is to discuss how the DOJ findings are being remedied, and if the community has seen any improvement.
Hart said, “In our report, we suggested areas that changes should be made, which consisted of changes to policy, training, accountability system and community outreach. The departments have said they have made some changes recently in those four areas, and we want to hear from you how you are experiencing these changes and if you feel they have been effective?”
The crowd of about 30 however, desired to discuss wrongful convictions that could have been a result of the misconduct of officers from the law enforcement agencies rather than possible remedies for the DOJ’s findings.
Debra Richard said, “It’s okay to hold the sheriff, the chief of police and the city responsible for the police misconduct but we have people that are locked up because of what was done. How do we fix that?
“We have a chief that has served three terms and this has been a continuation. You can’t tell me that you have served the city of Ville Platte for 12 years and you have no knowledge of what’s going on in your own department.”
Richard then continued, “You want to repair something by putting a bandage on it when it needs more than a bandage. We need to rectify this city to go back to where we can believe in the police department again. I can’t believe in them now because I do not trust a person that wears a badge.”
Wayne then explained that he and Hart could not address those issues because their job only allows them to work with police departments on remedies for DOJ findings. However, he did share with Richard that she can fill out a complaint which would then make its way to the appropriate division of the DOJ that is meant to handle those complaints.
Wayne also shared that the accountability system that he and Hart are here to work on with the law enforcement agencies is “to make sure if police officers commit these violations in the future, they are then held accountable by the police department.”
Before ending the meeting, the DOJ representatives took time to speak one on one with individuals in attendance as well as provide them with the necessary forms to file other complaints or make suggestions on how to remedy the DOJ findings if they wish to do so.
Two days after the Sunday meeting, Wayne and Hart separately met with Evangeline Parish Sheriff Eddie Soileau and Ville Platte Chief of Police Neal Lartigue.
Following their visit Soileau released the following statement: “The department of justice (DOJ) met with myself and staff members yesterday. They outlined four sreas of study: Standard Operating Procedures, personnel training, accountability and community involvement.
The DOJ expressed an appreciation for our construction and adoption of Standard Operating Procedures for the first time in the history of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Department. They asked questions concerning the training received by our different personnel. They reviewed our procedures concerning securing warrants once probable cause has been established. They asked questions regarding actions taken by our disciplinary board when complaints or brought against an employee, either by a fellow employee or a member of the general public. They toured our facilities and reviewed our booking procedures with the employees in the jail itself.
Finally, they advised, that once they have completed their studies they may or may not make recommendations concerning any or all of these functions of the department. Our exchange with the officers of the department of justice was both enlightening and encouraging. As we assured them, our interest of the citizens of Evangeline Parish in mind. We thanked them and made sure that they understood our willingness to be cooperative and better informed regarding investigative and arrest procedures to the extent that any of our current practices warrant such.”