FROM: THE DESK OF THE SHERIFF Dear Citizens of Evangeline Parish:
In my previous article in the Ville Platte Gazette on September 1, 2016, I promised to you the public that I would keep you up to date on the Investigation into the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office recent budget shortfalls and unavoidable layoffs along with the budget cuts. This Investigation is being conducted by my office and the departments CPA firm.
PHASE ONE: Phase one of this Investigation is complete, and I will inform you the public of all findings from the Investigations thus far. The CPA firm and I have discovered due to improper bookkeeping practices, transferring of monies from one fund to another, and cover-ups by the guilty since 2015 have led to the budget shortfalls. With the guidance, of our CPA firm the proper steps are being taken to get the budget back on track. The CPA is overseeing the corrections that are needed to be made to the Administrator’s office, and also the handling of the budget. This will ensure that this kind of problem never happens again especially on my watch, I promise this to you the public.
PHASE TWO: This phase will inform the public of all the findings from the Investigation thus far. I will break down all the problems that led us here. I assure you the public that you will know everything. In the near future I will have an article in the Ville Platte Gazette explaining how the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office works. When I am done hopefully you have a complete picture of the workings of our office, yours and mine.
I will explain how both the Civil and Criminal Departments are funded, where the funds come from, and how the funds are spent. It will be a complete picture of the budget broken down in detail. I feel sure this will be an eye opener to you the public. I have been your Sheriff for almost 9 years, and a public servant for 20 years. I can confidently tell you the public that I have nothing to hide from you. I will do my best to see that you are happy with all the information you will need to come to a satisfied conclusion. The Evangeline Parish Police Jury, the governing authority of our parish called a special meeting on August 24, 2016 to discuss budget cuts and recent layoffs at the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office. The meeting was supposedly held to get information about the budget, but the problem was there was no information to get or give at the time. It was too soon in the discovery of the problem and investigation. That did not stop the Evangeline Parish Police Jury from conducting a “witch hunt”, and I was the hunted. This meeting was held to get the attention of the public away from the fact that I have been telling the Evangeline Parish Police Jury for 5 years, as early as August 9, 2016 that my budget was being seriously underfunded. Their only response was that they were broke so I was responsible for finding my missing funds from somewhere else. I feel they took the “monkey off their back and with total disregard for myself and our office and just threw me under the bus.” Nothing was accomplished at this meeting except for a bunch of name calling and wrong information.
These were the reasons I did not attend this meeting. I was not going to say something, or just anything to the public in the very beginning of the Investigation, as there was just questions and no answers at the time.
I knew you the public would want to know what was going on, and I had no accurate explanations to give you. This is why I asked for your patience while this Investigation was on going.
I promise to you the people of Evangeline Parish that I will provide the best service that I can with the monies at hand, just like I always have. I live here too, and I love this parish. I was born and raised in Evangeline Parish so I am fighting for you the public whom ultimately I answer to. You are my Boss, and I have only to answer to you since you have elected me your Sheriff.
Ladies & Gentlemen of Evangeline Parish I ask of you to support your 2nd amendment right of the United States Constitution of the United States of America, as may be in the near future the only protection you may have. If able, do what you “think” you need to do to protect the lives of you and your family. NOT YOUR PROPERTY!
Thank you to the great Citizens of Evangeline Parish.
Respectfully yours, Eddie Soileau, Sheriff