Ville Platte Council Approves Pay Raises for Police February 26, 2020 In a special called meeting tonight (Wednesday), the Ville Platte City Council unanimously approved raising the starting pay for police officers to $15 an hour from the current $11.68 an hour. Also the city council agreed to raise the pay for police sergeants from $12.10 an hour to $16.50 an hour. The total cost of the pay raises amounts to $133,136. The funds were originally going to be used by the city to buy new computer software. The action was taken to attract new police officers and to maintain the current force. The city has had a difficult time keeping trained police officers on the force patrolling streets . It was reported that officers are getting the training to become post certified and then leaving for higher paying law enforcement jobs elsewhere. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said the city had to make cuts to the police budget last year due to overtime pay abuses. After saving money by dropping dispatcher services and using the parish 9-1-1 communications system, the city has set aside funds for additional patrol officers. The mayor explained the city has five eligible patrol officers, three are in training at the police academy and four open positions. The city council has authorized the police chief to hire immediately any post certified officer that applies without having to wait for approval from the city council. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said the city is planning to apply for a community policing federal grant to fund the police department. She said "Our main priority is your safety. "She said she plans to call on additional law enforcement help from the state police and even the national guard to help fight the growing crime problem in the city. "This is not the Ville Platte I grew up in. We want to find out where the guns used in the shootings are coming from. I am hearing 60-70 shots almost every night.", the mayor commented. All of the council members pledged their support to help the police department in any way possible Councilman Bryant Riggs agreed that gun crimes have greatly increased in the city. He said the guns are related to organized gangs that are recruiting juveniles to commit many of the burglaries and thefts in the city. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine announced that a public hearing will be called soon at the Ville Platte Civic Center to hear comments and concerns by business owners and the general public over the growing crime problem in the city. A number of business owners and concerned citizens asked questions and commented over who is ultimately responsible for law enforcement in the city. The city council provides the funding for the police department. However the police chief, who is an elected official, has the legal authority to oversee how he spends his operating budget.