Lafayette Police Department (Louisiana)
Encyclopedia
The Lafayette Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency in Lafayette, Louisiana
, with the exception of the campus of University of Louisiana
, which falls under the responsibility of the UL Police
.
The Lafayette Police Department has a variety of specialized units, including SWAT
, Mounted Police
, Traffic Unit
, K-9 Unit, A.C.T.I.O.N. Unit, and two joint units with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
, Metro Crime Scene/Forensics
and Metro Narcotics. The LPD's new recruits are trained at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office's Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA).
is Jim Craft, a 34 year veteran of the Lafayette Police Department.
team of approximately 20 officers. These officers receive 60 hours of entry level SWAT training, as well as regular training throughout the year. The SWAT Team is prepared to support not only the LPD, but any other law enforcement agency requesting their help.
(Federal And Local Cops Organized Nationally) to round up fugitives in Lafayette and Acadiana
. The operation caught 165 fugitives across Acadiana.
, who had developed a new type of profiling
. The LPD was one of the first agencies to use geographic profiling
to help find a suspect. Through geographic profiling and the DNA
obtained from a cigarette butt, Randy Comeaux, a former sheriff's deputy, was found and convicted of the rapes.
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, with the exception of the campus of University of Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, which falls under the responsibility of the UL Police
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department
The University of Louisiana-Lafayette Police Department is the law enforcement agency of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The ULPD's jurisdiction are the campuses of ULL.-Patrol:...
.
The Lafayette Police Department has a variety of specialized units, including SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
, Mounted Police
Mounted police
Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. They continue to serve in remote areas and in metropolitan areas where their day-to-day function may be picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and...
, Traffic Unit
Police motorcycle
A police motorcycle is a motorcycle used by various police forces and departments. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officers in the United States...
, K-9 Unit, A.C.T.I.O.N. Unit, and two joint units with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (Louisiana)
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office is the sheriff's department in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The department, headed by Sheriff Michael "Mike" Neustrom, consists of around 550 sworn and non-sworn employees...
, Metro Crime Scene/Forensics
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
and Metro Narcotics. The LPD's new recruits are trained at the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office's Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA).
Command Structure
The Chief of PoliceChief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
is Jim Craft, a 34 year veteran of the Lafayette Police Department.
Division Commanders
- Major Randy Vincent, Patrol Division Commander
- Major Terry Head, Services Division Commander
- Major George Alfred, Criminal Investigations Commander
Precinct Commanders
- Precinct 1 Commander: Captain McCullan Gallien
- Precinct 2 Commander: Captain Ned Fowler
- Precinct 3 Commander: Captain Norbert Myers
- Precinct 4 Commander: Captain Karl Babin
- Patrol Support Commander: Captain Dwayne Arceneaux
Patrol
Patrol is the main and most visible division of the LPD. Along with regular patrol, the LPD has 4 specialized units in this division.- Crime Suppression Unit - This unit specializes in ridding neighborhoods of crime. Through the use of covert actions and cooperation between police and citizens, this unit looks to rid neighborhoods of drug use, prostitution, gambling and gang activity.
- K-9 Unit - This unit utilizes seven police dogs to help curb crime in Lafayette. Seven dogs are dual purpose, and are trained in criminal apprehension and narcotics detection. One dog is specialized in narcotics detection only. The K-9 Unit responds to approximately 1,500 calls for service in a two month period.
- Mounted Police Unit - This unit has one Thoroughbred and four Thoroughbred/Percheron horses. The horses are used for large crowd events, such as Mardi GrasMardi GrasThe terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
, festivals, and parades. The most common use for the Mounted Unit is patrolling Downtown Lafayette at night, and clearing the street after the bars close. - Traffic Unit - The traffic unit consists of six police officers specializing in traffic enforcement. These officers identify and patrol dangerous roads and intersections. The traffic officers investigate traffic crashes to help with the Patrol Division's overall mission.
- ATAC Unit - The Alcohol Traffic Action Campaign Unit consists of three officers specially trained in the detection and deterrence of drunk drivers. They respond to all major vehicle crashes to assess the drivers involved. When not responding to crashes, they aggressively patrol the streets of Lafayette to locate and arrest drunk drivers.
Services
The Services Division provides vital non-emergency services to the citizens of Lafayette.- Training Unit - Upon successful completion of a Louisiana POST certified Academy, The Training Unit compliments each recruit's training with an additional 8 week Initial Phase Training program (classroom followed by reality based scenarios) and then four phases of road training lasting 14 weeks (without extensions). This division is also responsible for maintaining the in service training that is required annually of all employees (Officers and Civilians), updating training techniques for the continual changes in Law Enforcement procedure and organizing new training for all Officers employed by Lafayette PD. The Training Unit also organizes and hosts courses for numerous other agencies.
- Alarms and Permits - The LPD responds to all alarms in the City of Lafayette. The LPD is the agency that provides permits to alarm users, and also collects fines from alarm uses for false alarms.
- Online Reporting - The LPD has set up a system to report crimes online. The online report form is for non-emergencies only, any emergency will be handled by 911.
- Records Department - Every incident in the City of Lafayette is documented. The LPD is charged with filing and housing all of these records. Citizens may request a report for a fee.
Criminal Investigations
The Criminal Investigations unit is divided into four sections.- Adult Crimes - This section investigates both crimes against property and crimes against persons. The investigators conduct investigations in a 30 day turn around. Within 30 days the investigation must be complete unless it requires more work. The investigators prepare all cases for the District Attorney's office.
- Youth Crimes - Youth Crimes Investigators are responsible for following up on all crimes that happen to persons 17 and under. These investigators go through special training in order to handle the sensitive matter of these cases.
- Metro Crime Scene - A joint unit between the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office and the LPD, this unit uses state of the art technology to perform crime scene analysis. This unit provides forensic support and testing for the City and Parish of Lafayette, as well as other cities and parishes in South Louisiana.
- Metro Narcotics - Another joint unit between the LPSO and LPD, this unit looks to remove and keep illegal narcotics off the streets of Lafayette. Investigators from both agencies coordinate with the Louisiana National Guard's Counter Drug Program.
SWAT
The LPD operates a SWATSWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
team of approximately 20 officers. These officers receive 60 hours of entry level SWAT training, as well as regular training throughout the year. The SWAT Team is prepared to support not only the LPD, but any other law enforcement agency requesting their help.
Lafayette Crime Stoppers
The LPD participates in the Lafayette Crime Stoppers program. The LPD encourages citizens to call the tip line to report crimes. Tipsters are kept completely anonymous, and any tip leading to a felony arrest or grand jury indictment will receive a cash reward. The number is: 232-TIPS.Operation FALCON
The Lafayette Police Department participated in the U.S. Marshall's Operation FALCONOperation Falcon
Operation Falcon may refer to:* Operation FALCON, a number of 2006 dragnet operations by the United States Marshals Service* Operation Falcon, a 1984 sting operation against US falconers conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service...
(Federal And Local Cops Organized Nationally) to round up fugitives in Lafayette and Acadiana
Acadiana
Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...
. The operation caught 165 fugitives across Acadiana.
Recognition
The Lafayette Police Department is known nationally for the case of the South Side Rapist. From the early 1980s through 1995, a serial rapist prayed on women on the city's south side. After using all of the technology available to them, the LPD contacted and work with Dr. Kim RossmoRossmo's formula
Rossmo's formula is a geographic profiling formula to predict where a serial criminal lives. The formula was developed by criminologist Kim Rossmo.-Formula:...
, who had developed a new type of profiling
Geographic profiling
Geographic profiling is a criminal investigative methodology that analyzes the locations of a connected series of crimes to determine the most probable area of offender residence. By incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods, it assists in understanding spatial behaviour of an...
. The LPD was one of the first agencies to use geographic profiling
Geographic profiling
Geographic profiling is a criminal investigative methodology that analyzes the locations of a connected series of crimes to determine the most probable area of offender residence. By incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods, it assists in understanding spatial behaviour of an...
to help find a suspect. Through geographic profiling and the DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
obtained from a cigarette butt, Randy Comeaux, a former sheriff's deputy, was found and convicted of the rapes.
In popular culture
The South Side Rapist case and the LPD were featured on an episode of truTv's Forensic Files.See also
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff's OfficeLafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (Louisiana)The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office is the sheriff's department in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The department, headed by Sheriff Michael "Mike" Neustrom, consists of around 550 sworn and non-sworn employees...
- University of Louisiana PoliceUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette Police DepartmentThe University of Louisiana-Lafayette Police Department is the law enforcement agency of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The ULPD's jurisdiction are the campuses of ULL.-Patrol:...
- Lafayette City MarshalLafayette City Marshal (Louisiana)The Office of Marshal of the City Court of Lafayette is the marshal service in the City of Lafayette, Louisiana. The marshal is in charge of apprehending fugitives and serving warrants made by the City Court of Lafayette....