Back in business

Submitted by Raymond Partsch on Wed, 03/30/2016 - 21:14
A month after getting out of “the funeral home escort business,” EPSO will now provide the service but at a cost of $250 to the families of the deceased

By: ELIZABETH WEST
Associate Editor

A little over one month ago, local funeral homes received a letter from the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office stating that the sheriff, as of April 1, 2016, “will no longer be in the funeral home escort business.” This issue, later on in March, was addressed at a meeting where funeral home owners were provided with only one option if they wanted escorts for funeral processions.
That option comes at a price of $250.00, which the family of the deceased would be required to pay if they wish to have two off-duty patrolmen in marked units in Class A uniforms.
The reason why this service needed to be cut, according to the letter that the sheriff sent out in February, is because of the lack of funds and the high amount of calls his department has to handle. In the letter, Soileau wrote, “With the Federal, State, and Local Government budget cuts and also cuts to the local employment; as well as the rise of the volume of calls handled by this department with the manpower available, it will not be possible to continue providing this service.”
In the contract that the sheriff provided to funeral home owners in March, which they must sign if they want to be able to provide their customers with the option of having escorts, it list the steps that must be taken to line up this service.
According to the contract, the funeral home director that is seeking this service for a family must contact the sheriff’s office at least 24 hours prior to when the patrolmen are needed. This request must be made by sending an email to epsodispatch@yahoo.com.
The contract also states that once the sheriff’s office has received a request from a funeral home, “the dispatcher will make the necessary arrangements and contact the funeral director with all required information.”
The patrolmen that will provide the escort service will be at the location requested by the funeral home a half hour before the procession begins, and will perform this service until the final destination or burial site is reached.
This change is set to begin Friday, April 1.

Section: