Mamou Town Council raises pay for full-time patrolmen

By: NICHOLAS JAGNEAUX
Staff Reporter

Acting on the request of Chief of Police Robert McGee during its June regular meeting, the Mamou Town Council raised the pay for full-time patrolmen to $10 an hour, with the expectation that they would begin writing more tickets. It also approved hiring an extra patrolman.
A couple of months ago, the Council approved hiring a patrolman to work full-time on just traffic violations, paying the position $15/hour. Last month, however, McGee informed the Council that there were some issues concerning overtime that would prevent the implementation of the new position.
At the June meeting, the Council abolished that traffic-only position, instead granting pay raise and new patrolman that McGee requested. The pay for full-time patrolmen was $8.67/hour before the raise.
McGee said that he had discussed the possibility of the pay raise with his patrolmen, and he told them that the raise would mean that they would have to “step up to the plate and write more tickets” for traffic violations, like speeding and seat belt use.
“They should be writing more tickets,” McGee said. Not writing the tickets for legitimate traffic violations could be considered “dereliction of duty,” he said.
In other business, the Council will investigate a complaint by resident Verona Bertrand, who asked that a Dead End sign be placed on Matthew Street where she lives. She said that there used to be a sign, but it is no longer there.
People have been turning around in her driveway once they realize that Matthew Street is a dead end. She asked the Council to place the sign early enough on the street that people are warned before turning down the road.
The Council selected Mike Fontenot to fill a vacancy on the Mamou Fire Protection District No. 1 Board, and it named the Ville Platte Gazette as its Official Journal for legal publications.