VP Housing Authority discusses police security

An emotional Arthur Sampson addressed the Ville Platte Housing Authority Board at its meeting on Tuesday concerning the lack of a police presence at the multiple public housing complexes in the City of Ville Platte.
According to Sampson, he decided to address the board concerning this matter after a Ville Platte female was accidently shot by individuals who were first congregating at the housing authority complex on Chataignier Street. The shooting however, did not occur at the housing authority complex.
“I never see the presence of any police officers at the housing authority,” said Sampson before reading from the February 16, 2017 edition of the Ville Platte Gazette, where it stated that the board approved hiring off duty Ville Platte police officers to patrol the housing authority complexes.
Sampson then said, “This is my community and I am very concerned about what is going on. Not one time have I seen the presence of security and we need it because we are trying to stop the violence in our community.”
The Housing Authority’s Executive Director Grant Soileau shared that they only have a police officer patrolling “when they can get someone to work.”
According to Soileau, they “don’t always have someone to work.”
Soileau said, “A list goes out and whoever wants to sign up to work that coming weekend will sign up.”
Board Vice Chairman David Ortego then said, “We have spent a total of $9,000 on security in the last 10 months so I would hope that there was actually some security that was done.”
Sampson and the board both then requested that Soileau furnish them with the log showing when officers have worked at the housing authority before its next meeting.
Following this discussion board member Grace Sibley requested that Soileau get prices on a “better and more advanced security system to protect housing authority residents.”
In other business the housing authority board:
• approved the Executive Directors Contract for two years.