3.3.22 – Lake Providence, La. (KNOE)
The Lake Providence Police Department has been shut down due to a lack of funding.
The chief says all his officers will be without jobs until at least July.
“I’m not understanding how the place is out of money when I only been there for a year, and we haven’t spent technically anything,” said Lake Providence Police Chief Leroy Threats.
Threats says he received a call on Feb. 28 from Mayor Jerry Bell telling him to shut down operations immediately. Mayor Bell blames the chief for squandering money.
“As of the middle of February, the Chief has overspent his entire annual budget,” Mayor Bell told KNOE. “The Town of Lake Providence cannot continue to dump money into his department.”
Meanwhile, East Carroll Parish Sheriff Wydette Williams says his office will keep Lake Providence residents safe.
“We’re going to have extra patrols, including myself,” Sheriff Williams explained. “We are most definitely going to keep our parish and city limits safe. So any calls that come about, we are most definitely going to take care of it.”
With extra deputies committed to Lake Providence, KNOE asked Williams if he was concerned about a lack of manpower in other parts of the parish?
“No,” Williams replied. “We run a zoning system here in our parish anyway. All areas of the parish will most definitely be secure.”
Chief Threats told KNOE he was considering retirement as early as March 1.
“If he retires, then whoever follows him, then whoever follows him will have the same obligation to balance his budget,” explained Mayor Bell.
The mayor added, the chief of police is an elected position, and Chief Threats should remain on the job regardless of whether officers are being paid or not.
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