Abbeville Police Officers Jason Hebert (left) and James Wood stand guard in front of the door where the school board members went into executive secession.
Abbeville Police will no longer provide security at school board meetings
The Abbeville Police Department will no longer provide security for School Board meetings.
For the last year, the Abbeville Police Department has been providing the school board with officers who were not on duty. A year ago it only took one officer to attend the meeting. Then this summer, Abbeville Police Chief Bill Spearman said two officers were needed for security.
After Thursday’s meeting, the Chief decided the Abbeville Police Department will not be furnishing anymore off duty officers. He wrote a letter to the school board letting them know.
At Thursday’s meeting, officers Jason Hebert and James Wood had to stop superintendent Jerome Puyau from going into exectutive session with the school board members. The two officers stood next to the door to make sure Puyau did not go in.
The off duty officers were paid $35 per hour by the school board and have been averaging at least three hours of security.
Before the Abbeville Police Department, the Abbeville City Marshal’s Office provided security. After the Deysha Hargrave arrest, the Abbeville City Marshal’s office did not go back to the school board meeting.
The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office provided an officer in the parking lot during and after the school board meetings.