Community residents speak up about the kind of police training Lafayette Police should undergo
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) Police conduct has been under the microscope nationwide.
In Lafayette, the police chief says he's started spending the $1.1 million his department received last year to train officers.
"Chief glover has had the time needed to evaluate the department and see where we are and where we need to go in terms of training," councilman Glenn Lazard stated at the council meeting.
Meanwhile, the Northside of Lafayette has not been quiet about police conduct and refuses to be silenced about the training they believe the LPD needs.
"They need to like chill-out. They need to chill and treat people right and treat people better,” a resident commented.
Chief Thomas Glover assured the council the $1.1 million will used for what it was intended for.
"The objective was to make sure the Lafayette Police Department was one of the best trained and if not the best trained in the United States. I can tell you that and we are on our way to doing that," the chief stated.
One resident adds that the training list should include fair practices in terms of police conduct.
"Aggressiveness. They don't actually (pause) I'm just going to nip it in the bud; it's how they interact with black people, and they don't interact the same way with a white person," she added.
"I would let somebody go before shooting them and then you get them the next day; or after that. It's somebody's son or daughter," a resident explained.
The chief explained that another area of focus is mental health and de-escalation tactics.
"Preservation of life and de-escalation, that's what this council and this administration had in mind when they allotted this money and we have been working for that," chief Glover stated.
"Get everybody off the streets right now. Put more help into the homeless and get more people into shelters.” a resident commented.