By: NANCY DUPLECHAIN
Staff Reporter
At the previous Ville Platte City Council meeting, the subject of crime prevention was discussed, and particular attention was aimed at Housing Authority properties and surrounding neighborhoods where a number of violent and deadly crimes have taken place throughout the years.
As a result, Ville Platte Mayor Ryan Leday Williams and members of the Ville Platte City Council attended the August 15 meeting of the Ville Platte Housing Authority. During the meeting, some preventive measures and solutions were discussed included updating cameras and security contracts with City Police and/or the City Marshal’s office.
On the subject of working with VPPD, David Ortego, vice chairman of the Housing Authority, said, “A lot of times we don’t have an officer that wants to sign up to work, so that leaves us with a gap in the services that we can provide for our tenants.”
He also said, adding the City Marshal’s office could help bring additional patrol.
“We can’t move on that until the Chief of Police signs off on it, and that’s a hold up. This is not a time to hold off on safety for our tenants or anyone in the city,” said Ortego.
Housing Authority Chairman Arthur Sampson strongly urged the advice of legal counsel when dealing with contracts. “This is serious,” he said, adding, “We’re talking about people’s lives and people’s safety.”
Ville Platte resident Rufus Searile suggested keeping a tenant roster and a list of vehicles with stickers on the windshields. If an unknown vehicle is on Housing Authority property after a certain hour, a boot could be placed on it and the vehicle owner could be charged a hefty fee to get the boot removed. He also asked why there are no cameras around the apartment units. He said there are working cameras for the office, but the cameras around the properties are not working.
Executive Director Grant Soileau said there are cameras around Housing Authority location parking lots, and ISS monitors them to make sure they are in working order.
Searile reiterated the cameras need to protect the tenants, not just the office and the parking lots. He also wanted to know if there was money in the budget for security throughout the week, not just on the weekends.
Sampson said they have to wait to meet with the city’s chief of police to see what he is going to present to them. “That’s one of my priorities is security,” said Sampson. “There are killings all over this town,” he said.
Searile replied. “But you can’t use any of this money to protect the rest of the city.”
Sampson added, “We’re not trying to protect the city. We’re going to work with the city to protect the residence of the Housing Authority.”
Mayor Williams said he has received various complaints about the living conditions in Housing Authority properties, but one of his biggest concerns is the safety of the residents who reside in these locations. He commended the board on having a positive budget but said they do need to focus more on the safety of the tenants.
“Although crime is everywhere nowadays, we have to work together and get creative to develop different ways to deter crime from happening,” he said.
District D Councilman Shawn Roy also said more cameras are needed. “We know what we have to do on our end, but we are asking y’all to beef up your security.”
District B Councilwoman and Evangeline Parish Section 8 Director Anna Frank said Housing and Urban Development is a federally-funded program that is created to provide decent and safe housing for families living on the program. “Right now, the safety of the citizens and the families here at the Housing Authority should be your top priority,” she said.
She suggested if an agreement cannot be reached and a contract not made with city police, Housing Authority should look into outside security companies if their budget would allow.
District E Councilwoman Christina Sam suggested setting a curfew so “children wouldn’t be running around, hanging out late at night.”
She also reiterated adding extra security, saying, “That’s the number one reason we are gathered here tonight, to come to agreement to see what more we can do to resolve the crimes being held here in the City of Ville Platte.”
District 13 School Board Member Donald Anderson said he was at the Parkview complex the day after Treyvon Gallow was killed less than a month ago. He said he saw Gallow’s mother washing his blood off the street. “When I ran for School Board, I said we all must move forward as one. I’m happy to see the city council and mayor here. We must continue doing this, no matter if it’s a school board meeting, etc. Your children are our children. If we can all get together and move forward to turn this city around, we must do this, y’all.”
Resident Michael Nelson asked the City Council to attend Housing Authority meetings regularly and not wait until a murder happens. “I’m not trying to step on anybody,” he said. “If we’re going to work together, let’s get together and do this. We have too many murders going on. If we can’t get together — black, white, green, blue, whatever — we’re going to have some more murders.”
Vice Chairman Ortego said he does not have a problem with a curfew, but the curfew cannot just be for the Housing Authority. He said it would have to be throughout the city.
Mayor Williams said the council cannot impose a curfew unless there is an emergency. A juvenile curfew was suggested, but the legality would have to be evaluated.
Housing Authority Board Member Barbara Harrison said people who don’t live on the properties are coming in as guests of some tenants and bringing guns. “They’re the ones coming in, causing the confusion and causing the crimes,” she said.
She suggested if the tenants keep getting complaints, the Housing Authority needs to follow their own rules and evict someone with a certain number of strikes against them, even if it is their guests causing the problems.
Mayor Williams said he will arrange a meeting with the Chief of Police and the City Marshal to discuss contracts and the best way to move forward with more protection for Housing Authority tenants and the safety of Ville Platte as a whole.
June 20, 2026
