Issue of Mamou warrants leads to exchange during meeting

Mamou Police Chief Brent Zackery and magistrate secretary Lori Logue exchanged words over the issue of unserved warrants during the council meeting Wednesday.
Zackery had recently noticed a stack of warrants at the magistrate’s office. He offered to have his officers assist warrant officer Allen Noel in issuing the warrants. At the council meeting, Assistant Chief Christopher Drew Fruge presented the stack of unserved warrants, some of which go back to 2007. He said there is $7,623 in warrants, issued by the magistrate’s office, not being collected.
Fruge went to the magistrate’s office last week, asking for copies of the warrants and was told by Logue she would make them when she has time. Zackery said when he later called the magistrate’s office, he was told by Logue he needed permission by the mayor to have access to the warrants. He also alleged she told him, “I don’t work for you,” and hung up on him. “I don’t think that’s the way we handle things here,” said Zackery. “It shouldn’t have been handled like that.”
“Well definitely not, Chief,” said Mayor Ricky Fontenot.
“She said I can’t do anything unless you okay the warrants,” said Zackery.
“That’s not true. I have nothing to do with warrants. That’s the magistrate’s job,” said Fontenot. He said the new magistrate could fix the problem between the police department and the magistrate’s office. “Whatever disconnect you and the court have, to me that’s not good business,” he said. “It’s not the way to handle things. Whenever you have two people who are always fighting, that’s kid stuff.”
Logue, who was in the audience, asked to defend herself. She said Fruge went to the magistrate’s office last Monday, wanting copies, but she was busy but said she would get it to him as soon as she could. Logue said she was out sick three days last week, so she did not have time to make the copies, and added no one is denying the police access to anything.
Logue said when Zackery called about access to the book of warrants, she told him she could not provide access to the book without permission of the magistrate. The previous magistrate had accepted a different position. The new magistrate, Marcus Fontenot, was sworn in by Judge Chuck West after Wednesday’s meeting. However, when Logue and Zackery spoke, the magistrate’s office was in a transition, so Logue could not get permission from a magistrate. She told Zackery she would need permission from the mayor. She said she called the mayor to ask permission. While she was waiting for him to call her back, Zackery called her and said, “‘What are you doing calling the mayor on me?’ I told him I didn’t call the mayor on you. I called for permission to give you these warrants. It’s not my job to make that decision.”
Ending the dispute, Fontenot reiterated the new magistrate will help resolve the issue.
Councilman Charles Reed asked why the unserved warrants go all the way back to 2007. Zackery said it takes time because they have to track people down, and some are no longer in town. Fruge said it also took a while to build relationships with other agencies, saying they have warrants from St. Landry Parish, Basile, Eunice, Eunice City Marshals, Oberlin, etc.
Fontenot said if the Mamou Police department, the warrant office, the rest of the parish and other police departments all work together, warrants from Mamou and other towns can be served. “In my opinion it makes no sense not for the police departments to serve warrants,” he said.
Zackery asked the council to provide overtime pay for officers to serve the warrants. Fontenot said that would have to be the chief’s decision because he knows what is in his budget.
The chief also asked the council what he and his officers should do when it comes to stray dogs. The town does not have an animal control officer. Zackery asked what he should tell the public when they call about issues with dogs.
Fontenot said there were rescuers who wanted to build a new pound, but that never happened. He said when it comes to an aggressive dog the police need to be contacted. Zackery said he is getting many complaints about dogs running loose. Fontenot said when they get those calls, to contact the Humane Society to pick them up.
There is a pit bull ban in Mamou. Zackery asked how the police are supposed to handle taking custody of pit bulls. Fontenot said there are volunteers and rescue groups who take pit bulls, then said the council could not take any action on a decision because there was no agenda item for it. “If somebody calls about a pit bull, then the police should be there, and that’s for any vicious dog in town,” said Fontenot. “Somebody has to see about that, and it should be the police department.”
Zackery was asked the next day about what the police would do the next time they get a call about a dog. He said they will go out and make sure the people are safe, first and foremost. As for what to do with the dog, he said, since no decision was taken on the matter at the council meeting, he would have to call City Hall to see about the dog. When it comes to enforcing the pit bull ban, he said, “We’re not going to shoot anyone’s dog.” After the meeting, Fontenot clarified, saying when someone has a pit bull, they will work with the family and give them time to find a new home for the dog.
Further at the meeting, the council adopted a new ordinance which allows anyone to be a vendor at the Mamou Mardi Gras. Traditionally the only vendors allowed were local non-profits, but over the last few years, participation has dwindled. Mayor Ricky Fontenot has said at previous meetings the few non-profit organizations who participated only had a couple of volunteers who did all the work, and they would get burned out after a day or so and not go back, which left festival-goers looking for food. The new ordinance allows anyone from anywhere to become a vendor, as long as they fill out the required paperwork and pay the vendor fee.