Chief talks scams with Lions

Scammers are everywhere and they are constantly honing their skills, Police Chief Jimmy Broussard told members of the Crowley Lions Club here Tuesday.
Broussard even related an incident where a scammer claiming to be from the IRS called the police station “saying we owed $140,000 in taxes.”
He also told of an elderly Crowley couple recently swindled out of $60,000 by a telephone scam artist.
The scammer had screen shots of the couple’s bank account numbers and even sent them a fake Louisiana State Police “arrest warrant” charging them with money laundering after the scam, according to Broussard.
And the fake warrant was “signed” by an LSP major that actually works in the Baton Rouge division, he added.
“They’re going to a lot of trouble to be accurate when they contact you,” Broussard said of the scammers. “The avenues these people are going through to scam people of their hard-earned money are unbelievable.”
Using “robo-dialers,” these scam artists can make it look like a call is coming from a local number.
He told of a business that was called by someone claiming to be from the local electric power provider saying the business was late with a bill payment and would be cut off within hours if the bill wasn’t paid.
“They knew the bill had been paid, but they sent the money anyway because they said they were scared,” Broussard said. “These scam artists use fear a lot of the time.”
The chief said the number of charity and healthcare scams is increasing and urged the public to be diligent when dealing with people asking for money.
“The smarter we get in dealing with scams, the smarter they get,” he said.
Broussard went on to talk about the local Police Department, saying that the force is currently about six members short.
He said more than 600 shifts worked short-handed during the last year and many of his officers worked 18-hour shifts instead of the usual 12-hour shifts to make up the difference.
Asked about his “hopes and dreams” for the department, Broussard said “first and foremost, retention.”
He said he wished he could find a way to encourage more people to apply, but added that he was happy to see that many of the recent applicants were local residents.
“They have a vested interest in the community,” he explained.
“More space” is another “wish” for the chief.
“We are outgrowing the building we’re in,” he said. “All of our storage area there is full and we have a room at the Enterprise Center that’s filling up fast.
Broussard said he also hopes to be able to upgrade the department’s equipment.
Asked about illegal narcotic use in Crowley, Broussard said drugs continue to be a problem in Crowley, as almost everywhere. He was quick, however, to express thanks to the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in that battle.