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In the next-to-last stop on his “Coffee with the Sheriff” tour of Acadia Parish, K.P. Gibson spoke with citizens of Rayne Saturday morning (June 24) at Frog City Restaurant.
“We’ve been to Iota, Church Point, the Fifth Ward. All we have left is Crowley — then we start all over again,” Gibson said to open the session.
Noting that this coming Saturday, July 1, will mark his first year as sheriff, Gibson acknowledged that crime rate continues to be the biggest concern he hears from citizens across the parish.
Addressing that concern, Gibson said he has put more patrol officers on the roads and has established the parish Crime Suppression Unit.
“We’ve cut our response time from 48 minutes to between 20 and 25 minutes,” the sheriff said. “And we’re working on improving on that.
“We’re patrolling the roads in Acadia ... we’re hitting the streets. That’s what the people want.”
The parish Crime Suppression Unit has been an effective tool in the war on drugs, according to Gibson.
“There’s not a lot of street-level crime in the rural areas of the parish. I tell the deputies that we’ve got to get out in the parish, but we can’t forget about the cities because that’s where most of the drug activity occurs,” Gibson said.
While he pointed out that deputies have equal authority as municipal law enforcement officers anywhere in Acadia Parish, Gibson said his office always contacts the local authorities when the CSU is operating within a municipality.
Some of the other upgrades within the sheriff’s office in the last year include the purchase of 30 new patrol units, the implementation of body cameras on all deputies, monthly meetings with chiefs of police from across the parish, and combined training for all law enforcement officers across the parish.
During the question-and-answer portion of Saturday morning’s event, Gibson was asked about his support for a proposed split in the 15th Judicial District.
The 15th JDC currently comprises Lafayette, Acadia and Vermilion parishes. A survey has been authorized by the legislature to determine if the district should be divided.
“Lafayette Parish is mostly a metropolitan area. Acadia and Vermilion parishes are mostly rural, farming area,” Gibson explained. “There’s a different mindset as to how the (law enforcement) job gets done in those areas.
“But the biggest question is can each parish stand on its own financially,” Gibson continued. “I think the people of Acadia Parish deserve a district attorney elected by the people of Acadia Parish. When was the last time we had a district attorney from Acadia Parish? I don’t remember.”
The sheriff pointed out that, even if a split were to occur, it would not come right away.
“It’s going to take all of two or three years,” he said. “But with the district attorney (Keith Stutes) supporting it, I think this is the last time, at least in my lifetime, that we’ll se the possibility.
“I’m hoping that we can afford it as a parish. But if that’s not possible, I hope possibly Acadia and Vermilion can get together as a district.”
Gibson closed the meeting by inviting anyone with a concern to call his office or go by and visit with him.
“I have an open-door policy and we preach ‘customer service’ to all our employees,” Gibson said. “You, the public, are our customers. We work for you.”

Target date for a bus transit program connecting Crowley and Lafayette — and points in between along U.S. Highway 90 — has been pushed back.
Originally planned to begin in March of this year, the program kick-off “will probably be in the summer of 2018,” according to Laurie Suire, president and CEO of OneAcadia.
Funded by a Rural Business Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Acadiana Planning Commission, the aim of the pilot program is to connect Acadiana.
“Right now it looks like Lafayette Transit System will likely be the operator and provider for the route,” Suire said. “Lafayette Consolidated Government’s budgeting process is in November and LCG administration has given preliminary support for the program, pending council approval.”
Suire said a marketing firm has been retained to work up a name and “brand” for the program and “we continue to work closely with them and with APC on the project.”
The preliminary plan calls for four trips from Crowley to Lafayette each morning, the earliest rolling around 5:30 a.m. The buses would also make two trips back from Lafayette to Crowley during the morning hours.
In the afternoon and evening, the reverse would hold true — four trips from Lafayette to Crowley, two from Crowley to Lafayette.
The final trip of the day would arrive back in Crowley around 7 o’clock in the evening.
All that with stops along the route, including in Rayne.
The buses themselves will probably have about 40 regular seats and be handicap accessible.
Rayne would have two stops along the route, according to Suire. South Rayne Park and the American Legion Home have been considered as stops.
However, Suire said since those two locations are in such close proximity, probably only one will be chosen and a second stop will be located in another area of Rayne, possibly farther east along U.S. 90.
There will be “a handful of stops” in Crowley, the two in Rayne, one in Duson, two in Scott and four in Lafayette, according to plans on the drawing board at this time, Suire said.
“The primary ridership will be workforce and students,” she said. “This program expands the workplace opportunity for people having a hard time finding jobs and for those who might lack reliable transportation.
“It also helps parents plan for their children’s post-high school education” since among the stops in Lafayette are SLCC and UL Lafayette.
The system also provides for “day trips” to Lafayette without the necessity of “fighting the traffic,” Suire said.
“I’ve had a number of elderly people call me at home asking about it already,” she said. “I think it could be a very cool experience for families and also for the tourism industry.
“People from larger cities are used to such transportation systems, they expect it and seek it.”
The ultimate goal of the pilot program is that it be replicated among other communities in the Acadiana region.
“Very few, if any programs such as this exist in the country, which is why APC was awarded the grant,” Suire said.
“The good news is that the administrations of all the involved communities are on board to provide this service to their citizens. But if we’re going to have this service, we’re all going to have to do our part and use it.”

Jerry and Christine Comeaux of Evangeline are pleased to announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Katy Alise Comeaux of Evangeline, to Kanon Kade Broussard of Lake Charles.
The bride-elect’s maternal grandparents are Roonie and Nell Fruge of Tee-Mamou and Judy Brunson of Evangeline. Her paternal grandparents are Jerry Comeaux Sr. and Darlene Comeaux of LeBleu Settlement.
Katy graduated from Iota High School in 2010 and Louisiana State University in 2013 before attending Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, where she earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree in 2016. She is presently employed as a travel physical therapist.
The prospective groom is the son of Tim and Lee Lee Broussard of Lake Charles. He is the grandson of Donald Broussard of Lake Charles and the late Laurene Broussard, and of Jerrie Jantz of Lake Charles and the late Robert Jantz.
Kanon is a 2006 graduate of St. Louis Catholic High School and a 2010 graduate of Louisiana State University. In 2016, he graduated with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, and he is currently employed as a travel physical therapist.
The couple will be wed at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, at St. Margaret Catholic Church in Lake Charles.