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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.

Mike Denbrock, who helped lead Cincinnati to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the College Football Playoffs this year, has been named LSU’s offensive coordinator, head coach Brian Kelly announced on Sunday.
Denbrock’s arrival at LSU will be a reunion of sorts with Kelly as the two have coached together for 14 years, winning 115 games during that span. Denbrock spent seven years (1992-98) on Kelly’s staff at Grand Valley State, followed by seven seasons (2010-16) at Notre Dame.
In five years as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator, Denbrock was part of 48 wins, four bowl appearances, including the 2021 CFP Semifinals, and two American Athletic Conference Championships.
A veteran of 30-plus years in the coaching profession, Denbrock has worked as both an offensive and defensive coordinator and coached every position on the offensive side of the ball.
In 2021, he was named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, as Cincinnati went 13-0 in the regular season for the first time in school history, won its second straight American Athletic Conference Championship and advanced to the College Football Playoffs Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.
Denbrock’s 2021 offense set school records for touchdowns (70) and points scored (516), and the Bearcats led the AAC and ranked among the nation’s leaders in points per game (36.9) and yards per play (6.7).
In 2020, Denbrock had five offensive players collect All-AAC honors. The team ranked 19th in total offense, 18th in team passing efficiency and 15th in scoring offense.
Before coming to UC, Denbrock worked under Kelly at Notre Dame from 2010-16 in a variety of roles. He coached tight ends (2010-11), outside receivers and was the passing game coordinator (2012-13), served as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach (2014) and was the associate head coach and wide receivers coach (2015-16). During his second stint with the Fighting Irish, Denbrock coached in six bowl games, including the 2012 BCS National Championship.
Denbrock is a strong offensive mind who had success as the Irish’s primary play caller for two seasons. The offense averaged 443 yards per game and close to seven yards per play over a 25-game span.
He acted as Notre Dame offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2014, with the Irish scoring at least 27 points a school-record 11 times in 2014 and averaging 33.0 points and 444.6 yards per game.
Before his time at Notre Dame, Denbrock spent the 2009 season as the associate head coach at Indiana State, and he was the offensive line coach at Washington from 2005-08.
Denbrock was an assistant under Kelly at Grand Valley State from 1992-98, coaching the quarterbacks (1992-95) before moving to the defensive side of the ball as coordinator and linebackers coach (1996-98).

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has announced landmark funding increases for several social programs beginning in January.
Eligible recipients for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Social Security and veterans’ initiatives will see the largest benefit increases and cost-of-living (COLA) adjustments in decades, the department said.
TANF cash assistance will increase for the first time since July 2000, as eligible recipients will receive about twice the previous cash amount in an effort to match the national average.
“We know there are many more families who could benefit from the programs, not only for the much-needed cash assistance but also for the valuable workforce development and educational opportunities these programs offer. We hope this increase in benefit amounts will attract more people and encourage them to apply,” DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters said.
A department statement said the cash increase will apply to 1,484 households enrolled in the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and 1,338 households in the Kinship Care (KCSP) subsidies program.
“FITAP aims to decrease the long-term dependence on welfare assistance by promoting job preparation and work, while KCSP lifts the financial burden of qualified relatives caring for a child whose parents are not in the home,” the statement said.
The FITAP changes will allow a family of three to receive $484 in monthly cash assistance in January, as opposed to $240 this month. A family of five will see cash assistance jump from $327 to $654.
The KCSP monthly benefit will increase from $222 per eligible child to $450 per eligible child.
States have broad flexibility regarding how they spend TANF money. A recent Legislative Auditor’s report showed the DCFS received $1.6 billion in federal TANF funding since 2012, or $163 million per year.
More than half of fiscal year 2021 TANF funds were dedicated to pre-kindergarten and child welfare programs, auditors said, while cash assistance represented 8% of total funds, or $13 million out of $163 million.
The cash assistance portion of TANF funds could top 16% of program funds, or $26 million, in the coming year.
The department said inflation was a main reason for the historic cash assistance increase.
“Inflation has increased 61% since these benefit amounts were last increased in July 2000, meaning what could be purchased for $1 in 2000 now costs about $1.61 today according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics,” the statement said.
Inflation was also part of the reasoning that led to the largest COLA increase in 40 years in regard to Social Security and veterans’ benefits, according to the department.
Both federally funded program areas will see a 5.9% COLA increase in January based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this month the CPI, a key inflation measure, rose by 6.8% in November 2021 compared with November 2020.
The new monthly COLA adjustment will apply to Social Security Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance (RSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Veterans Administration (VA) benefits.
“The 5.9% increase to benefits is the largest COLA increase since 1982,” the department said.
An unintended consequence, however, will be a reduction in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, for more than 75,000 Louisiana households, a statement said.
The COLA increases are considered income, which affects income-based eligibility requirements.
“In January, 75,122 households (about 18% of all SNAP households in Louisiana) will see an average reduction of about $31 in monthly benefits, due primarily to the COLA. Another 272 SNAP cases will close, as the increased income pushes those households over the eligibility limit,” the department said.