Houma Police Department awarded $172,447 grant for crime fighting

The Terrebonne Parish Council voted to amend its budget to accept several federal grants at its meeting last week.

The Houma Police Department received a $172,447 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs.

Police Chief Todd Duplantis said that $44,800 of the funds will pay for overtime for officers at around $28 per hour.

The money will also pay for $94,647 in equipment upgrades, he said. The new equipment includes new hardware enhancing communication between Houma Police and federal agencies, the Louisiana State Police and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Other equipment to be purchased is a server and software enabling a move toward implementing wireless mobile data and microwave voice data equipment for the Theriot Tower site, which allows access to the Louisiana Statewide Interoperability Network.

“We’re trying to work toward wireless communication, so officers can stay out on the beat,” Duplantis said.

The funding contains $30,000 toward buying a surveillance camera system to be placed in neighborhoods, including communities across Terrebonne Parish that are suffering from drug abuse, he said.

The money will help combat various crimes, including drug activity, and will help spur economic recovery while addressing community problems, Duplantis said.

“We’ve noticed an increase in violent crime related to drug activity,” he said, though a reduction has occurred in the past two weeks.

The parish budget was also amended for the Houma Police Department to receive $99,471 in federal stimulus money through the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement.

The stimulus money will pay for enhancements to the department’s communication and surveillance camera systems and to microwave data equipment. The ordinance states that the upgrades will help maintain safety following hurricanes.

The parish also received $196,084 in federal funding to buy out 10 properties through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The parish now has $1,602,508 available in HMGP funding, according to the ordinance.

Any new structures have to comply with Advisory Base Flood Elevation requirements even if the parish has not adopted the requirements, the ordinance states.

The parish also received $37,756 from the federal Department of Health and Human Services for the Head Start program.

In addition, the parish council increased funding for the parish animal shelter by $15,000 because the shelter is updating its adoption fees.

Parish President Michel Claudet said the parish received a $10,000 grant so that spaying and neutering services can be offered for $10. Claudet said, yearly, 8,000 animals are picked up in Terrebonne and 80 percent have to be euthanized.

Claudet also announced that improvements to the Prospect Street Bridge will cost $30 million.

In other action at last week’s meeting, the council approved holding an election on Nov. 14 in recreation districts 2 and 3 to continue to levy a 10-year, 5-mill property tax.

Also, the council, at the request of Councilman Joey Cehan, voted to approve sending a letter to the area’s congressional delegation supporting the serving of Louisiana seafood products in restaurants.

Councilman Kevin Voisin said local restaurants have to tell whether the shrimp being served is from Louisiana.

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Councilman Clayton Voisin. “I have no problem requesting local restaurants to sell local shrimp.”