In Eunice, the marshal's office is making strides to make local events safer, thanks to help from the community.

EUNICE, La. (KLFY) -- In Eunice, the marshal's office is making strides to make local events safer, thanks to help from the community.

Terry Darbonne, Eunice City Marshal, said "There's a lot of gun violence, an incident in St. Landry parish at Donald Gardner Stadium set everything in motion. We jumped the gun and we asked for wands to be able to wand people as they were entering sporting events."

Darbonne said once the marshal's office incorporated metal detector wands into their security measures, they began receiving calls from members of the community hoping to donate and help take safety one step further.

"We ended up with extra money," Darbonne said. "My chief deputy and I looked into the possibility of a portable scanner."

Darbonne and his office purchased a portable metal detector that can be assembled and torn down in under five minutes. Darbonne said the portable detector and the wands have made it possible to extend their security capabilities beyond sporting events.

"If we get a call from a school and they're nervous because a threat was made, we can take this portable scanner to the school and make sure everyone is scanned as they walk through to ensure there are no weapons," Darbonne said.

After a full football season of using the detectors, Darbonne said the marshal's office is already seeing a decrease in arrests and ease on the minds of attendees across the city.

Darbonne also said his office plans to incorporate his detectors at other local events and even courtrooms.