St. Landry Parish DA aiming for gun cases to result in convictions
Class is in session in St. Landry Parish, as the district attorney's office is working with law enforcement to make sure more gun related cases result in convictions.
OPLEOUSAS, La. (KLFY) -- Class is in session in St. Landry Parish, as the district attorney's office is working with law enforcement to make sure more gun related cases result in convictions.
Graig LeBlanc, the Opelousas Chief of Police, said, "This is the first time in my 26 years of my law enforcement career that I've seen local law enforcement agencies along with the US attorney's office along with our district attorney's office coming together. Everybody recognizes the impact that violent crime is having on their community but every community in the area."
Experts from the Department of Justice presented information to law enforcement agencies including the Opelousas Police Department, Arnaudville police, Eunice police, and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office.
The training not only infomed officers of additional charges that can be put on criminals like gun modifications, but also how to utilize tools such as body cameras to better present information to the court when it comes time for trial.
Chad Pitre, the St. Landry Parish District Attorney, said, "It's a team effort, that's what it's all about. Just because a police officer makes a case on the street, their job does not stop there. They also have to go to court, testify, be our witness, and help us get the convictions that we need to get the bad guys off the street."
Pitre and LeBlanc said group trainings like the one today creates better understanding between prosecutors and law enforcement on how to work together and ensure suspects are convicted.
"Every two and a half weeks here in St. Landry parish we're averaging a murder trial going to court and getting convictions, those numbers are unprecedented, and we want to keep that pace going," Pitre said.
"It definitely impacted the younger officers and gave them an overview of a better way to do things," LeBlanc said.
Trainings will continue for even more officers later this week.