Chief warns of growing street crime in Eunice

Lawlessness by teen-aged gangs is a growing problem on Eunice streets, Police Chief Randy Fontenot said Monday to about 40 people he called to a meeting at the Eunice Municipal Complex.
Fontenot described those in attendance as community leaders and many are pastors in Eunice. He called upon them to help solve a crime problem caused by young people.
“Currently, we are gathering our intelligence,” Fontenot said. “I’ve been in touch with Sheriff (Bobby) Guidroz and he volunteered assistance from the sheriff’s office to come in and help us.”
Fontenot blamed an increase in violent personal and property crimes on the youths, which he said after the meeting are 12 to 17 years old and roam in groups ranging from 10 up to 80.
“Vehicle burglaries, business and residential burglaries and thefts have risen sharpy the last couple of months,” Fontenot said in a statement.
In the same statement, the police chief urged residents to lock their homes, businesses and vehicles at all times.
“No neighborhood is safe from the activities of the persons who desire to prey upon you, me and our fellow citizens,” he said.
Fontenot noted his own vehicle and property has been targeted.
“Eunice is safer than a lot of towns around us and I want to keep it that way,” he said.
“But it is getting dangerous out there and, like I said, it is mostly children. We are in the process of restarting the St. Landry Parish Drug Task Force,” he said.
“They will be concentrating on the drugs in St. Landry Parish, but they will also work other task force efforts such as addressing the problem we are having in Eunice right now,” Fontenot said.
When crimes do occur, witnesses are hard to find, he said.
“We can only stop the bad guys when we have information to make arrests,” he said. “The offenders learn quickly if we are unable to make arrests and this emboldens them to commit more crimes and victimize more people.”
Fontenot said the crime problems have been largely limited to certain neighborhoods, but he warned the problem is spreading. In some cases of burglaries and thefts, handguns have been stolen, he said.
“Our children are armed, using these weapons to commit more crimes,” he said.
Fontenot handed out a page from The Eunice News containing excerpts from the police radio logs. Those logs often show reports of shots fired or police being called to break up crowds of young people.
In most cases, police are outnumbered when responding to the reports of crowds. And, often the crowds disperse when police arrive, he said.
During one incident, as police responded to an armed robbery, there was a report of a break-in at a house. Someone reported the offenders were running. The police response resulted in an innocent youth being confronted with officers holding their weapons, he said.
“If we don’t get a handle on this situation, this will become a regular occurrence. We have tried talking to some of the children involved. Officers have even attempted to speak with parents of the children. Their words fell on deaf ears,” Fontenot said.
“It is time we begin to hold these parents accountable,” he said.
Those in attendance at the Monday evening meeting offered suggestions from prayer gatherings, after school programs, more youth activities, neighborhood watches, park improvements and enforcing the city’s curfew.
The curfew for those under 17 years old is 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday.
One woman said the problem seems to go back to the parents of the children involved and that most are “unchurched.”
City Judge Terry Hoychick said he always gives offenders in his court a choice of attending the church of their choice in lieu of community service.