St. Martinville Council suspends police chief

The City Council emerged from a closed, or executive, session Monday and voted to suspend Chief of Police Paula Smith for two days, docking her pay, for failing to provide council members with periodic written reports.
They also instructed Mayor Thomas Nelson to issue the chief a written reprimand over her handling of an incident at Robert’s Lounge.
And the council demanded a written report from Smith about SMPD’s handling of an incident involving a pit bull in the Durand Subdivision.
These incidents were discussed in secret behind closed doors and no further information was provided when the council came back into open session.
Chief Smith declined to comment.