Traffic Enforcement

I would like to at this time express my appreciation on the effort taken by the department of public works installing road signs warning parish residents of the hazards that exist on our roads. They are literally popping up every where.

These signs and other safety devises have most definitely helped warn prudent drivers of the hazards that exist on our roads, thus reducing traffic accidents and fatalities. Note that I emphasize prudent drivers, as no amount road signs or other safety devises will make a driver intent on breaking traffic laws pay attention to the warnings that have been put in place.

This brings me to the intent of this letter. It is my opinion that we have in this parish a sheriff department that is either incapable of, or plain does not give a damn about enforcing traffic laws. I base this opinion on the total lack of visibility of law enforcement on our roads, and the horrendous amount of traffic accidents and fatalities that have occurred in this parish. Data confirming this opinion can be found at the web site http://isds.bus.lsu.edu/lhsc95/.

It does not seem proper that the sheriff department is allocating a large amount of money to hire more deputies and vehicles to enforce littering laws, and ignore the much more serious problem of traffic law enforcement.

I believe it is time for parish government to step in and aggressively try to persuade the sheriff department that more needs to be done by them to eradicate the accident and fatality rate that exists in this parish. Else, all of your efforts are for not.

From: Harold Marchand [HMarchand@ascension.par.la.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 9:38 AM
To: Chuck Le Mieux
Cc: Randall Anderson; Patricia Cook
Subject: RE:

Mr.. Chuck,

I hope you and family are well. I reviewed your comments and I would like to clear up a point you made about the Sheriff's Office hiring deputies to enforce litter. The Sheriff's Office is not hiring Deputies to enforce Litter Laws. We as Parish Government enact the Laws and we have two litter officers on our staff that also handles Animal Control. Also, we are combing our efforts with the Constables in the Parish to enforce and prosecute the violators. The Sheriff's Office will be able to write Littler Violators and send them to the new Justice of the Peace Littler Night Court. I think most all people will agree that something needs to be done with the extreme amount of litter being dumped on our Streets and Bayous. This is just another one of those things the public, like yourself, feel we need to work on, along with all of the other concerns.

I hope I have given you a little light on this topic. We have been so busy, I have not had a lot of time to chat. I was in your subdivision this pass week, working on the drainage ditches and installing some more pipe on the cross streets. see you soon.

Thanks,

Harold

From: Chuck Le Mieux [clemieux@inascension.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 4:36 PM
To: Harold Marchand
Subject: RE:

Harold,

Thanks for clearing that up. What I read in the paper seemed to suggest it was the sheriff dept. initiating this litter thing.

I would still like to have parish government stress to the sheriff dept that more can and should be done in the way of traffic law enforcement. I just do not believe a sincere effort is being made.

Again thanks.