Tonight, the Lafayette City Parish Council has two introductory ordinances in front of them, and now a press release from the Sheriff details 42 jobs that are being lost.

One of the ordinances deals with moving money from the Juvenile Detention Center to the Sheriff's Office and another deals with funding for the Sheriff's Office for housing Lafayette inmates.

This morning, ahead of tonight's meeting, Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber Office issued a press release about their downsizing plan as part of a reorganization plan.

The downsizing plan will involve letting go of 42 people who are employed by Sheriff Mark Garber.

According to a spokesperson for the department the plan to downsize includes this programs:

  • STOP
  • The LPSO Vegetable Farm
  • Outpatient Services Program
  • LAPCORR
  • Drug Testing Services
  • The Transitional Work Program
  • JAC/Youth Services
  • OutReach
  • Inmate Work Crews
  • Alternative Sentencing Program

The Sheriff says for months he has been working to the cut the budget, and he has even let position go unfilled if there were retirements etc.

He says,

"No one likes the idea of layoffs because you know individual families are affected, but I have a greater duty to the public and to our employees who expect the very best law enforcement; and I promised to provide it."

Sheriff Garber says one of the areas that must take priority is recruitment and retention.

 

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