WBR officials bicker over handling of security
PORT ALLEN — A long-simmering dispute between the Sheriff’s Office and the Addis police chief over handling security for private events at the Addis Community Center bubbled over Thursday night at the West Baton Rouge Parish Council meeting.
Ever since last summer, some residents have complained to parish and West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office officials that Addis police officers allegedly harassed partygoers near events that apparently were being patrolled by off-duty sheriff’s deputies.
Addis Police Chief Ricky Anderson told the council his officers are just enforcing laws pertaining to open containers and drunken driving.
Part of the dispute, officials said, hinges on the wording of a parish ordinance that requires “a uniformed police officer having jurisdiction in West Baton Rouge Parish equipped with a radio for backup must be present during the entire event.”
Parish President Riley “Pee Wee” Berthelot Jr. told the council, “We spent months and months going through this policy and I have gotten calls in the middle of the night that ‘Addis police are harassing us.’”
“We even put ‘primary jurisdiction’ wording into the policy so they (Addis police) have the first right of refusal,” Berthelot said, when a private party rents the facility and requires security details of off-duty officers.
Anatole Vincent, parish parks and recreation director, said the problems need to be ironed out, “because the Parks and Recreation Department and the community center are getting a black eye over this.”
Grover Harrison III said he rented the facility last summer for a zydeco concert and although there were three off-duty sheriff’s deputies providing security, “a police officer continued to patrol the service road driving back and forth and back and forth and he stopped a couple people in the parking lot.”
Anderson took the lectern, pointed to Harrison, and said, “You were in violation of Addis ordinances. Did you sell alcoholic beverages?”
“Yes,” Harrison replied.
“Did you have an Addis permit?” Anderson asked.
“No,” Harrison answered.
“Then you were in violation,” Anderson retorted.
Council members discussed the details and nuances of what agency had what authority under the ordinance and talked over several situations in which one agency might have to assist the other. After a half hour, they eventually decided not to change the ordinance.
Council Chairman Gary Spillman did say he plans to meet with Sheriff Mike Cazes to clarify some of the issues involving disagreements over jurisdiction and authority.
Anderson said part of his problem involves complaints from neighborhood residents saying that partygoers were littering their yards and, since alcohol is being served, “we do not want them to get out on the highway and kill somebody.”
Anderson said that a core group of four sheriff’s deputies were getting the lion’s share of the overtime paid for providing security at center events and he want his officers “to get a larger piece of the pie.”
“I’d like to see the police chief follow the ordinance instead of making his own,” said sheriff’s Col. Richie Johnson. “This shouldn’t be about the pie — it should be about the security of the people using the facility. This is not about money.”
Berthelot said Anderson “was asking us to amend the ordinance and if we do that we’d have to hold public hearings but nobody (on the council) wants to do that, so the (amending) issue is going to die.”
Other action taken by the council included:
MEETING CHANGE: The council voted to cancel its the Feb. 23 meeting due to a scheduling conflict with the Police Jury Association’s annual convention.