BOBBY ARDOIN Editor/Contributing Writer
Three law enforcement officers were recognized by the Opelousas Noon Rotary Club Tuesday for their attention to duty, integrity and professionalism during an annual Law Enforcement Officer Appreciation Day.
“Without you guys, we’d be in trouble,” said Noon Rotary Club president Mike Ortego.
Honored for their service were St. Landry Parish Sheriff Department deputy Ty Cormier, Opelousas City Marshal Officer Albert Semien and Opelousas Police Department Capt. Frank Boudreaux.
Club member James Lopez said the three officers were chosen after they were nominated by the three law enforcement agencies.
Ty Cormier
Cormier, according to Sheriff Bobby Guidroz, has been instrumental in helping train new deputies in addition to taking calls from supervisors even during his off-time hours.
One incident that occurred in 2023 involving Cormier especially stands out, Guidroz said.
Cormier responded to the rescue of a two-year-old child, who was reported as dressed only in a shirt and wandering alone on a roadway on a cold, January night.
After requesting ambulance assistance for the child, Cormier wrapped the child in his jacket, placed his socks on the child and kept the child warm before an ambulance arrived, according to an account of the incident.
Cormier later provided a detailed report of the incident which was then handled by the Juvenile Division of the Department.
The child, the incident report said, apparently wandered off alone after being left with older siblings who were sleeping at the time.
Albert Semien
In 2021 Semien became a full-time employee of the Marshal’s Office.
Semien, who is also a commissioned parish deputy, is responsible for serving eviction notices and helping with transitions between landlords and tenants in Ward 1.
In addition to those duties, Semien has been involved with sequestration assignments, recovering items for businesses, servicing civil subpoenas, performing bailiff duties and fleet maintenance responsibilities.
“What makes (Semien) stand out are the things that he does for the Marshal’s Office when no one is watching. You can go back years and see that he has always been an employee with no problems and who has managed a good relationship with the community,” said Lou Armstrong, who represented the presentation for Semien.
Frank Boudreaux
Opelousas police chief Graig LeBlanc said that for him, the recognition for Boudreaux was personal.
“In the controversial times (which occurred in December), Captain Boudreaux along with Assistant Chief (Mark) Guidry, worked tirelessly to move this city forward,” said LeBlanc.
LeBlanc admitted that he and Boudreaux had a number of “heated discussions,” and didn’t always agree about what LeBlanc described as the challenges and controversies surrounding an alleged shooting incident involving him, his wife and a former OPD officer.
However Boudreaux, said LeBlanc, decided to put their differences aside and continued to handle the necessary duties that would keep the department functioning.
Boudreaux, who joined OPD in 1995, has also worked as a patrol officer and oversees specialized divisions, said LeBlanc.
Also Boudreaux acts as the commander of the SWAT team. As a SWAT team leader, Boudreaux has also handled high-risk situation, hostage crises and disaster responses, said LeBlanc.
View photo gallery by Freddie Herpin here
