Photograph: Opelousas Police Chief Graig LeBlanc discusses 1-49 cameras proposal with the Central St. Landry Economic Development District.
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The Opelousas Police Department is seeking to identify interstate criminal activity with the requested financial assistance from the Central St. Landry Economic Development District.
Police Chief Graig LeBlanc said the proposed $90,000 aided purchase of surveillance equipment capable of reading vehicle license plates will help deter criminal activity that enters and leaves Opelousas.
“Installing these cameras will help us identify anyone that is coming and going off the various service roads that connect to I-49,” LeBlanc told CSLEDD members last week.
The OPD proposal includes fastening the camera clusters on light poles in the vicinity of I-49 access roads on Harry Guilbeau Road, Judson Walsh Drive and Creswell Lane. Another camera, at an additional cost of $30,000, LeBlanc said, could be placed at the intersection of I-49 and U.S. 190, said LeBlanc.
In addition to the purchase costs, there will also be annual maintenance costs along with subscription and replacement fees of about $3,000 per site, said LeBlanc.
After listening to the lengthy presentation by LeBlanc and other members of the police department, CSLEDD members took no action on the matter.
Although LeBlanc admitted the placement of the cameras would cover an estimated 80 t0 90 percent of the I-49 traffic, he pointed out they would be beneficial in describing vehicles allegedly used in crimes.
The completion of the Love’s Truck Stop off Harry Guilbeau Road, will add more traffic to the Opelousas-area interstate.
LeBlanc said the camera installations would also support other law enforcement agencies that connect to I-49 and have agency agreements with OPD.
Cameras with abilities to capture license plate images work better than other law enforcement cameras that have been placed elsewhere in Opelousas, said LeBlanc.
LeBlanc provided what he described as a real time image of a late model vehicle allegedly used in a recent crime moving from an Opelousas access point onto the interstate.
The dark-colored sedan, said LeBlanc, had removed a license plate in order to perform alleged illegal activity in Opelousas. When it was leaving the city, the registered plate was placed back onto the rear of the vehicle.
Ordinarily a non-license plate reader would not have identified the image on the moving sedan, said LeBlanc.
The I-49 cameras, said LeBlanc, will help the police department compensate for lack of manpower.
LeBlanc added that the department has 34 officers employed along with a high officer attrition rate.
