Drugs and weapons are being taken off the streets in Opelousas, and officers say many of them are taken during routine traffic stops.
In the last 24 hours, three stops have led police to stolen weapons, drugs and two arrests. This is all a part of Police Chief Martin McLendon’s campaign initiatives.
“In the first 30 days of our administration, we have been able to take drugs and weapons off the streets, making it safer for the people of Opelousas,” McLendon said.
McLendon said during his campaign, he promised more effective police, and he works daily to make sure that’s what people see.
“We took people that were in the office, working straight days and just put them on shifts where they could increase the manpower and add better patrols in our neighborhoods,” McLendon said.
While there used to be three officers and one supervisor on a shift, McLendon says last Saturday, there were nine officers on shift, giving them a better chance at stopping criminals. Those in the special operations division have been the driving force behind this.
“We’ve been working in the community for the last month, working in the streets, trying to get the drugs off of the streets because it’s been a while since the community has seen us actively in the streets, performing duties such as traffic stops and running the people off the corners,” Sgt. Brandon Harris said.
Several lifelong Opelousas residents say the positive change has been welcomed.
