This summer, the Port Barre Police Department is hosting an annual program for children who live in the town or attend school in the town, and applications are open now.
To help fund this program, the PBPD is hosting a Market in the Park on June 4 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Vetearns Memorial Park in Port Barre. Vendors pay $25 for a spot to sell their crafts. Booths will be open to all vendors who specialize in hand-made original arts, crafts, photography, woodworking, bakery, ceramics and metal working, etc. Vintage and Antique vendors are welcome. Please contact Dawn Quebedeaux, Mon- Fri 8a- 3p @ 337-585-6212 for booth information.
The same day and location, the PBPD will be selling Sausage Poboys. Tickets for the poboys can be picked up at the Port Barre police department. The tickets are $8.00 each, cash only please, no checks or debit cards. You can get tickets at the police station 24/7.
The annual Youth Mentoring Program designed for Port Barre boys and girls (and students enrolled in any school inside Port Barre) from the ages 8- 14 years of age. These young ladies and gentlemen will be spending several hours a day, for 5 days, with Chief Deon R. Boudreaux and some of Port Barre's finest.
This year's program will be June 27 through July 1,2022
On those days, police will teach on topics such as bicycle safety, Anti- Bullying, CPR/ First Aid, Drug Awareness, general child safety concerns, teamwork, the proper method of addressing adults and elders, chivalry, manners, social behavior and more.
[Chief Deon R. Boudreaux] "
This is not a bootcamp for ill behaved children but a mentoring program to not only teach them about important life topics but also to help build a trusting relationship between our youth and our police," says Chief Deon Boudreaux. "This program focuses on important life usable education instead of the typical junior police programs that basically focus on a police activity and /or youth boot camps for discipline. Over the years, I've had parents asking for a "bootcamp" for ill behaved kids but I personally don't like police being used as tactic to scare children into submission. Most police officers cringe when we are in public and a mother points towards us and tells her small child "see that cop? I'm going to make him take you to jail if you don't behave" or when parents ask us to scare their child because of bad behavior. It’s the parents job to discipline, not ours. These actions make children believe the police are no different than the boogey man. Fear causes hate and disrespect. When those scared little kids grow up, they will not trust the police, they will hate us and when we have to deal with them as adults, they'll fight us. We want them to grow up to trust us."
That's where the mentoring idea comes in, he says.
"So, I've decided to create a program where we can be a positive influence to our youth. Spend time with them in a friendly, fun but educational setting," Boudreaux says.
Applications can be picked up at the Port Barre Police Department located at 498 Saizan Ave. Port Barre. Completed applications should be returned to the police department by June 1, 2022.
Any questions regarding the program, please contact, Chief’s Secretary Dawn Quebedeaux, at the Port Barre police department at (337) 585-6212
