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St. Martinville Police lays off employees

St. Martinville Police
Posted at 5:35 PM, May 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-13 18:35:33-04

The St. Martinville Police Department had to lay off six employees, and two others have been demoted in separate investigations.

The six employees, including the department's public information officer, were laid off as the department tightens its belt to accommodate a drop in tax income related to the pandemic. Two other employees were demoted.

Last month, we reported that two St. Martinville Police Department employees were on paid leave after some money being used in narcotics investigations went missing from the department's processing room. That situation is still under investigation by the St. Martin Sheriff's Office.

One of the employees involved in that situation was demoted from the rank of detective to patrolman, Chief Ricky Martin confirmed. Another employee with the rank of assistant chief also was demoted, in connection with a separate internal investigation. That investigation also is still underway, Martin said.

The layoffs were necessary because of the city's loss of tax income since the shut-down started, the chief said. Five of the positions were part-time, and the PIO position was the sixth, he said.