Louisiana town’s police cars repossessed
THIBODAUX — The two new cars the Napoleonville Police Department got this summer have been repossessed and the department is being sued by an Oklahoma car dealership.
Mayor Ron Animashaun said Tuesday the police department planned to buy the cars using federal stimulus money, but paperwork mistakes left them unable to pay for the cars once they arrived.
Joe Watt Auto Sales of Vinita, Okla., repossessed the cars Oct. 9, one day after Animashaun made it clear to the dealership that the village did not have the money to pay. Animashaun previously told Watt on numerous occasions that he had put a "check in the mail," the car dealer said.
Watt filed a lawsuit against the town of about 800, in the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court’s Office. He’s seeking $20,000 for damages associated with the botched transaction.
"This is the first time we’ve ever, ever, ever had this happen," Watt said of having to repossess a police car. He estimates he has outfitted about 6,000 police cars in the last decade.
Napoleonville had opportunities to finance the cars, but Animashaun rejected all the options, Watt said.
The mayor said the village did not have the money to pay for the cars up front. But, Watt said, Animashaun promised to send the money for the two 2009 Dodge Chargers, which cost $44,440 total.
Shortly after the cars were repossessed, the town of St. Gabriel donated two police units to Napoleonville.
"The mayor was not as honest as he needed to be," Watt said. "They didn’t want to work anything out. I offered them everything under the sun to make this happen."
The Napoleonville Police Department was awarded $151,628 in federal-stimulus money through the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice. The two-year reimbursement grant is aimed at improving community policing. With the money, the village was supposed to hire two new officers and buy two new police cars.
The department hired two officers, but the grant money came in much later than expected.
The newly hired officers were eventually released Nov. 15 because the money had still not arrived, the mayor said. That left Police Chief Lionel Bell as the village’s only paid officer.
Assumption Parish sheriff’s deputies also patrol Napoleonville.
Source: Louisiana town’s police cars repossessed
Mayor Ron Animashaun said Tuesday the police department planned to buy the cars using federal stimulus money, but paperwork mistakes left them unable to pay for the cars once they arrived.
Joe Watt Auto Sales of Vinita, Okla., repossessed the cars Oct. 9, one day after Animashaun made it clear to the dealership that the village did not have the money to pay. Animashaun previously told Watt on numerous occasions that he had put a "check in the mail," the car dealer said.
Watt filed a lawsuit against the town of about 800, in the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court’s Office. He’s seeking $20,000 for damages associated with the botched transaction.
"This is the first time we’ve ever, ever, ever had this happen," Watt said of having to repossess a police car. He estimates he has outfitted about 6,000 police cars in the last decade.
Napoleonville had opportunities to finance the cars, but Animashaun rejected all the options, Watt said.
The mayor said the village did not have the money to pay for the cars up front. But, Watt said, Animashaun promised to send the money for the two 2009 Dodge Chargers, which cost $44,440 total.
Shortly after the cars were repossessed, the town of St. Gabriel donated two police units to Napoleonville.
"The mayor was not as honest as he needed to be," Watt said. "They didn’t want to work anything out. I offered them everything under the sun to make this happen."
The Napoleonville Police Department was awarded $151,628 in federal-stimulus money through the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice. The two-year reimbursement grant is aimed at improving community policing. With the money, the village was supposed to hire two new officers and buy two new police cars.
The department hired two officers, but the grant money came in much later than expected.
The newly hired officers were eventually released Nov. 15 because the money had still not arrived, the mayor said. That left Police Chief Lionel Bell as the village’s only paid officer.
Assumption Parish sheriff’s deputies also patrol Napoleonville.
Source: Louisiana town’s police cars repossessed
