Major Crime Task Force created

Local law enforcement now has a new method of attacking major crimes in Abbeville.
The Abbeville City Council and Abbeville Police Chief Tony Hardy entered into an intergovernmental agreement with Vermilion Parish Sheriff Mike Couvillon’s Office that will create the Vermilion Parish/City of Abbeville Major Crimes Task Force.
The council voted 5-0 during Tuesday’s meeting to sign the agreement. Hardy said Thursday that he has also signed.
The agreement creates the task force, which will be directed by Maj. Ron Sonnier of the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office (VPSO). The group will include members of the VPSO and the Abbeville Police Department. The task force will have access to related files from both departments as well as resources from the Louisiana State Police and FBI.
According to the agreement, the goal of the task force is to investigate and solve open/unsolved murders and shootings in the City of Abbeville, and eventually, successfully prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes.
“We are primarily concerned with homicides,” Sonnier said. “If somebody is shooting, with the intent to kill, then we are going to look at that, too.
“The primary goal is the unsolved homicides.”
Hardy said his department will respond to calls as it normally does. Depending on the nature of the call, the task force would then become involved.
“If somebody is shooting in the city,” Hardy said, “not only will we respond, but we will turn over the information to the task force.”
Hardy said he has already assigned a detective to the task force.
“I am going to work to have two or three more guys involved,” Hardy said Thursday.
The creation of the task force comes days after a meeting at City Hall that included law enforcement agencies and local officials. Mayor Mark Piazza, Councilman-at-Large Francis Plaisance, Councilman Francis Touchet Jr. and Chief Hardy represented the city, joining Sheriff Couvillon and members of his office. District Attorney Keith Stutes and members of the State Police and FBI also attended. The group held a round-table discussion.
Touchet strongly advocated for the signing of the agreement and the creation of the task force during Tuesday’s meeting.
“Look what we are being offered,” Touchet said. “We have something on the table and I don’t want to have that dropped out of our hands.”
Plaisance agreed.
“All of these resources have been dropped in our lap,” Plaisance said.
Piazza said Thursday he is pleased to see the task force moving forward.
“I think this will be a tremendous thing for Abbeville,” Piazza said. “It’s badly needed. I want to thank Sheriff Mike Couvillon for spearheading this task force and bringing in such quality law enforcement personnel to the table to assist Abbeville in this time of need.”
Hardy said he is willing to do whatever helps close any open case.
“We want to do what’s best for the city,” Hardy said. “We want to solve all of these homicides just as badly as anyone else.
“We are going to do whatever we have to do to make sure this works.”