GRAND COTEAU POLICE CHIEF ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

CARENCRO - Grand Coteau Chief of Police Raymond Simmons was arrested by
Carencro police Friday night and charged with possession of Schedule IV
narcotics and malfeasance in office, Carencro Police Chief Timmy Duhon said
Saturday.

Simmons, 49, spent the night in the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.
He was released at 9 a.m. Saturday after posting $20,000 bail, booking
records show.

Simmons, an elected official, is accused of buying Lortab, a prescription
pain reliever, from a person in a house in Carencro. Grand Coteau is
located a few miles north of Carencro, across the parish line in southern
St. Landry Parish.

Simmons' home phone number is unlisted. Messages left for him at the police
department were not returned.

Grand Coteau Mayor Jean Coco said a Board of Aldermen's meeting will be
held this week to discuss Simmons' arrest with the town's attorney. Coco
said she does not think Simmons will have to step down from his elected
position unless he is convicted of the charges.

"Our main concern is that we don't have any interruption in police
services," she said.

The town of approximately 1,100 has an assistant police chief, three
full-time officers and one part-time officer, Coco said.

Duhon said a house in Carencro where pills are sold has been under
surveillance for four months. He said investigators recently learned a law
enforcement official from St. Landry Parish was buying pills from a person
in the house, but investigators did not know who the official was because
he was using his personal vehicle.

"Come to find out, it was the chief himself," Duhon said.

Duhon said Simmons told him that the pills were not for him, but for a
friend who has medical problems.

"We hate that it came down to this, but we have to do what we have to do,"
Duhon said.

Duhon said no one who lives in the house under surveillance was arrested,
but more arrests from the investigation are expected.