Abbeville: Streets Closed, Cameras Off, Public Left in the Dark

For real conservatives or just people of virtue, there is something inherently wrong with the misuse of public property and tax dollars for personal gain. It is a simple concept. As an elected official, you are a trustee of those public possessions. As a good steward, you should be frugal and safeguard them. But, for some, power leads to the temptation of doing whatever they want. Join us as we look at a recent event in the City of Abbeville that caught several people’s attention.

A larger pattern

Who doesn’t like a flourishing downtown filled with events and activities for all? But what role should the government play in such activities, and to what extent should the government fund such endeavors? We recently discussed this topic in our piece concerning the City of Carencro – Pas Bon Grift Festival! Despite exhortations to not “respond or react,” because that’ll “just fuel the fire and make them relevant,” have no fear, we’ll be returning to Carencro soon enough, and regularly. At present, we’re just waiting on the records.

I mention this so you know these aren’t isolated occurrences. They catch on and, to some degree, seem to be encouraged by certain non-government institutions and individuals. Of course, silence on such abuses emboldens perpetrators to continue.

Abbeville is no exception

Readers may remember that the City of Abbeville caught our eye last year. Our allies, the Concerned Citizens of Vermilion Parish, feared Abbeville was going off the rails. At that time, we focused on what became referred to as the “Rails to Trails” campaign. Our research revealed that the people of Abbeville were getting railroaded. A coalition of people within multiple government agencies and boards was working to undermine the grassroots will of the people. That struggle continues today, along with a contemplated agenda of far-left “road diets,” which is widely opposed.

Not many residents of Abbeville were surprised when they encountered road closures on April 5, 2025. After all, the City had posted a notice on its Facebook page the day before that portions of Concord, Jefferson, and Washington Street would also be temporarily shut down for the Junior Auxiliary of Vermilion Spring Carnival. A new event in the downtown area of Abbeville was a shock to some, but not as shocking as what was about to come.

Essential Road Work and Maintenance?

On the evening of April 8, 2025, the City of Abbeville posted on Facebook that “…Concord Street will be closed tomorrow, from 6:00 AM until 10:00 PM, to allow for essential roadwork and maintenance.” But by the following afternoon, the post had been quietly edited—the explanation citing roadwork had vanished without further clarification. So, what was the real reason for the street closure?

We asked the City for records “reflecting the essential roadwork and maintenance performed on Concord Street between April 8–10, 2025.” Their response? No records existed. Was the original post a simple mistake? If so, why remove the justification without replacing it with a truthful one?

“Public Safety Cameras” Shut Off

As if that weren’t enough, residents soon noticed something else: the live stream camera feeds in downtown Abbeville went dark during the same period. Was this an accidental outage caused by a road crew… or something else? We asked the City for documentation explaining the camera outage between April 8–10. The response was again the same: no records responsive.

Meanwhile, other events in Abbeville were publicly promoted as usual. On April 9, the City posted about the upcoming Vermilion Parish Student Art Expo and, later, the Sounds on the Square concert finale. Additional posts on April 11 mentioned road closures for the Art Walk. Yet none of these announcements acknowledged the April 9 road closure or explained the camera blackout. The public was left in the dark—literally and figuratively.

Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Conference

It wasn’t until nearly a week later, on April 15, that the public learned what had really happened: the City of Abbeville hosted a party for the Mid-Size Cities Mayors’ Conference. The Facebook post describing it as a “closed event” stated that “more than twenty mayors” attended over three days. That’s a significant gathering, apparently important enough to warrant shutting down streets and killing the cameras.

But why the secrecy? Unlike other events held that same week, this one was never advertised in advance. The public only learned about it after it ended. There’s still no explanation for who ordered the camera shutdown—or why. It certainly wasn’t for privacy. These cameras operate 24/7, capturing ordinary citizens without concern. And to suggest it was for “public safety” is especially rich, considering that the same government insists that surveillance is being expanded “for your safety and protection.”

Because We Said So?

Everything points to one conclusion: the City didn’t want people to know about the event until it was over. A street closure was unavoidable, so they disguised it as “essential maintenance”—a claim later removed. The camera blackout wasn’t just technical—it added another deliberate layer of concealment.

Some have dismissed this as trivial. But if your government lies or omits the truth about something this basic, what else are they willing to lie about? This isn’t just about a missing paper trail. It’s about a growing habit of secrecy, selective enforcement, and a quiet erosion of public trust.

Special Event Permits

Residents complaining about the street being closed have been told that anyone can apply for a permit to shut down a public street for a private function. Yes, there is a mechanism for doing so in Abbeville. The Code of Ordinances Section 10-64 references a “special event permit”. According to the ordinance:

Any person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, organization, or other entity, not otherwise exempted hereby, wishing to sponsor an event utilizing the public streets, public property, or city owned facilities located within the corporate limits of this city shall be required to obtain a Special Event Permit from the Tax and Permits Office of the City of Abbeville in accordance with the following procedure.

The procedure includes completing and returning an application with required documentation, providing and paying for event security as determined by the Chief of Police, and obtaining general liability insurance of at least $2,000,000. After completing those steps, the permit proceeds to the City Council to be issued or rejected. THIS DID NOT OCCUR.

No documents?

When the City was asked for records related to “any event permits obtained related to the hosting of the Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Conference in April of 2025,” they advised there were no documents. It appears the City of Abbeville ordinances are arbitrarily enforced against some and not others.

James Otis, Jr., was part of the founding generation in this country. Otis described arbitrary power as being “to do as one pleases” as “the curse and scandal of human nature.” Aristotle described the arbitrary power of an individual as “crushing everybody alike, and governing only for his own advantage and against the will of his subjects.” Is this not a fair description of the conduct of public officials that plagues our government institutions today?

Government Associations

The Mid-Size Cities Mayors’ Conference is associated with the Louisiana Municipal Association. The Louisiana Municipal Association is just one of many associations that require a person to hold elective or public office to be a member. Other such organizations include:

• Police Jury Association of Louisiana
• Louisiana District Attorneys’ Association
• Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association
• Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police
• Louisiana Clerks of Court Association

Not only do these organizations wield significant influence to protect their interests (government and government officials), often at the expense of the taxpayer and individual rights. They also frequently have appointment or nomination power to thousands of Boards and Commissions in Louisiana. Are they really that secretive, though?

Sunshine without the burn

In February of 2025, the Lafayette Consolidated Government Legal Department hosted a seminar on Louisiana Public Records law entitled, “Sunshine Without The Burn: Mastering Public Records Law Compliance.” Although not open to the public, we endeavored to learn more about what is being taught to our public officials concerning public records. So, we requested various records related to the event, including copies of any handouts or presentations used. We were told that LCG had no records responsive to these specific items and that although the presenter used a PowerPoint presentation, it was transmitted from her laptop.

In turn, we contacted the seminar presenter, Deborah Speiss Henton, in February 2025. Henton serves as the Executive Counsel for the Police Jury Association of Louisiana. When asked for a presentation copy, Henton responded that she was “not in a position to accommodate our request.” When asked for further explanation, Henton didn’t reply.

You don’t need to know what your government is doing.

Also, in January 2025, members of the Lafayette Parish School Board received extreme criticism from the public when they announced two days of meetings being held for Board training. The public likely only learned of the meeting because the School System was required to give public notice under the Open Meetings law due to the presence of a quorum at the meetings discussing relevant topics. The meetings weren’t the issue, though. It was the location.

The public was most upset that the two days of meetings were not even held in Lafayette Parish. After all, should a government body be able to meet at a vast distance from the public they allegedly serve to minimize public participation? What would stop them from holding the meeting out of the country? Would they even be subject to the Open Meetings laws of the State of Louisiana at that point? Then, to further add insult to injury, the meetings were at the Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles. All of this under the supervision and direction of former Abbeville City Council Member and current Lafayette Parish School System Superintendent Francis Touchet.

It’s their party, but you get stuck with the bill.

Organizations such as these, which are operated exclusively for the benefit of the government and government officials, simply wield too much influence, lack complete transparency, and are often the force that leads to government overreach and expansion. The resulting overreach and expansion always lead to higher taxes and loss of freedom. Stayed tuned! It won’t be long before they are hosting a block party in your backyard while scheming about the things they can do with government property, money, and resources. Or rather, your property, money, and resources.

###