PONCHATOULA, La. — Ponchatoula police officers returned to work Saturday morning, according to WBRZ. Officers did not report to work Friday, leaving the law enforcement in the city to some reserve officers and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Chief Bry Layrisson said all officers showed up at 6 a.m., according to our partners.
“Our officers are disappointed in city hall because they are underpaid,” he said in a post on his Facebook page Friday. “They make far less than other city employees and they are fed up with the mayor ignoring the city’s consultant’s compensation plan.”
Layrisson said he wanted to make sure officers showed up Saturday, "the officers owe that to the citizens of Ponchatoula".
He said he believed officers didn't show up Friday because of pay issues.
Under the force’s current pay structure, Layrisson says officers who have been with the department for five years are making the same salary as those with twenty years of experience under their belts.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.