by KAREN LAGRANGE COX
Youngsville Police Chief Rickey Boudreaux expressed pride when saying Youngsville was named by SafeWise as the second safest city in Louisiana for 2022. His goal for next year is for the city to be named as the safest city in Louisiana. In 2020-2021, the city took third place. Each year SafeWise seeks out the cities with the lowest reports of crime.
Boudreaux started his first term as Youngsville Police Chief on January 1, 2015. Last month he was sworn in for his third term. Prior to becoming police chief, he worked sixteen years for the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s (LPSO) office as a sergeant for the Street Team (Star Team) and worked as patrol commander for the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office for eight years.
Earl Menard was Boudreaux’s predecessor, who served as Youngsville City Police Chief for twenty-eight years. Menard’s last term ended on December 31, 2014. After Boudreaux took office as Police Chief, he convinced Menard to return to work at the Youngsville Police Department as a community liaison.
When asked if he thought is better to have an elected or appointed police chief, Boudreaux expressed his belief that police chiefs should be elected as opposed to being appointed as this allows the people to decide who their police chief will be.
Prior to becoming police chiefs in Broussard, Scott, Lafayette, and Carencro, they and Boudreaux all had previously worked together. Boudreaux considers each of these chiefs, Lafayette Police Chief Judith Estorge, Scott Police Chief Chad Leger, Carencro Police Chief David Anderson, and Broussard Police Chief Vance Olivier as part of a team.
Helping others is something Boudreaux enjoys doing. The lagniappe in it for him is seeing the smile on the faces of those who were helped and seeing the accomplishments made, which is the end results.
One way of supporting the community is by way of community policing which is done by visiting businesses and the community. Boudreaux said he ensures he is accessible and reachable by those in the community. When people come into the police station, he takes the opportunity to talk with them. Talking with them allows Boudreaux to learn what is happening with them which in turn gives him an opportunity to help them.
As a member of the Youngsville Lion’s Club, Boudreaux along with the other club members help children attend camp. Children with special needs, respiratory disorders, juvenile diabetes, and childhood cancer are sponsored by their local Lions Club to attend the Louisiana Lion’s Camp in Leesville, Louisiana.
Born and raised in Lafayette, Boudreaux is a resident of Youngsville and has three sons. He attended the then University of Southern Louisiana (USL), now called the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL).
Hobbies include fishing and softball. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends, something Boudreaux says he is playing catch up on due to all the times he missed birthdays, holidays, and other special events due to being on the job.
