Dispatchers and secretaries for the Opelousas Police Department have been working at minimum wage since 2000, and after tonight’s city council meeting those employees will get a long awaited raise.

“You can’t live with that, I’m sorry you just can’t.” says Chief of Police, Donald Thompson.

Opelousas held its monthly city council meeting Tuesday night at city hall. Among the topics of discussion: a proposed pay increase for communications officers and record clerks of the Opelousas Police Department.

Chief Donald Thompson says this pay raise is long overdue. “You know there were underpaid and my argument to them was that I don’t this police department to be used as a training facility. We have talented people here, experienced people here that have not gotten a raise since 2000.”

Thompson says it didn’t take long for council to agree to his proposal. They voted unanimously to increase the starting pay to nine dollars an hour.

“They are going to get it starting the next pay period, yes and the next step is that we’re going to keep putting out a hundred and fifty percent to the city of Opelousas.”

Thompson says he was very pleased with council’s support. He says these employees play a major role in their police department. “Yes! That dispatcher, she or he has that police officers life in their hands and plays a very important role as well as the secretaries.”

Chief Thompson says this pay raise has been one of his top priorities after taking over as chief at the beginning of the year.