PARRISH — The Parrish Town Council recently voted to increase the salary of Police Chief Danny Woodard due to the improvements he has made to the department since being named chief in August 2021.
Mayor Bubba Cagle gave an update during the Jan. 12 meeting of changes that have taken place at the Parrish Police Department during Woodard’s tenure.
Cagle listed new radios, new patrol cars, computers placed in those cars and body cameras for the officers as additions to the department.
“What Chief Woodard has done has been noticed in Parrish,” Cagle said in an interview last week. “We appreciate what our chief and the entire police department does for our town. Giving him a raise wasn’t questioned by anyone because of the job he has done.”
Cagle said other recent changes in the police department included a new evidence system and new uniforms. The force is also up to three officers.
Woodard said his focus early in his tenure was to upgrade technology.
“When I took over the department my first priority was to upgrade technology and increase training for the officers,” Woodard said last week. “The town has purchased in-car computers, body worn cameras and new Taser 7’s. We have recently purchased new patrol vehicles that are fully equipped with the tools and technology the officers need to effectively do their jobs.”
Woodard said Parrish PD has received nearly $25,000 in grant money to help cover the cost of some of the equipment and has recently applied for an additional $18,000 in grant money.
“The citizens of Parrish deserve to have a department they are proud of, and I’m grateful for the opportunity and support that Mayor Cagle and the Town Council have given me. Without them, the department could not have made these improvements,” Woodard said.
In other action from the meeting:
• Cagle said that roadwork from a Community Development Block Grant that was applied for two years ago has started.
“We are glad to get that project started,” he said.
• Council members approved a new nuisance ordinance. The ordinance went into effect immediately after the council adopted it that night. The full ordinance can be read below.
“We’re going to start sending out letters and start getting some of these properties cleaned up,” Cagle said.
