POINTE COUPEE - Officials in Pointe Coupee Parish are concerned with an empty constable seat that the parish just can't seem to fill.

District 11 contains Fordoche, Lottie and Maringouin, and consists of around 1,400 registered voters. However, the district's constable seat has remained vacant since early 2024. 

Shanika Olinde, who has worked for the Registrar's Voters Office for about 25 years, said no one has met the position's qualifications. 

The constable works alongside Justice of the Peace Arleen Pizzolato Zito. She said that without a constable, she's been left to pick up the extra work.

"You have to serve people papers," Arleen Pizzolato Zito said. "You have evictions. You have garnishments to deal with."

She said it can be a dangerous job, especially when telling someone they need to leave their home. The job reportedly pays about $200 a month for a six-year term.

Terms for all of the justice of the peace and constable seats are set to end next year.