In 2018, the City of Ville Platte and the Ville Platte Police Department entered into a Settlement Agreement with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). 

 Chief Perry Thomas has named Hilda Thomas to coordinate efforts to ensure compliance with policies and procedures developed to address the issues raised in the Agreement. For a period of over 30 years, Hilda Edwards worked in various administrative positions with the City of Ville Platte. Currently, she serves as the Assistant to the Chief of Police. 

The Chief of Police and the Ville Platte Police Department work daily to address the longstanding concerns of the DOJ.   In these first 6 months of service, Chief of Police Perry Thomas initiated a "jump start" in implementing policies and procedures, providing training and resources for officers and  creating  accountability in the Department.