Lafayette Motel Ordered to Shut Down After Nearly 2,000 Police Calls

A Lafayette motel that has generated nearly 2,000 calls for police service over the past several years has been ordered to shut down following a court hearing Thursday afternoon.

The Express Inn, located at 1314 NE Evangeline Thruway, must cease operations after the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office, working alongside Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG), secured a court-ordered injunction.

The decision follows years of documented criminal activity, repeated police responses, and extensive property-maintenance and safety concerns at the location.

According to LCG, the closure is part of a larger effort by Mayor-President Monique Boulet's administration to address properties that have become persistent public safety concerns throughout Lafayette.

Nearly 2,000 Police Calls and Hundreds of Reports

The numbers associated with the Express Inn paint a picture of just how frequently law enforcement has been called to the property.

According to data released by LCG, between January 2023 and August 17, 2026, the motel was associated with:

• 1,902 calls for police service

• 294 police reports

• 17 firearms recovered

• Approximately $114,658 in street-value narcotics recovered

Those figures cover less than four years, averaging more than one police call per day.

City officials say the repeated criminal activity has placed significant demands on law enforcement and other emergency resources while raising concerns about safety in the surrounding community.

Inspectors Found Extensive Safety Violations

Criminal activity wasn't the only concern.

An August 26 property inspection conducted by LCG revealed numerous violations involving both the occupied motel building and a second building damaged by fire.

Inspectors documented problems involving structural integrity, stairways, railings, unsecured doors, sanitation, plumbing, electrical systems, emergency exits, and fire-detection or suppression systems.

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The findings contributed to the city's ongoing efforts to address conditions at the property.

A separate hearing before LCG's Administrative Adjudication Bureau is scheduled for November 4, 2026, to address documented property-compliance violations.

District Attorney Uses Louisiana Law to Force Closure

Rather than continuing to address individual incidents at the motel, prosecutors pursued a legal option aimed at the property itself.

The 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office identified an expedited public-nuisance process under Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:4711–4715.

The law provides a mechanism for seeking court intervention when documented criminal activity at a property meets the statutory requirements for a public nuisance.

Following Thursday's hearing, the court granted the requested injunction, ordering the Express Inn to cease operations.

District Attorney Don Landry credited Assistant District Attorney Chase Edwards for helping advance the effort.

"Our office supports businesses big and small throughout our community, but if someone allows their business to be a haven for violent crime and narcotics activity, we now have a way to shut you down," Landry said.

Mayor-President Boulet Says Goal Is More Than Closing a Motel

Mayor-President Monique Boulet said the action reflects the administration's responsibility to address properties that repeatedly require emergency responses and create unsafe conditions.

"When a property repeatedly demands police, fire and other public resources while creating unsafe conditions for the surrounding community, we have a responsibility to act," Boulet said.

She emphasized that the city's objective extends beyond shutting down the business.

"Our goal is not just to close a troubled property, but to create the opportunity for something better to take its place."

LCG says the long-term goal is to address the conditions that have persisted at the location and eventually create an opportunity for the property to return to productive commercial use.

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What Happens to People Living at the Express Inn?

One significant concern surrounding the closure involves individuals and families currently residing at the motel.

LCG says it is coordinating with the Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness & Housing (ARCH) to help connect affected residents with alternative housing options and assistance.

Officials say the goal is to minimize displacement as the court's order is implemented.

The city has not specified how many individuals or families will be affected, how quickly residents must leave, or whether alternative accommodations have already been secured.

LCG, law enforcement, and partner agencies will coordinate the next steps in carrying out the closure.

Closure Comes Amid Larger Push to Clean Up Evangeline Thruway

The Express Inn closure comes as Lafayette officials continue addressing blighted and problematic properties, particularly along the Evangeline Thruway corridor.

City Council Chair Kenneth Boudreaux pointed to the recent demolition of the former La Quinta Inn as another example of efforts to improve the area.

Boudreaux said deteriorating properties, criminal activity, and years of disinvestment have affected public confidence and discouraged potential investment.

He expressed hope that the recent actions could help bring renewed attention and economic opportunity to the corridor.

The effort extends beyond Evangeline Thruway.

According to LCG, the Boulet administration inherited approximately 1,200 cases involving dilapidated, dangerous, blighted, or abandoned properties when it took office. Some cases dated back to 2016.

Changes to state law and local procedures have allowed many of those cases to move through the Administrative Adjudication Bureau rather than requiring individual consideration by the City-Parish Council.

LCG says the bureau now handles approximately 40 cases twice each month and that, for the first time in years, more cases are being closed than opened.

What ultimately happens to the motel property, and how quickly the site could be redeveloped or returned to commerce, remains to be seen.