Lafayette's ongoing battle against blighted neighborhoods took a turn towards action Monday as a number of department heads got a firsthand look at the battle they've been fighting for so long.

TV10 spent the day on the bus tour throughout the city and were able to see what they were able to see.

The tour wasn’t to any specific area, in fact it took around two hours to tour the limits of the city from Broussard to Carencro, and what we saw was not really a good sign for any area.

There were a number of different department heads on the tour, as well as those who serve as part of the city's neighborhood action team on this tour that covered just about every element of Lafayette showcasing exactly what the city is trying to rid.

We were able to see numerous abandoned, unkempt homes, unused stalled vehicles turned paperweights, and trash overflowing onto the streets.

All were sights that make neighbors cringe, and the higher ups a little more aware of what's been known as a dark cloud in these communities.

"It certainly is an eye opener and I think that to have all the responsible directors on the bus to see it together and have the opportunity to have some conversation about it was certainly very helpful process to understand what we're dealing with" said city attorney Patt Ottinger.

After the tour there was a brief meeting between everyone on it to throw out some ideas on how they can better enforce the current laws in place, but obviously nothing set in stone yet.

We did get a chance to speak with Police Chief Jim Craft who says they want to be a little more proactive on this issue, but do need more help from the neighborhoods themselves.

Robert Burns