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GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE,
[Police Chief Candidate Review Meeting on October 26, 2023.]
UH, SECOND EVENING OF INTERVIEWS FOR, UH, CANDIDATES FOR CHIEF OF POLICE FOR BATON ROUGE.UM, WE WILL USE THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE USED ON MONDAY.
UM, WHEN THE CANDIDATES COME, THEY'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO DO THEIR OPENING.
UM, WE WILL GO AROUND AND EACH, UH, EACH OF US WILL HAVE, UH, THE OPTION TO ASK TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, CANDIDATES WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION, UH, AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES, UH, FOR CLOSING STATEMENTS.
UH, IF NOBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE ARE READY TO GET STARTED.
WAITING ON AN AGENDA SO WE DO THINGS IN THE RIGHT ORDER.
WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL, UH, MR. GREEN HERE.
UH, NEXT, UH, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED MINUTES IN THEIR EMAIL.
UH, DO I HAVE ANYBODY WHO CAN? UH, THANK YOU, MS. VICTORIAN MOVING AND MR. MCCLANAHAN SECONDING APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
ALL RIGHT, NOW, I BELIEVE YES, SIR.
WHAT ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? YEAH.
WE ARE READY FOR CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS.
WE WILL BE SEEING MR. GLOVER FIRST.
DO YOU KNOW IF WE HAD, UH, IF, IF EVERYONE'S COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT THE RECORDS OR IF WE NEED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH ANY OF THE CANDIDATES? UH, NO, MA'AM.
NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT I WAS ALSO GONNA SAY THAT YOU WANNA MOVE TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
UH, DO I HAVE ANYONE WHO'D LIKE TO MOVE TO ADOPT THE AGENDA? SO, MOVE.
WE'VE GOT MS. VICTORIAN, MR. MCCLANAHAN MOVING AND SECONDING.
THIS AGENDA? NO, WE DID THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.
OUR FIRST CANDIDATE, UH, MR. GLOVER, GOOD EVENING.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING ALL THE WAY OVER HERE FOR OUR, UH, OUR INTERVIEW.
THE WAY THIS, UH, PROCEDURE'S GONNA WORK IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR OPENING STATEMENTS.
THEN WE'RE GONNA GO AROUND THE CIRCLE.
EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK YOU A ONE QUESTION.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH OF THOSE.
THEN WE'LL GO AROUND A SECOND TIME FOR A SECOND QUESTION, AND THEN AT THE END, YOU'LL HAVE, UH, TWO MINUTES FOR A CLOSING, UH, STATEMENT.
YOU SAY TWO MINUTES FOR OPENING, OR THREE THREE MINUTES FOR OPENING.
GOOD EVENING TO THIS AUSPICIOUS BODY.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES TO COME IN, MAKE SURE THAT BATON ROUGE DOES IT RIGHT.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M HONORED TO BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE YOU AND LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF.
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I AM A NATIVE LOUISIANAN, BORN TO LULU, LOUISIANA.THAT'S JUST UP THE ROAD ON THE RIVER.
UH, I GREW UP CHOPPING COTTON AND CHOPPING BEANS DURING THE SUMMER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN SCHOOLS STARTED, I HAD A PAIR OF CHUCK TAYLOR'S.
I HOPE Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE.
ALL STARS AND A PAIR OF, UH, LEVI JEANS THAT GOT ME THROUGH THE YEAR.
DURING THE WINTER WHEN SCHOOL WAS IN SESSION, I PICKED PECANS.
ENDED UP GRADUATING AN HONOR STUDENT FROM MY HIGH SCHOOL, BECAME A NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR, AND ATTENDED GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ON AN ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP WHERE I WAS TOO SCARED TO FAIL BECAUSE IF I FAILED, I KNEW I HAD TO GO HOME AND FACE MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS FIVE, TWO AND 90 POUNDS.
WE, AND BELIEVE ME, I WAS SCARED OF IT.
SO I STUDIED HARD, BECAME A DALLAS POLICE OFFICER IN 1981, I SERVED WITH DALLAS FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.
36 AND A HALF, ALMOST OF THOSE YEARS.
I REACHED THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT IN THE DALLAS PD, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST CIVIL SERVICE RANK YOU CAN GET ON YOUR OWN.
ANYTHING ABOVE THAT IS APPOINTED.
WHEN I LEFT DALLAS PD IN 2020, EARLY 2021, I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UNIT FOR THE SOUTHEAST DIVISION.
IT'S DIVIDED INTO SEVEN GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS, AND EACH ONE OF THOSE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OPERATES LIKE A SEPARATE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVE A DEPUTY CHIEF, AND THEN YOU HAVE FOUR LIEUTENANTS, PART OF THE COMMAND STAFF.
I WAS IN CHARGE AS A LIEUTENANT OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PARTNERED WITH BUSINESSES RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 200 COMMUNITY GROUPS.
SO COMMUNITY POLICING IS SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
AFTER LEAVING DALLAS, I SERVED AS CHIEF OF POLICE IN THE LAFAYETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR, AND I WANNA GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
I WAS ABRUPTLY TERMINATED AS A CHIEF OF POLICE IN LAFAYETTE.
THERE WERE MAJOR NEWS STORIES DONE ABOUT IT.
TO THIS DAY, I HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD WHY I WAS GIVEN INFORMATION THAT I WAS THE BEST CHIEF IN AMERICA.
I WALKED THE STREETS, I WENT FROM DOOR TO DOOR.
I WENT TO THE RECREATION CENTERS AND PLAYED WITH THE KIDS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I DID EVERYTHING IN THE COMMUNITY, GOING TO BARBER SHOPS, GOING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BEAUTY PARLORS, MAKING SURE THAT I VISITED CHURCHES AND PUSHED THE REFORMS THAT I WAS BROUGHT IN FOR IN LAFAYETTE.
AND BATON ROUGE ARE SMALLER MICROCOSMS OF WHAT DALLAS WAS 40 YEARS AGO WHEN I CAME THROUGH THE DISPARITY IN THE USE OF FORCE, DISPARITY IN THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE.
VERY FEW, UH, PEOPLE OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS IN THE UPPER COMMAND.
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAME IN, CONGRESS CAME IN, HAD CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS, SO WE WERE FORCED TO DO IT.
AND I WENT TO LAFAYETTE WITH THAT EDICT.
I WAS HIRED TO DO IT 36 HOURS BEFORE I WAS TERMINATED, I WAS TOLD THAT I TRUST YOU TO GET THE JOB DONE.
AND I WAS CALLED IN WITH 30 MINUTES LATE, UH, NOTICE AND TERMINATED.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA START WITH QUESTIONS.
UH, WE'LL START WITH MR. GREEN.
WHAT DO YOU THINK, MIKE? MIC? I DO NOW,
I BELIEVE THAT OF ALL SIX PILLARS, THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THE TRUST AND LEGITIMACY.
IF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY DON'T SHARE TRUST, THEN NONE OF THOSE OTHERS ARE GONNA BE WORTH ANYTHING.
TRUST AND LEGITIMACY MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE TRUST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GET THE JOB DONE.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TRANSPARENT.
THEY ARE OPEN WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY TALK TO, AND THEY DON'T KEEP ANYTHING HID.
AND THE MAIN THING IS THEY ALLOW THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.
SO I WOULD DEFINITELY PUT 41 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON THAT AND SAY TRUST AND LEGITIMACY.
WITHOUT THAT, THE OTHERS DON'T MEAN ANYTHING.
HOW YOU DOING, MR. GLOVER? SO GOOD, SIR.
MY QUESTION IS FROM CATEGORY 12, POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR NON BRPD CANDIDATES.
SO SEEING AS YOU WERE AN OFFICER IN DALLAS FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, AND ALSO THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR LAFAYETTE, HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THOSE PREVIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES PROVIDED YOU WITH INSIGHT OR INFORMATION ABOUT STRUCTURE, PROCEDURES, COLLABORATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, ET CETERA, THAT CAN INFORM YOUR LEADERSHIP IN BATON ROUGE IF SELECTED AS CHIEF OF POLICE FOR AON? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE MOST VALUABLE LESSON I LEARNED FROM WORKING 41 YEARS IN POLICING IS TWO WORDS,
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AND THAT'S DIGNITY AND RESPECT.NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU ARE AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, HOW MANY CASES YOU SAW, HOW MANY TICKETS YOU WRITE, UNLESS YOU ARE EMPATHETIC TOWARD THEM.
AND YOU SHOW THEM DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
AND I PREACH THAT THROUGHOUT MY CAREER AS DOCUMENTED IN THE NEWS.
AND WHEN I WENT TO LAFAYETTE, THERE WAS A CENTRAL MESSAGE, DIGNITY, AND RESPECT.
ALSO, THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION, AS A CHIEF OF POLICE IN LAFAYETTE, I DID SOMETHING THAT HADN'T BEEN DONE IN 11 YEARS.
ACCORDING TO THE US ATTORNEY FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF, UH, LOUISIANA, I STARTED A CRIME FIGHTING TASK FORCE WHERE WE COLLABORATED AND WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE FBI, THE DEA, THE ATF, LOUISIANA STATE POLICE, US MARSHALS, LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA, LAFAYETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT, LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHALS, LOUISIANA ADULT PROBATION AND PAROLE, AND LOUISIANA JUVENILE PROBATION AND PAROLE, AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
ALL 12 OF THOSE AGENCIES WORKING TOGETHER, WE GOT SOME OF THE MOST HARDENED CRIMINALS OFF THE STREET IN THE STREETS, UH, IN THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE.
SO MY POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS I'M WELL VERSED IN WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES.
I, I, I MAKE THAT A, A, A PREMISE OF MY, UH, POLICING.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES, THEY HAVE SOME EFFORTS, AND THEY HAVE TIME TO WORK WITH US.
AND SO THAT'S, UH, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT I LEARNED AS POLICE CHIEF AS WELL AS A COMMANDER IN THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU CAN'T MAKE IT UNLESS YOU WORK WITH SOMEBODY ELSE.
IT'S NOT A ONE PONY SHOW, AS THEY SAY.
MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM CATEGORY STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES, PLEASE DISCUSS WITH US IDEAS YOU, YOU HAVE FOR VIOLENCE REDUCTION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE FIRST THING YOU GOTTA DO WHEN YOU WANT TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME IS YOU HAVE TO TARGET THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTING A CRIME.
AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THEY'RE ONLY PROBABLY ALL OVER AMERICA, ABOUT 10% OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE NOT TOLERANT OF THE VIOLENCE.
AND WHAT I MEAN, WHEN YOU GO TO A LOCATION AND YOU START TRYING TO WORK A CRIME PROGRAM, YOU GET COOPERATION ABOUT FROM 10% OF THE PEOPLE.
THERE'S ANOTHER 70% THAT ARE TOLERANT, BUT NOT OPENLY TOLERANT.
AND I MEAN THAT THEY DON'T CALL YOU.
THEY MAY SEE SOMETHING AND KEEP GOING.
UH, IF THEY'RE INVOLVED IN SOMETHING, THEY'LL REPORT IT.
AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT IS YOU HAVE TO TARGET THE 10% OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NON TOLERANT OF VIOLENCE AND INCREASE IT.
AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE BASICALLY TOLERANT AND ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO DECREASE THEIRS.
PROGRAMS THAT I'VE INSTITUTED, ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I DID IN LAFAYETTE, AND I STILL TO THIS DAY, I'M PROUD OF IT.
WE WENT BACK TO OLD SCHOOL POLICING.
WE IDENTIFIED THE TOP 10 MOST WANTED PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE.
AND DURING THE COURSE OF DEVELOPING THAT LIST, IT WENT TO 13 OF THE MOST WANTED.
THESE WERE PEOPLE WANTED FOR MURDER, RAPE, ROBBERY, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS.
AND WE GOT 'EM ALL OFF THE STREET WITH THE HELP OF ALL THOSE GROUPS I JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT IN A LITTLE OF ABOUT A MONTH.
IN ADDITION TO TARGETING CRIMINALS AND GETTING THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED, YOU HAVE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHAT COMMUNITY POLICING IS.
I TOLD PEOPLE FOR 40 YEARS, AND I'LL GIVE YOU THIS ANALOGY REAL QUICKLY, THE WEEDS ARE GROWING IN THE YARD, AND YOU ARE, YOU ARE THE LAWN GUY, AND YOU COME EVERY WEEK AND YOU CUT THE WEEDS DOWN AND THEY KEEP GROWING.
YOU PUT DOWN WEEDED PREVENTION AND IT DESTROYS THE WEEDS, AND YOU COME BACK MAYBE ONCE EVERY TWO TO THREE MONTHS.
WHEN YOU WORK WITH A COMMUNITY, WHEN YOU GET THEM INVOLVED, YOU ARE PRACTICING PREVENTION.
AND STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT ALL THE PLACES AROUND THIS COUNTRY THAT HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN CRIME HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. GLOVER, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR.
WHAT SKILLS OR ABILITIES HAVE YOU GAINED FROM YOUR CURRENT ASSIGNMENT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO STAND OUT AMONGST THE OTHER CANDIDATES? FIRST OF ALL, I AM, UH, A PERSON WHO PRACTICES PERSEVERANCE.
IF I'M CONFRONTED WITH A PROBLEM, I GO ALL OUT AT IT.
A GOOD EXAMPLE IS I WORKED ONE DAY, 20 HOURS IN THE LAFAYETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT TRYING TO SOLVE SOME PROBLEMS. I AM VERY OPEN AND HONEST.
I AM THAT GOOD OLD COUNTRY BOY WHO
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WENT TO THE BIG CITY, BECAME A POLICE OFFICER, AND I'VE SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY AS A POLICE OFFICER THAT'S DOCUMENTED.SO IN ADDITION TO THE PERSEVERANCE, I AM ALSO SOMEONE WHO WILL GO OUT AND LOOK FOR PROBLEMS TO SOLVE.
I TEACH PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING TO THE OFFICERS IN THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT BEFORE I RETIRED.
PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING IS NECESSARY ANYWHERE IN AMERICA.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO CUT CRIME, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT THE BURGLARY PROBLEM AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IS BASED ON PEOPLE NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO DO.
I'M ALSO, AND I'M A PROPONENT OF THIS, I LOVE KIDS.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU CAN'T BE AN EFFECTIVE POLICE OFFICER WITHOUT LOVING PEOPLE.
AND WHEN I SAY LOVING PEOPLE, I JUST WANNA SEE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.
I STILL CRY WHEN I WATCH CERTAIN THINGS ON TV.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE PERSEVERANCE, THE ABILITY TO BE OPEN TO MEET AND GREET PEOPLE, I'M A GREAT PROBLEM SOLVER.
I GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE, I UNDERSTAND TEAMWORK.
AND IF I'M HIRED AS THE LAFAYETTE POLICE, I MEAN THE, UH, BATON ROUGE POLICE CHIEF, EXCUSE ME.
I PROMISE YOU, YOU'LL SEE ME IN THE CHURCHES, YOU'LL SEE ME IN THE SCHOOLS.
UH, I WENT INTO THE PARKS IN LAFAYETTE AND PAINTED THE DUGOUTS AND PICKED UP TRASH.
I WENT TO THE RECREATION CENTERS AND PLAYED BASKETBALL WITH THE KIDS.
SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT I DO.
I VALUE THOSE, THE LITTLE ONES THAT ARE COMING UP, AND I KNOW THEY ARE OUR FUTURE, AND THAT'S WHAT I DO.
UH, THE POSITION OF CHIEF OF POLICE IS, IS, IS, IS THE C MAKES YOU THE CEO OF A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATION, WHICH OVERSEES HUNDREDS OF STAFF AND MILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS AND MANAGES THOUSANDS OF PHYSICAL RESOURCES.
WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND MAKES YOU QUALIFIED TO SERVE AT THIS LEVEL? PLEASE PROVIDE SPECIFIC DETAILS.
NUMBER ONE, MY TRAINING IN DALLAS PD.
I GOT SPECIFIC TRAINING IN BUDGETING, BUT I ALSO WAS HEAD OF THE RECRUITING UNIT AT ONE TIME, AND I HAD A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR BUDGET TO RECRUIT ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.
WE BROUGHT IN PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND TESTED THEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS A LAFAYETTE POLICE CHIEF, I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST A $50 MILLION BUDGET THAT WE PUT TOGETHER FROM SCRATCH, WHERE WE LOOKED AT OPERATING BUDGET, WHERE WE LOOKED AT COST ANALYSIS, WHERE WE LOOKED AT WHAT BUDGET PROCESS WAS BEST, WHETHER IT BE ZERO BASE BUDGETING OR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND SO I DO HAVE EXTENSIVE, EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN BUDGETING.
LAFAYETTE WAS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
300 WERE SWORN AND ABOUT 50 WERE NONE SWORN SUPPORT.
I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THAT BUDGET.
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING I LEARNED ABOUT BUDGETING IS THAT WASTE IS NOT AN OPTION.
SO I'VE PREPARED A BUDGET FOR A MAJOR POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THIS STATE, THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN ADDITION TO YEARS.
I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE JAIL IN DALLAS FOR A WHILE.
WE PROCESSED, PROBABLY TOTAL ON THREE WATCHES, 15,000 PRISONERS.
I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE 9 1 1 CENTER FOR A LONG TIME.
AND SO MY EXPERIENCE IN MANAGING PEOPLE, BUDGETING ALL GOES ALONG WITH MY MANAGEMENT TRAINING, WHICH INCIDENTALLY, I STARTED SUPERVISING AND MANAGING PEOPLE BACK IN 1988.
AND I KNOW THAT
SO I CAN DEFINITELY HANDLE THE BUDGET WITH NO PROBLEM.
I'VE DONE IT BEFORE AND IT WAS IMPLEMENTED.
HOW ARE YOU? UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM IN BATON ROUGE, AND IT'S A PROBLEM THAT'S ON THE RISE.
SO CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AND TELL US WHAT YOU MIGHT DO TO HANDLE THAT PROBLEM? YOU HAVE TOUCHED ON SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO ME.
I RAN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT IN THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR 13 YEARS, RESPONSIBLE FOR CUTTING ANNUAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENSES FROM AROUND 30,000 DOWN TO 12,000.
WE PRODUCED A PROGRAM, AND I STILL THINK I GOT COPIES OF THEM.
UH, PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG THE ELDERLY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST UNADDRESSED TOPICS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WE PRODUCED A PROGRAM CALLED PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG APARTMENT DWELLERS.
PEOPLE A LOT OF TIMES DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT,
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BUT WHEN YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT, YOU'RE VERY TRANSIT.A LOT OF YOUR NEIGHBORS DON'T KNOW YOU.
YOU GET INJURED, YOU GET HURT.
THEY HAVE NO PERSONAL INTEREST IN IT.
WE THEN DID A PROGRAM CALLED PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG SPANISH SPEAKERS, SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE POPULATION IS HERE IN LAFAYETTE, I MEAN IN OUR BATON ROUGE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY ARE GROWING TREMENDOUSLY, AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE.
I TOLD YOU I BELIEVE THAT YOU GOTTA GO INTO THE SCHOOLS.
WE DID A PROGRAM THAT'S SIMILAR TO DARE AND MOST PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH DARE.
BUT IT WAS CALLED IN MY HOME, WHERE PEOPLE ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD GO TO SCHOOLS AND WORK WITH CHILDREN.
AND RATHER THAN TOTALLY CONFINED IN YOUR INSTRUCTION TO DRUG PREVENTION, YOU ALSO DID THE, UM, THE PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
INCIDENTALLY, I AM A CERTIFIED, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, EXPERT TRAINED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
I'M AN EXPERT PANELIST FOR THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT.
THAT, UH, WAS PASSED BACK IN THE EARLY NINETIES.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WAS SELECTED IN THE LATE NINETIES TO SERVE ON THE TRAINING BOARD TO TRAIN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE JU TO JUVENILE JUSTICE JUDGES.
SO THAT'S A PASSION OF MINE THAT I SERVE LONG IN THAT POSITION IN ANYTHING.
HOW YOU DOING TODAY, MR. GLOVER? I AM GREAT, SIR.
UH, BEFORE I ASK YOU A QUESTION, I I, I FOLLOWED YOUR TIME IN LAFAYETTE, UM, AND YOU KNOW, JUST TO SAY, UH, WHEN YOU WERE THERE, YOU STOOD UP FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A DOGGONE SHA WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? YES.
UH, SO I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK THERE, SIR.
UM, SO I, A QUESTION FOR YOU, MR. GL IS CAN YOU SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS ON THE BROKEN WINDOWS APPROACH AND STOPPING FRISK TACTICS? WELL, FIRST I'LL TAKE THE BROKEN WINDOWS.
THE BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, STARTED OUT AS A SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY WHERE PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS, IF THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE NEXT DOOR OR THE HOUSE AROUND THE BLOCK, AND IT'S ONLY WEEDS GROWING UP, THE NEXT THING YOU'LL SEE TRASH IN THE YARD.
THE NEXT THING YOU'LL SEE, MAYBE SOME OF THE PROPERTY DAMAGE, THE NEXT THING YOU'LL SEE IS A BROKEN WINDOWS IN THE HOUSE WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY ARE PHYSICALLY BREAKING THE WINDOWS.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT IS ACTUALLY THE HOUSE MAY BECOME INHABITED BY TRANSIENT BY PEOPLE WHO ARE STASHING AND USING DRUGS.
AND SO THAT BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY HAS A LOT OF LEGITIMACY TO IT, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T ADDRESS THE BROKEN WINDOW, THE NEXT THING YOU'LL HAVE SIGNIFICANT DRUG USE, YOU'LL HAVE SIGNIFICANT CRIME, THAT PROPERTY WILL BECOME BLIGHTED AND PEOPLE WON'T, UH, WON'T REALLY CARE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
PROPERTY VALUES GO DOWN, BUSINESSES SUFFER.
SO THE BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY IS PROBABLY THE MOST SIMPLE WAY TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT TRAINED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, HOW TO STOP THE SPREAD BY TELLING 'EM THAT WINDOW'S BROKEN.
YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEBODY WHO CAN GET IT FIXED.
YOU NEED TO CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT KINDA WAY, NOW, STOP AND FRISK, STOP AND FRISK IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST ABUSIVE THINGS THAT GOES ON IN POLICING.
AND A LOT OF POLICE OFFICERS DON'T LIKE TO HEAR IT, BUT I TELL THE TRUTH ON IT.
THE STOP AND FRISK, THE TERRY CASE, TERRY V OHIO SAID THAT IT'S OKAY FOR A POLICE OFFICER IF HE HAS TWO THINGS, REASONABLE SUSPICION OR PROBABLE CAUSE TO APPROACH SOMEONE ON THE STREET, MAYBE PAT 'EM DOWN.
BUT IT TALKED ABOUT USING THE BACK PART OF YOUR HAND, TAPPING IT, AND IF YOU FELL SOMETHING, GO IN AND GET IT OUT FOR YOUR SAFETY STOP AND FRISK.
IN THE 1980S AND NINETIES, AS PART OF NEW YORK CITY'S WAR CRIME BECAME SO ABUSIVE THAT IT EVOLVED INTO RACIAL PROFILE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I, AS POLICE CHIEF, I WOULD HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THIS, I HAD A COMPLIANCE, COMPLIANCE OFFICER WRAP, WRAP IT UP.
AS POLICE CHIEF, I HAD A COMPLIANCE OFFICER WHOSE JOB WAS TO WATCH BODY CAMERAS ON A FULL TIME BASIS AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT PROCESS WASN'T VIOLATED.
UM, SO I KNOW YOU, I'M SURE YOU FOLLOWED BRPD, RIGHT? YES.
UM, AND SO THIS QUESTION IS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF BRPD, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE DEPARTMENT'S GREATEST DIFFICULTY, UM, THAT IT WILL ENCOUNTER? WHAT AREAS DO YOU BELIEVE SHOW PROMISE OR HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL? NUMBER ONE, THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE
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OVER THE LAST FIVE TO 10 YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS IMPACTED BATON ROUGE PD.A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED, BODY CAMERAS ENHANCING INTERNAL AFFAIRS, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST THEM IS PROPERLY INVESTIGATED.
PRACTICING PROCEDURAL JUSTICE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY BIG.
IF YOU HAVE TO INVESTIGATE AN OFFICE AND HE OR SHE KNOWS THAT YOU'RE COMMUNICATING WITH THEM AND DOING IT RIGHT, THEN THEY'RE OKAY WITH IT.
AND, AND THE MAIN THING IS THE REDUCTION IN USE OF FORCE, THE REDUCTION IN QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR.
ALL THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT HAVE COME ABOUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IN BATON ROUGE PD.
AND I KNOW THAT MIGHT SEEM AS THOUGH IT'S TOTALLY OPPOSITE BEHIND THE BRAVE CAVE INCIDENT, BUT THAT BRAVE CAVE INCIDENT WAS HANDLED PROPERLY.
SO I THINK THE PEOPLE IN BATON ROUGE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO MAKES SURE IT MOVES FORWARD.
BUT BATON ROUGE PD IS ON THE CUFFS OF BECOMING A GREAT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S GOOD NOW YOU CAN GO FROM GOOD TO GREAT BY MAKING SURE THAT EVERY OFFICER IN THE DEPARTMENT, AND THIS IS THE OBSTACLE THAT EVERY OFFICER IN THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT REALIZES THAT HE OR SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE NEXT PERSON TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT DOESN'T MISTREAT PEOPLE.
MISUSES OF FORCE HAVE TO BE, YOU HAVE TO INTERVENE AND YOU HAVE TO STOP 'EM, AND YOU HAVE TO REPORT 'EM.
YOU CAN'T BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND.
AND I SAY THIS WITH ALL CONVICTION, IF WE DON'T GET BUY-IN FROM POLICE OFFICERS IN THESE DEPARTMENTS, PARTICULARLY IN BATON ROUGE AND OTHERS, THAT THEY WILL NOT, WILL NOT TOLERATE BAD BEHAVIOR, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE FOR ANOTHER 40 YEARS.
IF YOU NOTICE RIGHT AFTER THE GEORGE FLOYD, WE WERE PUSHING FOR REFORM AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, A YEAR LATER KIND OF DIED DOWN.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS BROUGHT INTO THAT PREVIOUS DEPARTMENT TO DO WHEN IT DIED DOWN AFTER I UNITED THE COMMUNITY, AFTER I MADE SURE THAT THE USES OF FORCE WERE APPROPRIATE, THEN, UH, I FELT GOOD ABOUT IT, BUT IT ENDED.
AND MOST OF THE THINGS THAT I DID, ALMOST ALL OF THEM WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO WERE REVERSED.
EVEN THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER THAT HAD MADE SURE THAT AN OFFICER'S BODY CAMERA WAS PROPERLY BEING WORN.
MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, UM, CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
I'M A MEMBER OF A GROUP CALLED TOGETHER BATON ROUGE, AND ONE OF OUR, UH, ISSUES THAT WE'RE PROMOTING IS, UM, CREATING SOME SORT OF CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AGENCY THAT WOULD, UM, WORK WITH BATON ROUGE POLICE.
SO ARE, TELL ME WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AND THEN HOW YOU WOULD WORK WITH THAT? I AM GONNA RESPECTFULLY SAY TO THIS BOARD WHEN I'M ASKED SOMETHING AND I RESPOND, A LOT OF IT'S BECAUSE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN POLICING SO LONG.
I'M A PROPONENT OF CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT, UH, IN THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY I WORK WITH, AND SOME OF YOU GUYS MAY KNOW WHO LEE MERRIT IS.
HE IS AN ATTORNEY OUT OF DALLAS WHO SPENDS A LOT OF TIME WITH JONATHAN CRUMP, REPRESENTING PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY WHO THEY THINK HAVE BEEN WRONGED.
I WORKED WITH, WITH LEE MERRIT, FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN OUR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
OUR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT ACTUALLY STARTED IN THE 1980S, BUT IT HAD NO SUBPOENA POWER.
IT HAD NO POWER TO COMPEL AN OFFICER.
IF THEY GOT A SUBPOENA, THEY COULD GO FISHING.
WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BOARD IN THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT CAN ACTUALLY CONDUCT A SEPARATE INVESTIGATION IN TERMS OF WHAT INTERNAL AFFAIRS IS DOING.
PEOPLE RESENTED, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT DON'T LIKE IT BECAUSE THEY SAY, WE GOT INTERNAL AFFAIRS, WE GOT THE DA'S OFFICE.
WHY DO WE NEED ANOTHER BOARD? I SAY, WE GO TO THE CITIZEN, WE WANT A RAISE.
WE DON'T SAY WE GOT INTERNAL AFFAIRS, WE GO TO THE CITIZENS.
WE WANT OUR BENEFITS ENHANCED.
WHY CAN'T WE GO TO THE CITIZENS AND SAY IT'S OKAY FOR YOU TO, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE, UH, MR. GREEN, YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION ABOUT THE PILLARS OF COMMUNITY, THAT POLICY AND OVERSIGHT PART, WHICH WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT'S FIRST LISTED, THAT POLICY AND OVERSIZED CIVILIANS WHO PAY OUR SALARY, WHO ENHANCE OUR PENSION BENEFITS, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT.
AND I MADE IT, IT'S PUBLISHED IN A LOT OF NEWS ACCOUNTS IN LAFAYETTE THAT I WAS A PROPONENT OF CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
WE'LL GO BACK TO MR. GREEN IF YOU HAVE A SECOND QUESTION.
UH, SO THIS QUESTION'S FROM CATEGORY SIX, LEADERSHIP, CULTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
[00:30:01]
OF THE 20, WELL, I THINK IT'S 20 CANDIDATES THAT WE HAVE WHO ARE APPLYING, A LOT OF THEM ARE FROM BATON ROUGE OR THE SURROUNDING AREA, HAVE EXPERIENCE HERE.AND SO GIVEN THAT YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN DEPARTMENTS OUTSIDE OF BATON ROUGE IN SORT OF DIFFERENT REALMS, LIKE DALLAS IS MUCH LARGER, THE, THERE'S A PARTICULAR QUESTION THAT I THINK WOULD BE INSIGHTFUL AND IT IS, WITHOUT DISCUSSING ANY DETAILS REGARDING THE BRAVE CAVE AND RELATED ACCUSATIONS, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT IF THERE'S A CULTURAL ISSUE WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RELATED TO THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY, THAT IT WOULD NOT OCCUR? AGAIN? WHAT CHECKS OR BALANCES DO YOU BELIEVE ARE NECESSARY? FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YOU HAVE MISCONDUCT AND BAD BEHAVIOR IN A POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS YOU IDENTIFY IT.
AFTER YOU IDENTIFY IT, YOU ISOLATE IT, PUT IT OVER IN THE CORNER BY ITSELF.
AND AFTER THAT, YOU ELIMINATE IT AND YOU ELIMINATE IT THROUGH PUNISHMENT.
WHETHER IT'S A SIN THAT ONLY SHOULD BE PUNISHED BY A SUSPENSION OR WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PUNISHED BY TERMINATION AND WHETHER IT SHOULD BE PUNISHED BY TERMINATION PLUS CRIMINAL CHARGES.
I CAN TELL YOU, I BELIEVE THAT TER WORKS.
I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND EVERY OFFICER WHO DOES HIS OR HER JOB.
I WILL PROSECUTE TO THE FULLEST AND OFFICER WHO DOES HIS OR HER JOB AND VIOLATES THE LAW AND VIOLATES THE TRUST AND PUSH THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IN A DILEMMA WHERE THEY POSSIBLY FACE A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT.
SIX HOURS INTO MY JOB AS CHIEF OF POLICE IN LAFAYETTE, I HAD AN OFFICER BEAT UP A HANDCUFFED PRISON TO JAIL, STRUCK HIM EIGHT TIMES TO THE FACE.
THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME ABOUT IT.
I SAID, PUT HIM ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AS ISOLATING HIM.
THEY SAID, CHIEF, NOBODY'S AT, OH, LET'S WAIT UNTIL MONDAY.
I SAID, NO, WE ARE GONNA DO IT RIGHT NOW.
I ENDED UP FIRING THAT GUY FOUR MONTHS LATER.
NOT ONLY DID I FIRE HIM, BUT WE FILED FELONY CHARGES ONLY.
UH, I HAD FELONY CHARGES FILED ON THE SECOND OFFICER.
SO DETERRENCE CAN BE DONE THROUGH PUNISHING THE BAD BEHAVIOR WITH CRIMINAL SANCTIONS, ADMINISTRA, ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS LIKE TERMINATION, AND YOU ALSO HAVE TRAINING ISSUES.
I HAD AN OFFICER TO HOG TIE AN INDIVIDUAL AND HOG TIE HAS BEEN OUTLAWED IN MOST INSTANCES BECAUSE OF THE POSITION WHEN ASPHYXIATION WHERE YOU, YOU KNOW, CAN'T BREATHE.
BUT WE WERE TRAINING SOME PEOPLE IN LAFAYETTE TO DO IT.
AND SO I DISCIPLINED HIM, BUT IT WAS MORE OF A COUNSELING SESSION, SIT DOWN AND I MADE SURE I STOPPED THAT TYPE OF TRAINING.
SO YOU ISOLATE THE BEHAVIOR AFTER YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AND YOU ELIMINATE IT THROUGH TERMINATION, THROUGH CRIMINAL CHARGES, OR IT MAY BE A TRAINING ISSUE.
EVERY PIECE OF BAD BEHAVIOR IN A POLICE OFFICER IS NOT, UH, PUNISHABLE BY TERMINATION.
AND BEFORE I GET STARTED, I DO WANNA TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AND THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE ON TONIGHT.
PARTICULARLY THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN THE RED AND WHITE OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED, WHO ARE ALWAYS ON THE FOREFRONT OF BEING LEADERS.
AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE ONCE AGAIN, PARTICULARLY THE DELTA, THE WOMEN OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED FOR GIVING OF YOUR TIME TO BE HERE WITH US, TO BE A PART OF THIS RICH PROCESS.
MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM CATEGORY, PERSONAL APPROACH AND LEADERSHIP, WHAT DOES THE FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK? WHAT DOES THE FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK LIKE? RANK THE TOP FIVE PRIORITIES AND YOUR PROCESS OF ACCOMPLISHING THEM.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION? I TURN IN A 30 DAY PLAN THAT IT, WAS IT NOT GIVEN TO YOU GUYS? OKAY.
NUMBER ONE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO MAKE SURE I'M ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THE MAYOR.
I HAVE TO KNOW WHICH DIRECTION THIS DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO GO IN SOME TYPE OF ANALYSIS.
I ALSO SPEAK IN DEPTH WITH CHIEF MURPHY TO FIND OUT WHAT WE CALL A SWOT ANALYSIS, STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS, AND FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SO THAT I CAN ADDRESS THEM.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU STROKE WITH A FEATHER, THOSE LIFE THINGSS MISTAKES OF THE HEART, UH, YOU KNOW OF THE HEAD.
AND THERE'S SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT NEED TO TAKE, I'LL USE THIS TERM LIGHTLY, A WRECKING BALL TOO.
THE BRAVE CAVE, MISUSE OF FORCE ABUSE OF PEOPLE.
SO I MEET WITH THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT TO MAKE SURE I'M ON THE SAME PAGE.
I MEET WITH THE ACTUAL PERSON WHO FILLED THIS JOB FOR THE LAST FIVE AND A HALF YEARS.
I TALKED TO THE POLICE UNION, I TALKED TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, I TALKED TO BUSINESS LEADERS.
I TALKED TO THE ACTUAL PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE WALKING
[00:35:01]
THE STREETS OF, OF, UH, BATON ROUGE WHO NEED TO BE SAFE.AND ONCE I DO THAT, THAT PAGE THAT I PUT IN THERE ABOUT THE 30 DAY PLAN, I HAD WHAT I CALLED A SHORT TERM.
I NEED TO DO A SHORT TERM, A SHORT TERM, SHORT TERM WAR ON CRIME, SOME TYPE OF PLAN WHERE I WOULD SAY THE TOP FIVE MOST WANTED PEOPLE IN LAFAYETTE.
I MEAN IN A, EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.
THE MOST WANTED PEOPLE IN BATON ROUGE.
YOU TAKE AWAY ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF CRIME, A VICTIM OFFENDER, AN OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU TAKE THAT OFFENDER OFF THE STREET, YOU CAN CUT CRIME SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO I'M GONNA DO THE NECESSARY MEETINGS THAT I CAN GET MY FEET ON THE GROUND AND GET WET.
AND THEN I'M GOING TO EXERCISE MY PREROGATIVE AS CHIEF, DO SOME TYPE OF IMMEDIATE CRIME INITIATIVE THAT WILL BE FROM ME MEETING AND TALKING TO PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THE CITIZENS.
BY THE WAY, COULD I THROW A TIDBIT IN? I'M A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE PANHELLENIC COUNCIL BEING AN ALPHA MYSELF.
AND SO YOU'LL KNOW I'M FROM FARADAY, LOUISIANA, AND I'M FROM TALLAH.
YEAH,
SO YOU, I'M A NORTH LOUISIANA GUY TOO.
I'M FROM A LITTLE TOWN CALLED THE WALLACE, SO YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THIS QUESTION.
SO WHEN YOU GO TO THE BAYOU CLASSIC, WHO DO YOU ROOT FOR
AND THE SECOND HALF, I SIT ON SOUTHERN SIDE
ALRIGHT, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, REVEREND GIBSON, WE'LL MOVE TO YOU B BR THIS QUESTION COMES FROM RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PERSONNEL SUPPORT.
BRPT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS AS OF LATE.
THESE NEWS STORIES HAVE CERTAINLY HAD AN IMPACT ON THE OFFICER'S MORALE WITH INTERNAL INVESTIGATION, EXTERNAL INVESTIGATION AND LAWSUITS PENDING INVOLVING OFFICER MISCONDUCT.
HOW WOULD YOU RAISE MORALE IN THE DEPARTMENT AMONG YOUR OFFICERS? I THINK THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IN ORDER TO RAISE MORALE IS YOU HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO OFFICERS AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY TO YOU IN THINGS THAT COULD BE INSTITUTED WITHOUT A LOT OF APPROVAL, WITHOUT COST OR BUDGET, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL SAY IS, THE BIGGEST RECRUITER FOR ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS A PERSON ALREADY IN THE DEPARTMENT WEARING A BADGE.
YOU CAN SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS RECRUITING BY ADS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE ON THE DEPARTMENT SPEAKING UP, THEN IT'S USELESS.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, MORALE, PROCEDURAL JUSTICE, IF YOU HAVE TO CALL AN OFFICER IN TO INVESTIGATE HIM OR HER PROCEDURAL JUSTICE SAYS THAT YOU EXPLAIN TO HIM, YOU GIVE THEM THE PROCEDURE, YOU FOLLOW THE STEPS, YOU TALK TO THEM, AND YOU LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
PROCEDURAL JUSTICE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS WE'VE COME UP WITH IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FOR THAT MATTER IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THE LAST 50 YEARS, BECAUSE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.
SO NUMBER ONE, YOU ALSO DO SOMETHING CALLED JOB ROTATION.
IF AN OFFICER IS BURNED OUT IN PATROL, LET HIM GO WORK PERIODICALLY IN THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION AND OBSERVE AN INTERROGATION.
LET HIM OR HER GO IN AND WORK IN TRAINING AND SEE HOW THINGS ARE DONE.
AS YOU ADD INCENTIVES TO THEIR, UM, ABILITY TO WORK, FOR INSTANCE, A GUY COMES TO WORK AND HE OR SHE HAS WORKED 30 HOURS OVERTIME AND THEY DO SOMETHING THAT'S GREAT, YOU RECOGNIZE THEM.
RECOGNITION IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IN POLICING THAT WILL PUSH A PERSON TO CONTINUE TO MOVE.
INCIDENTALLY, AGAIN, I'M, I'M VERY HUMBLE, BUT I RAN THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT'S TRAINING AND I'M, I'M SORRY, RECRUITING ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS.
AND THAT BUDGETING EXPERIENCE I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, MUCH OF IT WAS ADVERTISEMENT MEDIA, BUYING THINGS IN THE NEWSPAPER, BUT ALSO TRAVELING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, KNOWING WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO WHEN THEY BECOME A POLICE OFFICER.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO NOT BE STUCK IN ONE JOB FOR 50 YEARS.
AND YOU OFFER THEM THE ABILITY TO DO THAT TOO.
MR. GLOVER, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT HOLDING POLICE OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE.
UH, COULD YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH POLICE UNIONS AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HOLDING POLICE OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH UNION?
[00:40:02]
YOU GUYS DON'T LAUGH, BUT I'M AN EX UNION PRESIDENT.I WENT INTO THE UNION PRESIDENT BUSINESS IN 1994, ALMOST 30 YEARS AGO.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE UNION I WAS IN CHARGE OF YIELDED A LOT OF POLITICAL POWER.
WE TOOK IN ABOUT $25,000 A MONTH IN DUES.
WE HAD A MILLION DOLLAR BUILDING.
THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO PHASE AS A POLICE OFFICER AND AS A POLICE CHIEF, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT I BELIEVE IN WORKING WITH UNIONS.
I'M AN EX UNION GUY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I TELL PEOPLE A UNION CANNOT RUN A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND IMPLEMENT SOME POLICIES THAT BENEFIT THE CITY, BENEFIT THE CITIZENS AND DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU.
BUT MY THING IS, A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENS IN POLICING TODAY IS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE UNIONS, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE UNIONS ON OUR SIDE.
AND UH, I I THINK THAT YOU DO THAT BY BRINGING THEM TO THE TABLE.
YOU NOTICE WHEN I PUT IN THAT 30 DAY PLAN, I DID PUT MEET WITH THE BATON ROUGE POLICE UNION BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THEY WIELD A LOT OF POLITICAL POWER.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DEALS JUST LIKE PEOPLE DO.
YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED TO WEAR A BEARD BEARDS IN LAFAYETTE.
AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, I'LL LET YOU WEAR BEARDS.
WHAT DO WE GET? BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT YOU, I WANT YOU TO CALL ALL THOSE PEOPLE BACK TO WORK THAT HAVE BEEN OFF SICK FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
WE GOT A 42 PERSON DEFICIT IN MANPOWER AND I GOT 18 OF THOSE.
THE PEOPLE THAT OFF WORK, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S THE KINDA THING YOU DO.
YOU WORK WITH THEM, YOU WALK ALONG BESIDE THEM, BUT YOU DO NOT LET A UNION RUN A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THEM AND SAY, YOU CAN HAVE A PIECE OF THE PIE, BUT NOT ALL OF IT.
ALRIGHT, MR. GLOVER, I HAVE READ SOME OF YOUR STUFF ON THIS NEXT QUESTION.
UH, SO I PRETTY MUCH KNOW HOW YOU'RE GOING TO ANSWER IT, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME, AND YOU MAY BE ANSWERING THIS, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, SOME HERE CAN HEAR AS WELL.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF SWAT TEAMS AND THE EXECUTION OF NO-KNOCK WARRANTS,
WHAT HAS EVOLVED IS AT THE SAME TIME YOU'RE HITTING THE DOOR, YOU'RE KNOCKING POLICE AND GOING IN.
SO IT'S A SUBTERFUGE OF VIOLATING THAT FOURTH AMENDMENT.
AND I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME WHEN I'M BIG ON THIS, AND BOTH THE DEPARTMENTS WHERE I CAME FROM, I TELL PEOPLE VIOLATING THE FOURTH AMENDMENT, THE RIGHT AGAINST, YOU KNOW, SELF, UH, I'M SORRY, THE RIGHT AGAINST, UH, SEARCH AND SEIZURE.
I KNOW OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND FEDERAL CHARGES FILE ON FOR THEM.
SO MY THING IS, I DON'T, I DO NOT, AND I'M HOPING, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE IN NO-KNOCK WARRANTS, I BELIEVE IN KNOCKING, ANNOUNCING YOURSELF AND THEN GOING IN, AND PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THE DRUGS ARE GONNA GET DESTROYED.
UH, THE PRICE THAT WE PAY FOR, THE MISTAKES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ON A LOT OF THE NO-KNOCK WARRANTS AROUND THIS COUNTRY HAVE ENDED IN, UH, WHAT I WOULD CALL UNNECESSARY HARM TO SOME PEOPLE.
UH, YOU CAN ENFORCE THE LAW WITHOUT BREAKING THE LAW.
THAT'S SOMETHING I SAID IN DALLAS FOR 40 YEARS.
AND THAT WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE TO BREAK THE LAW IN ORDER TO ENFORCE IT? AND IF YOU GOT A NO-NO WARRANT, THEN DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT, SO I'M NOT READY.
MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, GIVEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, WITH OTHER AGENCIES, UM, WHAT DIFFICULTIES DO YOU ANTICIPATE? UM, OR WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OR ARE THERE ANY THINGS YOU EXPECT TO HAVE TO OVERCOME WHEN YOU COME TO BATON ROUGE? THE FIRST ONE MIGHT BE CALLING OUR POLICE OFFICERS POLICE, BUT AFTER THAT, WHAT WILL BE YOUR NEXT I'LL MA'AM? I'M SO SORRY.
HONESTLY, I'M TEASING FROM THE BOTTOM.
I, WHEN I WENT TO LAFAYETTE, I WAS SAY DALLAS A LOT BECAUSE I SPENT 40 YEARS THERE.
AND I'M SORRY, THIS IS A BATON ROUGE PD.
I KNOW IT, UH, I CAME HERE AS A HIGH SCHOOLER AND TOOK AN EXAM HERE.
SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY.
FORGIVE ME, IT'S ALL RIGHT, BUT WHAT, BUT WHAT? NO, BUT REALLY, WHAT, WHAT, UM, UH, NUMBER
[00:45:01]
ONE, I, I'M FAMILIAR QUESTION.THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE, A SMALL SEGMENT OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT DON'T LIKE OUTSIDERS.
I TELL PEOPLE IN MY INSTANCE, THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GO.
AND THEY SAY, WHY? I SAY, BECAUSE I HAVE NO FRIENDS HERE THAT I GOT A REWARD AND I DARN SHOW DON'T HAVE ANY ENEMIES THAT I GOTTA PUNISH.
EVERYBODY STARTS OFF WITH A CLEAN SLATE.
EVERYBODY STARTS OUT AT ZERO OR ONE, AND WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS. YOU HAVE A SMALL SEGMENT THAT WANTS TO SAY, WELL, HE'S FROM THE OUTSIDE.
YOU'LL HAVE ANOTHER GROUP THAT WILL SAY IT.
AND I I, IT'LL BE HARD FOR THEM TO SAY IT ABOUT ME.
WELL, HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING.
HE AIN'T, I'VE BEEN AROUND 40 YEARS AND YOU CAN GOOGLE ME AND YOU'LL SEE THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE.
AND YOU HAVE MY RESUME, MY CURRICULUM, VIDA, WHICH I HESITATE TO SAY THIS, IT'S 16 PAGES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU EVER GOT ALL 16 PAGES OF IT, BUT I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE IN AMERICA TRAINING PEOPLE ON LEADERSHIP AND POLICING.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO OUTSIDER SAYING THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, Y'ALL REMEMBER THIS AND YOU DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE.
I STATE POLICE CULTURE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON IN CHARGE WILL EAT REFORMS ALIVE.
THEY'LL STEP ON IT, CHEW IT UP, SPIT IT OUT, AND KEEP MOVING.
AND 10 YEARS FROM NOW, YOU'LL STILL BE HAVING MEETINGS WHERE YOU ASKING PEOPLE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? SO BEING AN OUTSIDER, SOME PEOPLE WANT TO USE THAT SAYING THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I'M WELL READ IN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THERE IS IN POLICING.
SO I BELIEVE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SUPPORT OF PEOPLE LIKE THE ONES SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE, THE COMMUNITY WITH THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT AND THE ELECTED COUNCILS, THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, IF I HAVE SUPPORT, I GET THE JOB DONE.
SO, UM, THAT IS THE EXTENT OF OUR QUESTIONS.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU TWO MINUTES OF A CLOSING STATEMENT.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN.
UH, THE QUESTIONS WERE VERY PROBING.
UH, I NOTICED EACH PERSON WAS SAYING IT FROM GROUP, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A HANDOUT I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET TO LET ME KNOW, BUT I DIDN'T GET IT.
I ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM MY HEART.
UH, IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT JUST ABOUT EVERY PART OF POLICING AREAS I'VE WORKED IN IT PATROL.
I'VE WORKED IN CID OR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I'VE BEEN IN CHARGE OF BURGLARY AND THEFT DETECTIVES.
I'VE BEEN IN CHARGE OF CRIME RESPONSE TEAMS. BUT THE POLICING IS SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY CAN PICK UP.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THOMAS GLOVER, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT TWO THINGS, THOSE TWO WORDS I TOLD YOU, WHICH WOULD MAKE ME A GREAT CHIEF OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE RED STICK, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE ANY PLACE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IF YOU DON'T TREAT THE COMMUNITY WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
AND QUICK EXAMPLE, FIVE HOURS AND INTO MY JOB AS LAFAYETTE CHIEF, I'M DRIVING DOWN A STREET AND IT'S BLOCKED OFF.
AND I GET PERMISSION FROM A GROUP OFFICER TO PROCEED THROUGH.
AND I'M DRIVING THROUGH AND I SEE SOMEBODY RUNNING TOWARD ME YELLING AND SCREAMING, AND THEY BANGED ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING, WHICH WAS YADA Y YO.
AND THEY GET UP AND I LET THE WINDOW DOWN AND HE LOOKS AT MY CAR AND HE SEES THOSE STARS.
AND HE SAY, DAMN, CHIEF, JUST LIKE THAT.
EXCUSE MY FRENCH, I GOT PERMISSION TO PARK.
THE NEXT DAY, PEOPLE ASKING ME WHAT I WAS GONNA DO TO HIM, I SAID, NOTHING.
THEY SAID, WHY? I SAID, I WANT TO TALK TO HIM AND TELL HIM TO TREAT EVERYBODY ON THE STREET THE SAME WAY HE TREATED ME AFTER HE SAW MY COLLAR.
AND SO MY THING IS, I'M GONNA BE THE PERSON WHO LISTENS.
I HAD COMMERCIALS A COUPLE OF THEM WHERE I WENT INTO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND PLAYED BASKETBALL TO KIDS.
I WALKED TO A CENTER WITH HO IN THE INNER CITY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT AND HAD THE GUY TO STOP IT AT HALFTIME, I'M IN FULL UNIFORM AND I TALKED TO THE GUYS.
SO I BELIEVE THAT THE TYPE OF PERSON I AM THAT WILL BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
EUGENE, THERE GOES AN ALPHA MAN,
YOU SEE WHAT COLORS YOU WEARING THOUGH, MR. PRESIDENT
[00:50:02]
ALL RIGHT.AND THEN WE'LL HAVE, UH, MR. CLE MCCARLEY.
MCCARLEY, JENNIFER, NEED US TO SAY THE CATEGORIES.
UH, WE NEED Y'ALL TO SAY THE CATEGORIES.
WE'RE REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, TRYING TO LIMIT IT TO TWO QUESTIONS FROM EACH CATEGORY.
SO IF YOU'RE WATCHING THE CATEGORIES AND SOMEONE'S ALREADY TAKEN TWO, PICK ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, I WANT TO EXPLAIN OUR PROCEDURE HERE.
UH, WE WILL, UH, HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR YOU TO GIVE US AN OPENING STATEMENT.
THEN WE'RE GONNA GO, UH, EACH, UH, PANEL MEMBER WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.
I DON'T REALLY LIKE TO INTERRUPT, SO I'M GONNA KIND OF TAP, TAP AT MY, IF YOU SEE ME TAPPING, THAT'S KINDA YOUR SIGNAL TO WRAP IT UP.
UM, AND THEN AFTER WE'VE ALL ASKED A QUESTION, WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND FOLKS CAN ASK A SECOND QUESTION IF THEY HAVE A SECOND QUESTION.
THEN AT THE END, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR A, A FINAL STATEMENT.
SO WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, YOU CAN START WITH YOUR OPENING STATEMENT.
I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED WITH BATON ROUGE POLICE FOR RIGHT ABOUT 28 YEARS.
I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN THE CENTER PART OF THE STATE CALLED BALL LOUISIANA ON A NINE ACRE FARM.
I'M TOLD MY REPUTATION PRECEDES ME AROUND THE DEPARTMENT AS BEING HONEST, THOUGHTFUL, FAIR, AND ABOVE ALL, A MAN OF INTEGRITY.
I'M A PEOPLE PERSON AND WANT TO SEE EVERYONE SUCCEED IN THEIR ENDEAVORS.
I MOVED TO BATON ROUGE JUST FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO BEGINNING MY CAREER WITH BRPD.
UH, STARTED ON JANUARY 2ND, 1996.
STARTED IN COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION, EVENTUALLY WORKING MY WAY UP TO A COMMUNICATION OFFICER ONE, UH, CHIEF SUPERVISOR.
AFTER 12 YEARS IN THAT DIVISION, I REALIZED I WAS APPROACHING A DEAD END AND, UH, WITH NO MORE PROMOTIONS.
SO I DECIDED TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER.
ALTHOUGH I HAD WORKED HERE FOR 12 YEARS, I WAS TREATED JUST AS ANY OTHER NEW RECRUIT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS.
I GRADUATED THE ACADEMY, BECAME AND BEGAN THE JOURNEY OF UNIFORM PATROL.
BECAUSE OF MY SENIORITY AND COMMUNICATIONS, I WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT JUST AFTER FIVE YEARS IN UNIFORM PATROL ON THE STREET.
SO THAT MEANT, DURING THOSE FIVE YEARS, I KNEW I HAD TO LEARN WHAT MOST OFFICERS HAVE 16 TO 17 YEARS TO LEARN.
AND THAT WAS HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE SUPERVISOR TO UNIFORM PATROL OFFICERS.
I STILL CREDIT MY FIRST LIEUTENANT FOR FORCE FEEDING ME THE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE.
LATER, I WAS PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT WHERE I REMAINED IN UNIFORM PATROL UNTIL AUGUST OF 2021.
WHEN I RECEIVED A CALL FROM CHIEF PAUL REQUESTED TO MEET WITH ME.
THAT WAS WHEN HE OFFERED ME MY CURRENT POSITION AS THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMMANDER.
NEVER WORKED TODAY IN, IN A DAY IN MY LIFE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
SO IT WAS A, IT WAS A LONG CONVERSATION.
UH, I ACCEPTED THE POSITION, AND IT HAS BEEN A WHIRLWIND TWO YEARS DURING MY TENURE, NO MATTER MY POSITION OR RANK, I'VE CONTINUED MY DUTIES AS A RANGE SAFETY OFFICER AND AS ASSIST WITH A REMEDIAL FIREARMS TRAINING PROGRAM THAT'S HELD ONCE, ONE FRIDAY A MONTH.
UH, THIS GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH OFFICERS THAT MAY BE STRUGGLING, UH, WITH FIREARMS PROFICIENCY.
AND AS A RANGE SAFETY OFFICER.
I FEEL IT KEEPS ME CONNECTED TO THE LOWER RANKING OFFICERS.
WE WILL START WITH QUESTIONS FOR MR. GREEN.
COULD YOU TELL US WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD TAKE TO REORGANIZE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IF YOU WERE CHIEF? AND SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION, DO YOU THINK INTERNAL AFFAIRS NEEDS MORE RESOURCES OR NEEDS TO BE REORGANIZED AS WELL? KIND OF A TWO PART QUESTION.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ASSESSMENT OF OUR, OUR OVERALL MANPOWER, WHETHER IT'S A SPECIALIZED DIVISION OR UNIFORM PATROL.
UH, DO WE HAVE THE, THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE IN THE POSITIONS TO BE IN CHARGE OF THESE DIVISIONS? RIGHT? UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS BEING ONE OF 'EM.
UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS FROM EXPERIENCE COULD USE, UM, ONE OR TWO MORE INVESTIGATORS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MAY GO A COUPLE MONTHS WITH JUST ONE OR TWO COMPLAINTS, BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN COMPLAINTS START ROLLING IN, THEY'RE ROLLING IN.
AND I MEAN, YOU GO IN EVERY DAY, IT'S JUST STACKING UP.
UM, ALL OF OUR DIVISIONS, A LOT OF OUR DETECTIVE DIVISIONS ARE THE SAME WAY.
UM, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEIR CASELOAD IS JUST, THEY, THEY CLEAR ONE OR TWO CASES, BUT THEY HAVE SIX MORE THAT PILED UP BEHIND IT.
SO, UM, JUST AS A DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE, WE, WE NEED MORE RESOURCES AS FAR AS EMPLOYEES AND, UM, TO SAY, TO RESTRUCTURE THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT, NO, WE HAVE, WE WHY, WHY, WHY TRY
[00:55:01]
TO FIX WHAT IS NOT BROKEN? MAYBE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF REARRANGING.THAT WAS UNDER THE STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES CATEGORY FOR MY CO COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
GOOD EVENING, CAPTAIN MCCARLEY.
UH, SO SEEING AS YOUR ROLE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS IS RELATIVELY RECENT COMPARED TO, SAY THAT YOUR LENGTH OF TIME WITH UNIFORM PATROL, BUT ALSO BECAUSE YOU SPENT SO MUCH TIME IN UNIFORM PATROL COMPARED TO SOME OTHER MORE SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS QUESTION'S FROM CATEGORY 11 AND IT'S POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR CURRENT BRPD CANDIDATES.
AND IT'S HOW HAVE YOU OR YOUR DIVISION, WHETHER THAT WAS UP OR IA, RESPONDED TO THE DIFFICULTIES AND SCANDALS RELATED TO OTHER DIVISIONS IN RECENT YEARS.
SO, STREET CRIMES, UNIT NARCOTICS, EVEN THE CHANGES TO CANINE POLICY.
DID YOU ADOPT, SUGGEST, OR IMPLEMENT ANY NEW POLICIES? AND WHAT WAS THEIR RESULT? SO I WAS STILL IN UNIFORM PATROL WHEN THE, UM, LET'S SAY THE NARCOTICS AUDIT OCCURRED.
AND, UM, I, I CAME IN ON THE VERY TAIL END OF THAT WHEN I MOVED TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
SO AS FAR AS ANY POLICY CHANGES, I WAS, I'VE NOT FIRSTHAND.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THERE'S ONE OR TWO POLICIES THAT ARE BEING, UM, KICKED AROUND RIGHT NOW BY MYSELF AND, UH, THE COMMANDER OF HEALTH AND SAFETY.
UM, AS FAR AS THEIR, THEY'RE, THEY DON'T NEED TO BE CHANGED.
A LOT OF OUR POLICIES ARE OLD, AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T REVIEW THEM UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS AND WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT.
WE NEED TO, IT, IT, THEY NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY REVIEWED BECAUSE THE TIMES ARE EVER CHANGING.
UM, COMMUNITY POLICE PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU SEE, UM, THEIR PRESENCE AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, YOU SEE THEM AT FAITH-BASED, UH, ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU SEE THEM AT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU JUST SEE THEM WHERE THE COMMUNITY RESIDE.
MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM STANDARDS AND STRATEGY, AND IT IS, WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PILLAR OF THE 21ST CENTURY POLICING FOR OUR AGENCY AND WHY? SO IN MY OPINION, ALL THE SIX PILLARS ARE TRULY IMPORTANT, BUT IF I HAD TO PICK ONE, I WOULD SAY COMMUNITY POLICING AND CRIME REDUCTION WOULD BE IT.
UH, EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE CRIME REDUCED IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
UH, A COMMON COMMENT HEARD WHEN INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS IN UNIFORM PATROL, WAS, I NEVER SEE POLICE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD UNTIL SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS.
SO PERSONALLY, AS AN OFFICER, WHEN I WAS IN UNIFORM PATROL, I, I, YOU, I'M ASSIGNED TO A CERTAIN AREA TO PATROL, I MADE SURE THAT I WENT THROUGH EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD.
MIGHT NOT MAKE IT ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT THEY SAW A POLICE CAR.
AND I, IF I SAW PEOPLE STANDING OUTSIDE, WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE WATERING THEIR GARDEN.
I'M GETTING OUT THE CAR AND TALKING TO 'EM.
I'M NOT JUST PASSING BY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WINDOWS UP AND JUST PAINT 'EM.
UH, IT'S, THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T NEED TO SHOW UP IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
JUST WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS OR JUST WHEN THERE'S AN EVENT THAT YOU KNOW, OH, WE CAN GO SAY, OH, WELL, THE POLICE WERE HERE.
NO, WE NEED TO BE THERE ALL THE TIME.
EVEN AT, EVEN AT NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE CAMERAS NOW.
THEY KNOW IF WE PASS BY THEIR HOUSE AT NIGHT, 'CAUSE THEIR CAMERAS PICK US UP IF WE'RE ON THE STREET, AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO GET BACK TO THAT.
UH, MR. MCCARLEY, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TOP FIVE PRIORITIES AND YOUR PROCESS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THEM IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS? ALL RIGHT, SO THE FIRST 100 DAYS, UM, I'LL SUM IT UP AS BEING BUSY AND WITH SOME HOUSEKEEPING.
UH, OUR HOUSE NEEDS TO BE IN ORDER BEFORE WE CAN EXPECT ORDER ON THE STREETS.
UM, THERE WE NEED TO DO SOME HOUSEKEEPING.
I'M NOT SAYING HOUSE CLEANING, BUT WE NEED TO DO SOME HOUSEKEEPING.
UM, TOP FIVE, IT'S GONNA BE, UM, I JUST JOTTED SOME THINGS DOWN OFF OF MEMORY.
UM, ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM.
UH, ASSESSMENT OF THE TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT USED IN DAILY OPERATIONS BY UNIFORM PATROL.
UM, THAT'S GONNA INCLUDE UNIFORMS, CARS, COMPUTERS, CAMERAS, UM, ARE THEY FUNCTIONING? AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? OKAY.
AN OFFICER CAN'T DO THEIR JOB IF THEIR CAR'S SITTING AT A, AT A REPAIR SHOP FOR, YOU KNOW, MONTHS ON END.
UM, ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT BUDGET.
[01:00:01]
MONEY IS BEING SPENT UNWISELY? UM, I'M, I'M, I WAS RAISED TO ALWAYS KNOW THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR, AND I DON'T BELIEVE IN FRIVOLOUS SPENDING.YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS FIRST, THEN YOU DO YOUR WANTS.
UM, ENGAGE ALL MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT, WHETHER CIVILIAN OR SWORN, TO ENCOURAGE INPUT AND SUGGESTIONS.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A VOICE.
UM, SO MANY TIMES PEOPLE GET LEFT OUT, UH, AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY FOR INPUT AND SUGGESTIONS THROUGH TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
AGAIN, EVERYBODY WANTS TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A VOICE.
UH, HOW CAN THE CHIEF BUILD HELP HELP THE COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY LEADERS? WELL, IT'S GONNA START WITH THE LEADERS, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE OUR MESSAGE THAT, THAT THE LEADERS THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE LEADERS, IT DOESN'T GET WATERED DOWN WHEN IT GETS BACK TO THEIR MEMBERS.
AND THERE'S NO HARM IN THE CHIEF POLICE OUT WALKING NEIGHBORHOODS, TALKING TO PEOPLE, HEARING THEIR CONCERNS FIRSTHAND.
AND I, I, I'M JUST A PEOPLE PERSON.
I, I LOVE PEOPLE AND I DIDN'T GROW UP IN THIS CITY, BUT THIS CITY HAS BASICALLY RAISED ME, MY ADULT, MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE.
AND I MEAN, I MOVED HERE FOR THIS, FOR THIS PROFESSION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH GETTING OUT OF THE OFFICE AND BEING SEEN AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE.
UH, MY QUESTION IS FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SECTION.
UH, WHAT ARE YOUR PROPOSALS CONCERNING NETWORKING WITH OTHER SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, ADVOCACY GROUPS WHO WORK TO ADDRESS THE CAUSES OF CRIME, POOR EDUCATION, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, ADDICTION, ET CETERA.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA? I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO SAY THAT I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA.
I MEAN, UM, DRUG ADDICTION AFFECTS EVERY, EVERY HOUSEHOLD JUST ABOUT NO MATTER, RICH, POOR, WHATEVER.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO, TO MAKE THIS BETTER TO, YOU KNOW, STOP THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S FINDING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THESE RESOURCES, UM, COMING UP WITH PROGRAMS, UM, JUST A ADOPT NEW STRATEGIES TO COMBAT THESE PROBLEMS. AND WE'VE ALL GOTTA BE WILLING TO DO IT.
IT CAN'T BE JUST THE POLICE, IT CAN'T BE JUST THE ORGANIZATION, AND WE CAN'T JUST EXPECT THE PUBLIC TO DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
HOW YOU DOING TONIGHT, MR. MCCARLEY? GOOD, MR. COLLINS, HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING WELL, DOING WELL.
UH, OUR MAYOR, PRESIDENT IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING POLICE REFORM EFFORTS, AND THIS SECTION COMES FROM THE EXTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, SECTION.
WHEN PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS ABOUT POSSIBLE POLICE MISCONDUCT, THOSE CONCERNS NEED TO BE HEARD, INVESTIGATED, AND RESOLVED.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR POLICE DISC, UH, DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES SUCH AS AN INDEPENDENT MONITOR OR ORDER, OR AN INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN POLICE OVERSIGHT AGENCY.
THE CREATION OF THIS ENTITY PERHAPS WOULD IMPROVE POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
HOW WOULD THIS IMPACT YOUR ABILITY AS THE POLICE CHIEF TO INFLUENCE PROCEDURES, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES OF BRPD? THAT'S A LONG QUESTION.
UM, YOU NEED ME TO READ IT ONE MORE TIME? I'M JUST TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE HIGH POINTS.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE HIGH POINTS, IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
UH, THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING POLICE REFORM EFFORTS.
WHEN PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS ABOUT POSSIBLE POLICE MISCONDUCT, THOSE CONCERNS NEED TO BE HEARD, INVESTIGATED, AND RESOLVED.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR POLICE DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES, SUCH AS AN INDEPENDENT MONITOR AND AUDITOR OR INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN POLICE OVERSIGHT AGENCY.
THE CREATION OF THIS ENTITY PERHAPS WOULD IMPROVE POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
HOW WOULD THIS IMPACT YOUR ABILITY AS POLICE CHIEF TO INFLUENCE PROCEDURES, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES OF BRBE? I THINK IF WE, IF WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE, LIKE THE, THE OUTSIDE GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT, IT, IT COULD TEND TO BECOME AN ISSUE BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OR OUR DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES,
[01:05:01]
THE POLICE OFFICER'S BILL OF RIGHTS.YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN GUIDELINES THAT AS INTERNAL AFFAIRS WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
AND WE, WE CAN'T DEVIATE FROM THOSE GUIDELINES WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMPLAINTS AND THE INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TIMELINES, WE HAVE TO, UH, ABIDE BY, OR THE, OR THE COMPLAINT, NO MATTER, NO MATTER HOW EGREGIOUS IT IS, BECOMES JUST NULL AND VOID.
SO, TO, TO ADD ANOTHER STEP INTO IT, TO HAVE AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION, UM, BUILDING THOSE COMPLAINTS TO, IT MAY HINDER OUR ABILITY TO, UM, PROPERLY DISCIPLINE, HOLD OUT, HOLD OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE.
SO IT, IT COULD ALMOST BE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
UM, MY QUESTION IS SIMPLY, WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON QUALIFIED IMMUNITY? OKAY.
UM, IT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT, THAT IT WOULD REALLY DEPEND ON THE SEVERITY OF THE, THE CRIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF A POLICE OFFICER IS FOUND TO BE DOING THEIR JOB WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES SET FORTH THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY KHALIA, 'CAUSE KHALIA CERTIFIED AND STUFF, THEN, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE SOMEBODY COME BACK AND TRY TO SUE AN OFFICER FOR DOING THEIR JOB, THAT'S, I MEAN, IT'S FRIVOLOUS, IT'S FRIVOLOUS LAWSUIT.
UM, NOW IF AN OFFICER IS DOING THEIR JOB, COMMITS A CRIME WHILE DOING THEIR JOB, THEN THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CRIME.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S, THERE'S JUST NO WAY TO COVER THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT TO TO SAY END ALL QUALIFIED IMMUNITY, NO, THAT, THAT'S TOO BLANKET.
UM, THE POSITION OF, UH, POLICE CHIEF IS LIKE BEING THE CEO OF A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATION, WHICH OVERSEES HUNDREDS OF STAFF, MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
UM, WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND, UH, MAKES YOU QUALIFIED TO SERVE AT THIS LEVEL? SO GIVE US SOME EXPLANATIONS OF HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU'VE LED UP TO THIS.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'VE, UM, NEVER DEALT WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, MUCH LESS, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
I'VE BEEN A POLICE OFFICER ALL MY, OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT AFFILIATED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MY WHOLE LIFE.
SO YOU, YOU BASICALLY KNOW MY SALARY
UM, IT IS, IT, I MANAGE MY MONEY WISELY.
AND, AND I MEAN, I WOULDN'T CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET, THE MONEY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S, IT'S ALL TAXPAYERS' MONEY.
I MEAN, I'M A TAXPAYER OF THIS, OF THIS CITY, TOO.
I DON'T LIVE HERE, LIVE IN THE PARISH, DO EVERYTHING HERE.
SO, UM, BELIEVE ME, EVEN ON MY OFF TIME AND I SEE MONEY BEING WASTED, A EMPTY POLICE CAR SITTING, RUNNING, JUST BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE, THAT'S, THAT'S A PET PEEVE THAT I HAVE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WASTEFUL SPENDING.
YOU KNOW, UM, I, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT, UH, I'M SO TIGHT THAT I COULD SQUEEZE TWO NICKELS OUT OF A DIME.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT I WOULD MANAGE IT, BUT POSSIBLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I, AS I SAID BEFORE, I BELIEVE IN PROVIDING FOR THE NEEDS, THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN MONEY LEFT OVER.
OKAY, LET'S, LET'S LOOK AT THE EXTRA, THE, THE WANTS OF, YOU KNOW, THE SWAT, WANT SOME BETTER EQUIPMENT.
DOES CRIME SCENE WANT SOME NEWER EQUIPMENT, EVEN THOUGH THEIR OLD EQUIPMENT IS STILL WORKING? YOU KNOW, LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER.
I HAVE JUST ONE MORE QUESTION.
SO THIS IS FROM CATEGORY 10, OFFICER WELLNESS AND WELLBEING.
AND GIVEN YOUR EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE ON UNIFORM PATROL, I, I'M SURE THAT ALL OF US CAN RECOGNIZE THAT OFFICERS ON PATROL USUALLY HAVE TO GO TO A SCENE, SORT OF PROCESS IT, AND THEN IF THERE'S A PARTICULAR EVENT, IT CAN BE JARRING AND THEN THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE.
UH, MY MOTHER, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS A PATROL OFFICER IN ARIZONA AND KIND OF DEALT WITH THIS.
AND SO THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE FOR YOU IS, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT OFFICERS MAY FACE AND ENSURE THEIR HOLISTIC WELLBEING, PARTICULARLY AFTER THOSE KINDS OF DISTRESSING INCIDENTS WHEN THEY MIGHT NEED TO MOVE ON? OKAY.
SO I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE, UM, EVEN THOUGH I'M COMMANDER OF INTERNAL
[01:10:01]
AFFAIRS, I STILL, UH, I JUGGLE TWO HATS.I'M A MEMBER OF A MEMBER OF OUR PEER SUPPORT TEAM.
OFFICER, UH, BRPD HAS, HAS THEIR OWN PEER SUPPORT TEAM.
UM, OFFICER WELLBEING IS VERY, IS A VERY IMPORTANT INGREDIENT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN YOU HAVE SUCCESSFUL OFFICERS, YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL DEPARTMENT.
UM, TOO MANY TIMES OFFICERS RESORT TO OTHER MEANS TO COPE WITH THINGS THEY SEE ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, WHICH IN TURN STARTS HAVING A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE JOB PERFORMANCE.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A PEER SUPPORT DIVISION THAT'S, THAT IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL BY STATE LAW, YET TOO MANY OFFICERS FEEL, OFFICERS FEEL LIKE IT MAKES 'EM LESS OF A MAN OR A WOMAN TO ASK FOR HELP.
UH, I WANT IT TO BE KNOWN THAT WHETHER SELECTED AS CHIEF OR NOT, IT'S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY.
I'VE HAD 'EM, UM, THERE'S HELP OUT THERE THROUGH MANY RESOURCES ALREADY AVAILABLE IN PLACE.
AND AT THIS TIME, EVEN IN MY POSITION, IF I SEE SOMEONE STRUGGLING, I PERSONALLY MAKE AN EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND AT LEAST MAKE A REFERRAL TO THE PEER SUPPORT TEAM, OR DO WHAT I CAN IMMEDIATELY FOR THEM.
AND I, I'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT NO MATTER, LIKE I SAID, NO MATTER IF I'M CHIEF, I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S JUST BEING A GOOD HUMAN BEING AND, AND A GOOD COWORKER.
I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYBODY FAIL.
UH, HOW, HOW WILL YOU INCORPORATE DEESCALATION TACTICS INTO STANDARD POLICE PROCEDURES? UH, RIGHT NOW, I KNOW DEESCALATION TACTICS ARE TAUGHT IN THE ACADEMY.
UM, AND DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH THE ACADEMY, WHEN, WHENEVER THEY ADOPTED THAT, WE HAD TO TAKE IT, YOU KNOW, IN A SPECIAL COURSE.
'CAUSE WE'D ALREADY BEEN OUTTA THE ACADEMY FOR A WHILE.
AND I MEAN, DEESCALATION IS, UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND AS I TRY TO EXPLAIN TO YOUNG OFFICERS, WE DON'T GO, WE DON'T MEET PEOPLE ON THE BEST DAY OF THEIR LIFE.
THEY WOULDN'T CALL US IF THEY'RE HAVING A GOOD DAY, OKAY? SO THEY'RE AT SOME WAY, SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION, THEY'RE HAVING A BAD DAY.
AND OUR DEMEANOR, OUR ATTITUDE WHEN WE WALK UP THERE TO THAT PERSON, IS GOING TO DICTATE HOW THAT CALL GOES.
AND IF THEY WALK UP WITH A BAD ATTITUDE BECAUSE THIS PERSON'S GOING OFF, SOMETIMES THEY JUST NEED TO HAVE THAT MOMENT AND, AND, I DON'T KNOW, LACK OF BETTER TERM, SAY, GO BUCK WILD.
AND THEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A RATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH 'EM.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE STOOD AND WATCHED, MAKE SURE THEY WEREN'T HURTING THEMSELVES, MAKE SURE THEY WEREN'T GONNA HURT ANYBODY, AND JUST LET 'EM ACT OUT FOR A MINUTE AND THEN SAY, OKAY, LET'S ADDRESS THIS.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE ISSUE? I MEAN, DEESCALATION IS BASICALLY JUST NOT KNOWING HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE.
AND IF YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON, YOU KNOW HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, AND IT SPEAKS TO YOUR 20 PLUS YEAR, UM, TENURE AT B-B-R-P-D.
THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER AS AN OFFICER AT BRPD, WERE THERE ANY POLICIES OR PROCEDURES THAT WERE MODIFIED OR ELIMINATED THAT SHOULD BE RE-IMPLEMENTED OR RECONSIDERED? YOU'RE ASKING ME TO REMEMBER 27, 20 YEARS YEARS.
THERE'S NOTHING, UM,
UM, JUST NOTHING'S FALLING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW.
AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, HOLDING BAD ACTING OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE WHILE KEEPING, YOU KNOW, THE MORALE OF THE, THE FORCE UP.
WE'VE SEEN SOME, SOME ISSUES LATELY IN
I KNOW HOW IT, IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT OCCASIONALLY WE DO HAVE, AS IT'S BEEN STATED, BAD ACTORS.
UM, SOMETIMES OFFICERS DO WRONG THINGS AND, AND ALL THEY, THEY GET THEIR DISCIPLINE, BUT THEN WE CAN'T STOP IT WITH JUST DISCIPLINE.
I MEAN, WE, IT'S GONNA STOP IT TEMPORARILY.
BUT ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NEW OFFICERS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE 1, 2, 3, MAYBE EVEN FOUR YEAR OFFICERS, AND THEY'RE ALREADY GETTING IN TROUBLE WHERE THEY'RE HAVING TO COME THROUGH IA.
THEY'RE HAVING TO SIT AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM TABLE AND DISCIPLINE, SOMETIMES PRETTY HARSH.
[01:15:01]
THAT PERSON NEEDS MORE THAN JUST THAT HARSH DISCIPLINE.DISCIPLINE IN THE FORM OF COACHING AND MENTORING.
AND I, I'VE, SINCE MY SHORT TENURE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS, UM, I, I HAVE ONE SUCCESS CASE, UM, WHEN I WENT IN THERE, I MEAN, HE, ALL THE, ALL THE INTERNAL AFFAIR, INTERNAL AFFAIRS FILES WERE ALREADY OPEN.
AND I, I, YOU KNOW, AND I'D MET THIS YOUNG OFFICER SEVERAL TIMES.
I, HE HAD NEVER WORKED ON MY SQUAD.
UM, I'D MEET HIM AT, I'D SEE HIM AT THE RANGE, I'D SEE HIM AT THE CAR WASH.
I'D JUST SEE HIM AT HEADQUARTERS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE UPSTANDING GUY.
AND I'M LIKE, WHOA, THIS, THIS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE PERSON THAT I KNOW.
AND, UM, SO HE WENT TO HIS DISCIPLINE HEARINGS AND HE WAS RENDERED, COMBINED, SOME HARSH DISCIPLINE, AND HE WAS MAD.
I MEAN, HE WAS MAD, BUT AS SOON AS IT WAS OVER WITH, I LOOKED AT HIM, I SAID, GO TO MY OFFICE, WAIT ON ME.
HE WENT TO MY OFFICE AND I SAID, LOOK, I SAID, I KNOW YOU'RE MAD, BUT YOU CAN ONLY BE MAD AT YOURSELF.
YOU, YOU DID THIS, YOU HAVE TO HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT, BUT YOU'RE GONNA SERVE YOUR DISCIPLINE.
YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK TO WORK AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO THIS ANYMORE.
AND TO THIS DAY, KNOCK ON WOOD, HE HAS NOT COME BACK THROUGH INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
AND IF IT'S JUST THE, THE SIMPLE, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH 'EM, CHECK ON 'EM ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
HEY, HOW YOU DOING? I CAN PICK THE PHONE UP.
UM, SO THAT WRAPS UP OUR QUESTIONS.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR YOUR CLOSING STATEMENTS.
WELL, THIS SEEMED QUICK, BUT, UM, ALRIGHT.
AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS OPPORTUNITY.
IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU AS A SITTING MEMBER OF BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT, CURRENT ORAL INTERVIEW BOARD.
I DO NOT ENVY YOU, GIVEN THE TASK FOR WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED.
YOU OFTEN HEAR IT, HEAR IT SAID, THERE'S THE FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING.
THOSE WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE TRUE THAN RIGHT NOW.
UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME APPLYING FOR CHIEF OF POLICE.
AND WHETHER CHOSEN OR NOT, I'LL CONTINUE TO SERVE BATON ROUGE COMPU COMMUNITY WITH DIGNITY, HONOR, AND INTEGRITY, NO MATTER MY ROLE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
HOWEVER, IF I FEEL I'M READY TO LEAD THIS DEPARTMENT INTO ITS NEXT CHAPTER, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS IN THIS PROCESS, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
ARE WE, UM, ARE WE INTERESTED IN A 10 MINUTE RECESS? OKAY.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A 10 MINUTE RECESS AND WE WILL BE BACK IN 10 MINUTES.
LET'S RETURN TO OUR SEATS, PLEASE.
UNLESS THE GAVEL
THERE'S A, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? THERE'S A POWERPOINT YOU HAVE IN YOUR FOLDER IS THE ACTUAL'S ANOTHER, OKAY.
SO IS THAT, THAT'S FOR THE NEXT CANDIDATE.
THAT IS FOR OUR, UM, I GUESS FOR OUR VIEWING PLEASURE AS WHERE IS THIS SET UP? I DON'T KNOW WHO DID THAT FOR US.
WHO DID THAT? I JUST KNOW THEY NEED, I MEAN, YEAH, THAT'S MY QUESTION.
THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, THREE MINUTE INTRODUCTION.
I WANT TO MAKE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW THAT EUGENE'S BEEN TARDY WHEN WE'VE COME BACK FROM BRADEN.
[01:20:03]
YEP, HE'S GOT THE, HE'S GOT IT.SO, UH, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME.
UH, I WANNA EXPLAIN HOW THIS IS GONNA WORK THIS EVENING.
UH, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES OF AN OPENING STATEMENT.
I'M ASSUMING THAT OUR SLIDES ARE, OR YES.
THEN, UM, WE, UH, WE WILL GO THROUGH OUR, OUR PANEL.
UH, EVERYONE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION.
IF ANYONE HAS A SECOND QUESTION AGAIN, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
AND THEN, THEN YOU'LL, AT THE END, YOU'LL HAVE A TWO MINUTE CLOSING.
UM, I DON'T LIKE TO HAVE TO SAY WRAP IT UP, SO I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF GIVE YOU A LITTLE HAND SIGNAL AND HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE GOOD.
I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
I'M A GRADUATE OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
I'M ALSO PURSUING MY MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
I'M SCHEDULED TO GRADUATE THIS COMING DECEMBER.
I'M A 24 YEAR, UH, EMPLOYEE OF BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'VE BEEN IN ADMINISTRATION AS APIO FOR 19 YEARS.
WITH THAT 19 YEARS, I'VE WORKED FOR FIVE DIFFERENT CHIEFS, FIVE DIFFERENT CHIEFS THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT MY TENURE.
SO THROUGHOUT THOSE FIVE YEARS, I'VE SEEN THE GOOD, I'VE SEEN THE BAD.
I'VE SEEN THE UGLY, AND I'VE DELIVERED THE MESSAGE FOR A LOT OF SITUATIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THROUGH BATON ROUGE.
AND I'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES, I'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES FOR 19 YEARS, SO I'M READY TO PURSUE.
UH, DISPOSITION HAS BEEN THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
MY VISION AND MY MISSION FOR THE DEPARTMENT STEERING FORWARD WITH THE VISION OF THE 21ST CENTURY POLICING AND CULTIVATING SAFETY FOR ALL CITIZENS.
THIS INCLUDES REBUILDING TRUST BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE PUBLIC.
THE AIM IS TO ESTABLISH LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A FORCE OF JUSTICE AND SAFETY, ENSURING TRUST AND SAFETY FOR ALL MY MISSION.
ACKNOWLEDGING MARTY CHALLENGES FOCUSED ON PERFORMANCE, TRANSPARENCY, VERY IMPORTANT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE DO A LOT OF THAT WITH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM.
MY MOUTH THERE ALL THE TIME WITH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AND I'M TALKING TO THE PUBLIC AND I'M HEARING WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AND PUSHING FORWARD WITH THE WORD THAT THEY'RE GIVING.
WORKING CLOSELY WITH CHIEF PAUL IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SHARE OUR MESSAGE, TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON.
WHERE ARE WE NOW? WHERE ARE WE GOING AS A DEPARTMENT AND AS A COMMUNITY.
MODERN CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING.
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA ROLES, RACIAL DISPARITIES, FOSTERING INCLUSION, COMMUNITY POLICING, RECRUITING AND RETENTION IS VERY IMPORTANT 'CAUSE ALL OF US ARE DEALING WITH THAT.
NOT JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT AS A SOCIETY.
A LOT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES UP HERE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE DEALING WITH, UH, THE RECRUITING REESTABLISH, AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TRUST FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
NEXT LEVEL SOLUTIONS EMBRACING CHANGE.
WITH 21ST CENTURY POLICING, WE'VE BEEN PUSHING FORWARD.
WE'RE CHANGING THE WAY THAT WE POLICE AND AN EFFORT TO SHOW THAT WE'RE GONNA PUSH FORWARD WITH PROVIDING THE COMMUNITY WITH THE TRUST AND THE TRANSPARENCY THAT THEY DESERVE.
I PLAYED FOOTBALL AND SPORTS THROUGHOUT MY EARLY CAREER.
SO UNIVERSITY I PLAYED FIVE YEARS.
AND THE TEAM CONCEPT IS VERY IMPORTANT IN BEING INSTRUMENTAL IN BUILDING WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITHIN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY.
AND WITH THE COM, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY WITH BATON ROUGE POLICE AND WITH THE COMMUNITY OF BATON ROUGE OPPORTUNITIES AND EDUCATING MANAGERS TO APPLY CORRECT, UNIFIED SUPERVISORY SKILLS, PEOPLE LEARNING ON DIFFERENT LEVELS.
AND YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE LEARN DIFFERENTLY.
SO THEY LEARN ON AN EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, AND THEY LEARN, UH, BY DOING, EXPAND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL BUSINESS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND FAITH-BASED COMMUNITIES.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RECENT PROMOTION.
LAST TIME I SAW YOU, UH, YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT BIG GOLD BAR, SO CONGRATULATIONS,
YOU, YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WERE CHALLENGES, AND THIS IS FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SECTION.
YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL CHALLENGES AS YOU JUST SPOKE TO.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN FACING BRPD, AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO CORRECT THAT DEFICIENCY? WELL, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AFTER TALKING WITH OFFICERS AND NON-POLICE PERSONNEL THROUGHOUT THE AGENCY, I'VE, UH, WALKED THROUGHOUT THE, THE DEPARTMENT AND, AND I TALKED TO EVERYBODY.
AND RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A TRUST FACTOR, UH, WITHIN OUR AGENCY.
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WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON BUILDING TRUST WITHIN OUR GROUP.HOW CAN WE NOT HAVE TRUST WITHIN OUR GROUP AND PROVIDE TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMUNITY? SO WE HAVE TO FIRST FOCUS ON OURSELVES IN ATTEMPT TO BUILD THAT TRUST WITH US GOING FORWARD, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SHARING THE MESSAGE, UH, THAT WE ARE HERE TO SERVE FIRST AND TO PROTECT.
SO WE HAVE TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE OF COMMUNICATION AND LETTING THEM KNOW THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD TO PROVIDING THE SERVICE THAT THEY DESERVE.
SO THIS QUESTION, OR, WELL, IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU DISCUSSED THAT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS ARE ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE DEPARTMENTS GOING TO FACE.
AND SO THIS IS FROM CATEGORY EIGHT, DATA TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND IT SPEAKS EXACTLY TO THE SAME CONCERN, WHICH IS, ARE THERE ANY NASCENT PRACTICES OR TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU BELIEVE COULD HELP BRPD ACHIEVE ITS MISSION OF PROTECTING AND SERVING THE PUBLIC? AND HOW WOULD YOU IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE'S PRIVACY CONCERNS WERE MAINTAINED? FIRST, WITH TECHNOLOGY CHIEF.
PAUSE AS PUT FORWARD THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN PROMOTING AS A DEPARTMENT, AND WE ARE USING THAT AS A TOOL FOR TECHNOLOGY BASE AS A FORCE MULTIPLIER.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE BATON ROUGE LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION IN AN EFFORT TO PUT CRIME CAMERAS IN DIFFERENT AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE'VE BEEN PUTTING, UH, WORK WITH THE BUSINESSES DOWN IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN AN EFFORT TO PUT THE CAMERAS AS A FORCE MULTIPLIER IN ASSISTING US, UH, IN AN ATTEMPT TO, UH, LOOK AT THE VIDEO OF CRIMES THAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS.
WE ARE ALSO USING LICENSE PLATE READERS IN ATTEMPT TO, UH, RECORD THE LICENSE PLATES AS THEY'RE PASSING THROUGH CERTAIN AREAS OF THE CITY.
WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY TO WHERE, UH, WE'RE, UH, CONNECTING WITH THEM IN AN EFFORT TO HAVE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, UH, ON LICENSE PLATE READERS COME INTO OUR REAL TIME CENTER REAL, UH, CRIME TIME CENTER, UH, IN AN EFFORT WHEN CRIMES ARE OCCURRING IN THOSE AREAS, WE WILL GO BACK AND IF WE GET A DESCRIPTION OF A PARTICULAR CAR DURING A PARTICULAR TIME DURING A PARTICULAR, UM, A DAY, WE WILL GO BACK AND ATTEMPT TO FIND WHAT COLOR, IF THEY GOT A PARTIAL LICENSE PLATE, WE'LL USE THE LICENSE PLATE READERS TO GET THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO ATTEMPT TO FIND THOSE PARTICULAR, UH, UH, POSSIBLE SUSPECTS THAT ARE COMMITTING THOSE PARTICULAR CRIMES IN THOSE AREAS.
NOW, WHEN YOU MAY MENTION THE PRIVACY, UH, WITH THE CAMERAS THAT THEY HAVE IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS, WE ARE ASKING THAT, UH, THEY WORK WITH US IN LETTING US KNOW THAT THEY HAVE CAMERAS THAT WE CAN USE AS A TOOL TO COLLECT, UH, VIDEO SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE OF CRIMES THAT MAY BE HAPPENING IN THOSE AREAS.
WE LET THEM KNOW THAT, UH, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT BIT OF INFORMATION.
WE WANT YOU TO, UH, CALL US WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR A PARTICULAR SITUATION THAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IN THAT AREA.
MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM PERSONAL APPROACH AND LEADERSHIP, AND THIS QUESTION WAS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED BY A CANDIDATE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE AS WE EMBARK ON THE NEW SEASON.
PLEASE SHARE ANY THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ABOUT OVERALL DI ABOUT THE OVERALL DIRECTION AND OUTLOOK OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OVERALL DIRECTION OF OUR, OF OUR AGENCY IS THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC, THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE INFORMATION OF WHAT WE ARE DOING, HOW WE ARE DOING IT, AND WHY WE'RE DOING, UM, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE IN A PARTICULAR AREA.
BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSING ON, UH, WHAT CHIEF PAUL HAS IMPLEMENTED TARGET ENFORCEMENT, UH, YEARS AGO, UM, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON, UH, WE USED TO HAVE A BLANKET APPROACH WHEN WE GO INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR, UH, TROUBLED AREAS THAT MAY BE, UH, OCCURRING IN THOSE PARTICULAR, UH, SUBDIVISIONS OR NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT WE ARE NOW FOCUSING ON TARGET ENFORCEMENT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS, TARGETED ENFORCEMENT IS WHEN WE GOING AFTER INDIVIDUALS, AFTER RECEIVING INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION, COMPLAINTS FROM NEIGHBORS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT THEY'VE GIVEN US TO WHICH WE WILL FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON INDIVIDUALS OR THOSE TYPE OF PLAYERS THAT ARE COMMITTING THOSE CRIMES IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THAT GIVES THE COMMUNITY A SENSE OF,
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UH, THAT WE'RE THERE FOR A PURPOSE.SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, MS. MOLLY MAY MAKE A CALL AND MS. MOLLY SEE THAT WE'RE TARGETING THAT PARTICULAR HOUSE THAT'S COMMITTING OR HAVE THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY GOING ON.
THAT'S EMPOWERING MS. MOLLY TO, TO BE A PRODUCTIVE, UH, AMBASSADOR IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD AND RELAYING INFORMATION TO US BECAUSE SHE SEE THAT WE'RE TAKING SOME TYPE OF ACTION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, LIEUTENANT.
IT'S GOOD TO SEEM, SEEM LIKE YOU'VE BEEN AROUND LOWER THAN FIVE CHIEFS.
MAN, I TELL
HOW, HOW WILL YOU ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT OFFICERS MAY FACE AND ENSURE THEIR HOLISTIC WELLBEING, PARTICULARLY AFTER DISTRESSING INCIDENCES? WELL FAR AS THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES WITHIN OUR OFFICER, WE HAVE PEER INTERVENTION THAT WE'VE CREATED, AGAIN, THROUGH CHIEF PAUL TO WHERE, UH, OFFICERS HAVE A PLATFORM TO WHICH THEY, UH, CAN GO OR A DIRECTION WHENEVER THEY'RE FACING, UH, SOME TYPE OF FAMILY ISSUE WHEN THEY MAY BE FACING, UH, SOME TRAUMA IN THEIR HOME AND DEALING WITH, UH, SITUATION THAT THEY MAY HAVE OR WHEN WE GO OUT ON CALLS.
AND THERE'S A TRAGIC SITUATION IN WHICH IT'S AFFECTING THAT PERSON DIRECTLY.
SO, UH, WE HAVE PEER SUPPORT, UH, WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION THAT OFFICERS CAN FOCUS, UH, THEIR ATTENTION TO.
AND WITH THAT PEER SUPPORT, IF THEY DON'T WANT TO TALK TO OUR OFFICER AND THEY NEED SOME ADDITIONAL COUNSELING FROM SOMEONE, UH, THAT OR IS OUTSIDE OF THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH TALKING TO ANOTHER OFFICER WHO THEY FEEL MAY SHARE THE INFORMATION, WE'LL POINT THEM IN THE DIRECTION TO WHERE THEY CAN MEET WITH SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT A POLICE OFFICER TO OFFER SOME TYPE OF COUNSELING AND SUPPORT, UH, TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR WHATEVER TYPE OF ISSUE THAT THEY MAY BE HAVING.
THE CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, IS THE CEO OF A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR, UH, ORGANIZATION, WHICH OVERSEES HUNDREDS OF STAFF AND MILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS AND MANAGE THOUSANDS OF PHYSICAL RESOURCES.
WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND MAKES YOU QUALIFIED TO SERVE AT THIS LEVEL? PLEASE PROVIDE SPECIFIC DETAILS.
SPECIFIC DETAILS IN RELATIVE, UH, BEING A-C-E-O-I CAN SAY, UH, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE CHIEF, UH, BEING WITH HIM IN, UH, FINANCIAL MEETINGS, UH, FOR 19 YEARS, VARIOUS CHIEF, VARIOUS CHIEFS GOING WITH THEM, UH, WATCHING THE DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE, KNOWING WHY THEY'RE BEING MADE, UH, KNOWING WHEN WE HAVE TO WITHDRAW, UH, OR PULL BACK FROM, UH, CERTAIN SPENDING DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, UH, WITH THE ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE WHEN OUR ACCOUNTING DIVISIONS GO IN AND THEY MAKE ASSESSMENTS WITH THE CHIEF AND BEING IN THE ROOM AND, AND HAVING A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE, ARE BEING MADE AND UNDERSTANDING, UH, WHY THESE DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE, KNOWING THAT, UH, THEY HAVE COSTS.
'CAUSE WE'RE WITHIN OUR BUDGET OF BEING RIGHT AT 98 MILLION TO A HUNDRED, UH, MILLION A YEAR.
MAJORITY OF OUR, UH, FUNDS ARE GOING TO SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
ANOTHER PORTION OF IT IS GOING TO SUPPLIES.
AND I THINK THE FOURTH IS GOING TO CONTRACTS.
SO, UH, BEING IN THE ROOM AND UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS, I FEEL, UH, HAS ENLIGHTENED ME AS TO, UH, THE BUDGETARY ISSUES, WHY THEY COME ABOUT, AND WHY WE MAKE CERTAIN CUTS IN PURSUING, UH, THE EFFORT TO MAKE SURE WE STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
UH, THIS QUESTION COMES FROM, UH, THE CATEGORY OF RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PERSONNEL SUPPORT.
YOU MENTIONED, UH, RECRUITMENT AND THE CHALLENGES OF RECRUITMENT THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS HAVE.
UM, WHAT NEW IDEAS ARE YOU GOING TO BRING TO THIS ISSUE AND, UH, WHAT NEW APPROACHES? WELL, RECENTLY, JUST LIKE, UH, MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, NOT ONLY IN THE STATE BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE'VE BEEN OFFERING, UH, BONUSES AND ATTEMPT TO ATTRACT INDIVIDUALS NOW DUE TO COURSE OF, UH, THE BONUSES, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED, THAT IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST THAT.
UH, WE HAVE OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE PAYING MORE MONEY THAN US AND ARE STILL HAVING A HARD TIME FILLING IN THE RANKS.
UH, WE HAVE TO PUSH, UH, THE NOTION THAT BATON ROUGE POLICE IS THE BEST DEPARTMENT, UH, IN THIS AREA AND IN THIS STATE BY THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE, UH, THAT PERSON FEEL, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT, UH, BE PAYING YOU AS MUCH AS THE STATE POLICE AND AS MUCH AS A SMALLER AGENCY, THAT THE TRAINING
[01:35:01]
THAT YOU'RE GETTING HERE IS FAR BETTER THAN ANY OTHER TRAINING THAT YOU'LL RECEIVE ANY ANYWHERE ELSE.SO YOU WILL, UH, BE PREPARED TO BE THE BEST OFFICER, UH, THAT YOU CAN BE BASED OFF THE INFORMATION THAN THE TOOLS THAT YOU'RE GIVEN.
ANOTHER, UH, POINT THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT, UH, WE WILL PUSH HARD IS TO, TO HAVE THE OFFICERS FEEL THAT THEY WANT TO BE HERE, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE MAKING LESS.
WE ARE A FAMILY AND WE'RE A TEAM.
SO BY US HAVING THAT CONCEPT, UH, THE PEOPLE, UH, OFFICERS WILL WANT TO WORK WITH YOU.
AND EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE MAKING LESS, THEY WANT TO BE IN A PLACE WHERE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE.
THEY WANT TO BE IN A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE RECEIVING THE BEST TRAINING THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE ANYWHERE ELSE, UH, WITHIN THIS REGION AND WITHIN THIS STATE.
HOW YOU DOING MISS MCNEELY? I'M FINE.
HOW ARE YOU, SIR? I'M DOING GOOD, MAN.
UH, MY QUESTION IS GONNA COME FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SECTION.
UH, IT SAYS, HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE BLACK COMMUNITY, TO IMPROVE TRUST AND OPEN COMMUNICATION? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA? WELL, WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE DIVISION THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, THE BUILDING OF RELATIONSHIPS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, ALONG WITH THAT IS THE COMMUNICATION PART OF IT.
WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, THAT BUILDING OF RELATIONSHIP FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, PEOPLE WILL CALL YOU PERSONALLY WHEN THINGS ARE HAPPENING OUT IN THE STREET.
UH, SO, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, AND, AND US WORKING ON THAT, UH, BUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIPS, MY IDEA IS TO, UH, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE ARE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH OUR YOUTH, UH, AND ATTEMPT TO, WE HAD A STRONG DARE PROGRAM, BUT WE DON'T, UH, HAVE AS STRONG OF A DARE R PROGRAM RIGHT NOW.
UH, WHAT WE, UH, WOULD CONSIDER DOING IS HAVING PART-TIME DARE OFFICERS FROM, UH, OUR UNIFORM PATROL GUYS WHO ARE WORKING THE STREET AND HAVING THEM GOING INTO THOSE SCHOOLS AND NETWORKING AND COMMUNICATING WITH THOSE KIDS TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP.
AND WHEN YOU BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE YOUNG KIDS, THAT TENDS TO TRANSCEND OVER TO THE PARENTS.
SO WHEN THE PARENTS ARE HAVING ISSUES, THEY WILL MAKE MENTION THAT THEY'RE GONNA CALL THAT DARE OFFICER OR THAT OFFICER THAT THEY FEEL AND HAVE TRUST IN BECAUSE THEY'VE NOW DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEING MORE PROACTIVE, UM, AS WE HAVE, UH, BEEN, BUT USING OUR, UH, UH, OFFICERS AS ARE WORKING THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS TO GO INTO THE SCHOOLS.
WHAT'S YOUR, THIS, UM, COMES FROM THE SECTION STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES.
WHAT'S YOUR STANCE ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF SWAT TEAMS AND THE EXECUTION OF NO-KNOCK WARRANTS? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, I REMEMBER WHEN WE STOPPED NO-KNOCK WARRANTS.
UH, THEY, THE, THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WITH, UH, THE LONG SAW, IT WAS THE LAST NO-KNOCK WARRANT THAT WE HAD.
UH, DON'T AGREE WITH THE FACT, UH, OF COMMITTING THOSE, UH, TYPE OF, UM, OF, OF OPERATIONS BASED OFF, UH, THE SITUATIONS WHICH I'VE SEEN WITH THAT
SO IT IS, UH, BEST TO NOTIFY, IT'S BEST TO, UH, LET, UH, THAT PERSON KNOW.
OR IF YOU GO INTO THAT HOUSE, LET SOMEONE KNOW THAT, OR THE, THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD KNOW, UH, THAT YOU'RE THERE AND YOU'RE THERE, UH, IN, IN AN ATTEMPT TO, UH, LOCATE A PARTICULAR PERSON.
SO, UH, THE NOTIFICATION, UH, THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS THERE WILL PREVENT A SITUATION LIKE, UH, WHAT HAPPENED FROM, IN THAT SITUATION WITH MY LOSS SAW FROM OCCURRING.
SO I KNOW THAT WE WERE DOING IT, I KNOW WHEN WE STOPPED IT, I KNOW WHY WE STOPPED IT.
AND, UM, IT WAS A GOOD DEAL TO STOP.
'CAUSE THE NOTIFICATION CAN PREVENT MISCOMMUNICATION, NOT ONLY FROM, UH, PERSONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT ALSO, UH, FROM THE OFFICER.
SO IT'S A, IT IS A SAFETY POSITION, UH, MORE SO THAN ANYTHING.
UM, I'M A MEMBER OF TOGETHER BATON ROUGE, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT IS IMPORTANT TO US IS, UH, HAVING CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT, UM, CREATION OF A CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT TYPE AGENCY COULD HELP, UM, IT COULD HELP WITH POLICE RELATIONS, IT COULD HELP IN TIMES WHEN MAYBE POLICE FEEL THEY NEED TO REPORT SOMETHING.
IT COULD HELP WHEN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO REPORT SOMETHING.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOUR FAMILIARITY IS WITH CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AND THEN IF YOU WERE CHIEF, HOW YOU WOULD IMPLEMENT THAT OR HOW YOU WOULD WORK WITH THAT.
UH, WELL, UH, CHIEF PAUL HAS AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF THAT, AND HE HAS A, UH, CHIEF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL, AND THE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL COMES
[01:40:01]
IN AND HE'LL SHARE, UH, PARTICULAR SITUATIONS WITH THEM AND LETTING THEM KNOW SITUATIONS THAT MAY BE UP AND COMING AND MAY BE OF CONCERN, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.NOW, IF WE PUSH FORWARD WITH A, UH, CITIZENS' REVIEW, UH, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT, BUT MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR THEM BECAUSE I CHAIR THE CITIZENS ACADEMY, IS THAT THEY ATTEND A CITIZENS ACADEMY.
IT'S A EIGHT WEEK PROGRAM THAT, UH, WE HAVE CITIZENS GO THROUGH AND THEY LEARN ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD, UH, GIVE THEM A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DO.
WE ARE ACTUALLY IN OUR, UH, SIX WEEK, WE WENT TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ON TUESDAY, WE HAVE TWO MORE CLASSES, AND WE'VE HAD, UM, UM, A TOTAL OF FOUR, UH, AFTER, UH, I WENT TO CHIEF PAUL AFTER SPEAKING TO THE DEA AND THEY IMPLEMENT THAT PROGRAM.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN INFORMATION, UH, GIVEN TO CITIZENS WHO COME THROUGH THAT CLASS.
WE'VE HAD, I CAN TELL YOU IN PARTICULAR ONE WHO HAD A, A NEGATIVE ENERGY TOWARD LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN HE FIRST CAME IN, BASED OFF THE INFORMATION.
AND, AND HE'S A PERSONALITY HERE IN, IN, IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, AT THE END OF THAT, THAT SESSION, UH, HE WAS GIVING CHIEF PAUL A HUG AND HE APOLOGIZED TO CHIEF PAUL, UH, BASED OFF, UH, HIS MISINFORMATION.
SO HE WAS BETTER INFORMED, UH, UH, WITH WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT DO, UH, HIM BEING INFORMED, HE WENT BACK AS AN AMBASSADOR NOW FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE, UH, UH, THE, THE ISSUES AND THE SITUATIONS THAT WE DEAL WITH.
SO, UM, HE WAS, UH, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, WHEN CERTAIN SITUATIONS MAY ARISE, HE WAS ABLE TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, OF LAW ENFORCEMENT'S ACTIONS AND, UH, HOW CERTAIN THINGS COME ABOUT.
NOW WE'LL GO BACK THROUGH AND IF FOLKS HAVE A SECOND QUESTION.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TONIGHT.
SO THIS QUESTION, I'VE ASKED IT BEFORE, AND IT MIGHT COME ACROSS AS A LITTLE ODD, BUT BEAR WITH ME.
SO IT'S FROM CATEGORY 11, POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR CURRENT VRPD CANDIDATES, AND IT'S, IS THERE ANY SCALABILITY OR PRACTICE RELATED TO YOUR CURRENT OR FORMER ASSIGNMENTS THAT YOU BELIEVE IS IN INAPPLICABLE TO THE ROLE OF POLICE CHIEF? IN OTHER WORDS, IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT ROLE THAT'S TECHNICAL OR PRACTICAL THAT'S NECESSARY FOR THIS ROLE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME IMPACT IN THE ROLE OF CHIEF OF POLICE? HMM.
WELL, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS ROLE, BUT I THINK ALL OF IT IS, IS BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND, AND SHARE, UH, YOUR MESSAGE, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST.
UH, SECONDLY IS, UH, WINNING THE, UH, THE TRUST AND LOYALTY, UH, OF, UH, YOUR OFFICER AND OF YOUR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET THAT BUY-IN, UH, IT MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO DELIVER YOUR MESSAGE AND YOUR MISSION AND PUT ACTION TO IT.
SO WITH MY CURRENT JOB, UH, AND BEING OUT AND BEING A COMMUNICATOR AND SHARING THE MESSAGE, I WOULD SAY, UM, BY FAR IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK, I CAN'T THINK OF ANY ASPECT THAT YOU, YOU DON'T NEED OR CANNOT USE THAT WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO YOU, UH, AS A CHIEF.
UM, AND, AND AS A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL.
THANK YOU, AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR MPA.
YOU HAVE A, A RICH BACKGROUND IN MEDIA RELATIONS.
SO THIS IS GOING TO NOT NECESSARILY TALK ABOUT, UH, THE QUESTION IS NOW RELATED TO TALKING TO THE MEDIA, IS TALKING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
POLICE DEPARTMENTS OPERATE LIKE PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY RELY ON TOP DOWN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND RANK AND FILE FILE IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION METHODS SUCH AS ROLL CALL MEETINGS, EMAIL AND TEXT MESSAGING.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND THE RANK AND FILE OFFICERS WHO ARE ON THE BEAT? YES, MA'AM.
FIRST, WITH LEADERSHIP, UH, SHARING YOUR MESSAGE AND, UH, DELIVERING IT IN SUCH A WAY, UH, THAT, UH, YOU WANT THEM TO BE CLEAR IN THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE GIVEN AND CLEAR, UH, UH, WITH THAT MESSAGE BEING IMPLEMENTED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE RANKS.
NOW, A CHECK AND BALANCE IS THAT OF THAT, UH, IN MY OPINION, IS BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
YOU AS A CHIEF, UH, WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL,
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UH, MEETING WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS, MAKING SURE THAT THE MESSAGE THAT YOU GAVE IS BEING HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD, UH, CLEARLY.SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO, UH, BE OUT THERE WITH, UH, THE OFFICERS, UH, AND SHOWING UP AT THEIR, UH, ROLL CALL TRAINING AND AT THEIR SCENES AND TALKING WITH THEM, UH, UH, AND GIVING THEM, UH, THE VISION THAT YOU HAVE, UH, DELIVERED AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR AND UNDERSTOOD AND NOT JUST CLEAR AND UNDERSTOOD THE REASON AS TO WHY, UH, THIS IS OCCURRING.
SO THE MORE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND, THE MORE, UM, INSIGHT THAT THEY MAY HAVE WITH THE DIRECTION AND THE MESSAGE THAT YOU'RE GIVEN, UH, THE MORE BUY-IN AND THE WORK THAT YOU CAN, UH, GET FROM THOSE OFFICERS AND READ MANY BOOKS ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND, UH, EVERYONE THAT I'VE READ THAT SAY FROM THE TOP DOWN, THE TOP HAS TO COME DOWN.
SO YOU HAVE TO NOT ONLY, UH, UH, BE UP THERE GIVEN THE WORD, YOU HAVE TO BE DOWN THERE SERVING AND WORKING, UH, IN THE WORD, UH, WITH THOSE OFFICERS.
UH, THIS, THIS, UH, QUESTION COMES FROM PERSONAL APPROACH AND LEADERSHIP.
RANK YOUR TOP FIVE PRIORITIES IN YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS TOP FIVE PRIORITIES.
FIRST, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A TIMEOUT.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY DOING A TIMEOUT IS A RESET.
UH, RESET IS HAVING AN AUDIT THAT I BELIEVE EVERY MANAGER OR CEO WOULD HAVE TO DO WHENEVER THEY COME IN, WHETHER YOU FROM THE OUTSIDE OR THE END, YOU HAVE TO DO AN AUDIT OR ASSESSMENT OF ALL YOUR RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
NOT ONLY JUST MONEY, BUT OF THE DIVISIONS AND OF THE BUILDINGS AND OF, UH, DIFFERENT ASPECTS THAT GO WITH YOUR, YOUR, UM, YOUR DEPARTMENT.
BECAUSE YOU WORK IN CERTAIN AREAS, YOU MAY NOT ACTUALLY KNOW, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE OTHER END OF TOWN.
SO YOU WOULD, IN MY OPINION, INSTEAD OF HAVING AN INTERNAL AUDIT, I WOULD HAVE TO, UH, BRING SOMEONE OUT TO COME DO AN AUDIT TO ASSIST ME IN KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THE AGENCIES AND WHAT BUILDINGS AND, UH, CERTAIN ASPECTS WITHIN, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT THAT IS OUT THERE.
SO WE WOULD INITIALLY DO THAT WITHIN, UH, THE FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS.
SECONDLY, UM, I WOULD GO OUT AND SPEAK, UH, TO ALL DIVISIONS, UH, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, I'M TALKING NON-POLICE PERSONNEL TO SEE, UH, WHAT THEY ARE, UH, THEIR NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THEY'RE LACKING AND WHAT IDEAS THEY MAY HAVE TO MAKE US A BETTER DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS ON THE STREETS, SO, UH, ONE, UM, MAIN FOCUS WOULD BE HOW CAN WE PUT MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND? SO THERE HAVE TO BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, UH, IN THAT.
SO IT WOULD BE AN AUDIT OF OUR SERVICE TO SEE HOW WE CAN BETTER PROVIDE, AND IF WE HAVE TO TRIM SOME FAT SOMEWHERE AND WE HAVE TO TRIM SOME FAT AND MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, THE UNDERSTANDING AND THE DELIVERY OF THE MESSAGE AND THE BUY-IN, I CAN TELL YOU WHY WE DOING IT.
I CAN LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE DOING IT AND I'LL OFFER YOUR INPUT, UH, FAR AS THE OFFICER AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS CHANGE.
BUT A CHANGE IS GONNA HAVE TO BE MADE.
UH, WITHOUT DISCUSSING ANY DETAILS REGARDING THE BRAVE CAVE AND RELATED ACQUISITIONS, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THIS TYPE OF ALLEGED ACTIVITY WOULD NOT OCCUR? AGAIN, PLEASE GIVE CHECKS AND BALANCES TO ENSURE A SITUATION LIKE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AGAIN, I WOULD SAY FIRST IT'S TRAINING.
UM, AND SECOND IS SUPERVISION.
UH, THE TRAINING, UH, TO DEVELOP THE MORAL COMPASS IN INDIVIDUAL AND SHOWING THEM WHAT THEY SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT DO.
'CAUSE YOU WOULD ASSUME THAT PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO, UH, BUT YOU CAN'T PUT THAT ASSUMPTION THERE.
YOU HAVE TO, UH, TELL THEM DIRECT, THIS IS WHAT, UH, WE WOULD NEED DONE, AND THIS IS HOW WE, UH, NEED YOU TO PROCEED WITH DOING THAT.
UH, SECONDLY, A SUPERVISION, UH, BECAUSE, UH, YOU WOULD NEED THE SUPERVISORS TO SUPERVISE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE WORKING FOR THEM ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING WITHIN THAT GROUP DON'T HAVE THE MORAL COMPASS AND THE UNDERSTANDING, UH, TO KNOW THAT CERTAIN THINGS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AND TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED, AND THEY CAN'T SEE THAT.
THEN YOU WOULD TRY TO RE-INSTITUTE THAT IDEA, UH, UH, THROUGH THE TRAINING.
AND IF THEY CAN'T, UH, PROCEED WITH THE SUPERVISION, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME, SOME HARD, UH, DECISIONS ON WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO IF THEY CAN'T, UH, ACCOMPLISH THOSE TYPE OF GOALS.
UH, AND THEN FROM THERE YOU WOULD DO, UH, AN ASSESSMENT
[01:50:01]
TO SEE HOW PRODUCTIVE THE INFORMATION AND THE TRAINING THAT YOU'RE PUTTING OUT THERE, ALONG WITH THE SUPERVISION, UM, HOW PRODUCTIVE UH, IT IS.AND IF IT ISN'T, THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
UH, MR. MCNEELY, THIS COMES FROM PERSONAL APPROACH AND LEADERSHIP.
UH, THIS IS A MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY, UH, WITH A THRIVING COMMUNITY OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES AND, AND GROWING COMMUNITY OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.
UH, PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR APPROACH FOR POLICING, UM, PROTECTING AND SERVING THOSE FOLKS WELL, UM, WHERE WE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY CANVASSING THOSE AREAS.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LARGE HISPANIC COMMUNITY OUT IN THE GUARD AREA, AND WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE, WE HAVE, UH, SPANISH SPEAKING OFFICERS WITH US IN AN ATTEMPT TO, UH, BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP.
WE'RE ALSO ON THE SPANISH SPEAKING, UH, RADIO STATIONS 'CAUSE THEY WILL CALL AND ASK FOR US TO COME OUT AND, AND SPEAK WITH THEM, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO DELIVER OUR MESSAGE.
UH, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN FOCUSING ON CREATING PAMPHLETS, UH, WITH THE SPANISH SPEAKING LANGUAGE, SO THEY HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING, UH, WITH WHAT, UH, WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE DOING IT.
UH, WHEN WE RECOGNIZED IT THAT THERE ARE OTHER, UH, ETHNIC INDIVIDUALS HERE AS, UH, FAR AS, UH, WHEN, UH, THEY WERE BRINGING INDIVIDUALS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES HERE AND WOULD SEE 'EM OUT, UH, WE WOULD PROVIDE, UH, THEM WITH THE SERVICE THEY NEED AND TRY TO COMMUNICATE IN A WAY, UH, TO GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION THEY NEED, UH, TO WHERE THEY CAN GET THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED AND PUSHING FORWARD.
UH, BUT FAR AS THE, THE LARGEST, UM, UH, ETHNIC BACKGROUND INDIVIDUALS THAT I SEE HERE IS THE SPANISH COMMUNITY.
AND WE ARE SPANISH SPEAKING OFFICERS ON THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING THAT, UH, NOT ONLY IN OUR RECRUITING, BUT IN OUR SERVICE BY, UH, UH, WORKING TO, UH, PRODUCE THOSE PAMPHLETS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION THAT WILL EMPOWER THEM TO BE, UH, EFFECTIVE CITIZENS HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
UH, MR. MCIL, MY FINAL QUESTION IS GONNA COME FROM STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES.
UH, PLEASE DISCUSS WITH US IDEAS YOU HAVE FOR VIOLENCE REDUCTION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WELL, IDEAS AS FAR AS VIOLENCE REDUCTION, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, CONTINUE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THE CHIEF MODEL ADMINISTRATION OF ENFORCEMENT.
WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN, UH, SITUATIONS AND CRIMES THAT ARE OCCURRING IN CERTAIN AREAS, WE ARE FOCUSING ON TARGET ENFORCEMENT.
AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU GET, UH, MORE OF A BUY-IN WITH THE COMMUNITY ASSISTING YOU IN GOING AFTER THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UH, SECONDLY, WHEN WE MAKE THOSE ARRESTS, UH, WE NEED TO, UH, WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS AND ATTEMPT TO KEEP CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMMITTING THOSE CRIMES, UH, BEHIND BARS.
UM, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT EVERYONE OUT THERE COMMITTING CRIMES, YOU KNOW, SO GOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WITH A BLANKET APPROACH IS NOT THE THING TO DO.
GOING AFTER THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMMITTING THOSE, THOSE PARTICULAR CRIMES IS WHAT I BELIEVE, UH, WE SHOULD DO.
AND CHIEF PAUL HAS BEEN PUSHING FORWARD WITH THAT.
AND WHEN WE MAKE THOSE ARRESTS WORKING WITH OUR, OUR LOCAL PARTNERS FAR AS THE DA OFFICE, UH, IN ATTEMPT TO, UH, IDENTIFY THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE ARRESTED THAT HAVE A LONG, UH, RAP SHEETS OF ARRESTS AND HAVE MULTIPLE ARRESTS AND, AND BEING BONDED AND HAVE THOSE ARRESTS AND STILL COMMITTING CRIMES, HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO WHERE, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS, UH, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO SEE, UH, THAT THERE IS SOME TYPE OF ACTION BEING TAKEN.
AND THEY, THEY'LL FEEL EMPOWERED, UH, WHEN THEY MAKE THAT CALL, WHEN THEY SEE, UH, THAT, UH, WE'RE BEING PRODUCTIVE IN NOT ONLY MAKING THE ARREST, BUT KEEPING THOSE CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS, UH, BEHIND BARS.
MY FINAL, UM, QUESTION IS, UM, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP OR MANAGERIAL STYLE? UM, AND HAVE YOU, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO YOU'VE SUPERVISED OR HOW YOU KNOW, HOW YOU'VE BEEN DOING THAT.
YES, MA'AM, SO FAR IN YOUR CAREER? WELL, I WOULD SAY, UH, FAR AS MY, MY LEADERSHIP STYLE IS BEING STRAIGHTFORWARD AND BEING CLEAR AND WHAT, UH, WHAT, UH, MAY NEED TO BE DONE.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY I HADN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPERVISE A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE JOB THAT I'VE HAD.
AND, UH, THE CHIEFS THAT I WORKED FOR, UH, WANTED ME TO STAY WHERE I WAS AT.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'VE BEEN WITH THE CHIEFS, ALL FIVE OF 'EM IN THEIR DIRECTIVE POSITION.
I'VE BEEN WITH THEM WHEN DECISIONS HAVE
[01:55:01]
BEEN MADE, I'VE OFTEN, OFTEN, UH, OFFERED SOME OF MY OPINIONS AND SOME OF THE DIRECTIONS IN WHICH WE SHOULD GO.I'VE SEEN, UH, AND BEEN A PART OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS WITH THE, THE CHIEFS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THEM.
I'VE SEEN IT FROM BEGINNING TO END.
SO, UH, GOING OUT THERE WITH THE OFFICERS AND GIVING 'EM DIRECTION WHEN I'M OUT ON THE SCENE AND GIVING THE DIRECTION OF INFORMATION THAT I RECEIVED FROM THE CHIEF IN WHICH WE SHOULD GO, I FEEL HAS BEEN A STRONG PART, UH, OF MY, UH, IDEA OF PUSHING FORWARD WITH LEADERSHIP AND GIVING DIRECTION TO, UH, THE OFFICERS THAT I WORK WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO, BEING IN THE ROOM, A LOT OF ROOMS I'VE BEEN IN FOR, UH, MANY, MANY YEARS, UH, UH, WITH, UH, DIFFERENT AGENCIES INCLUDING THE SHERIFF, THE DA ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UH, ON A LOCAL LEVEL, LEVEL OF BEING IN THE ROOM AND PARTAKING IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, I THINK THAT'S PREPARED ME AND UNDERSTANDING WHY WE DO WHEN WE DO AND HOW TO PUT IT IN PLAY.
SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR QUESTION, UH, ASKING, UH, NEXT, WE'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR CLOSING STATEMENTS.
I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE, UH, THE SLIDE.
MEDIA RELATIONS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE THE PIE, PEOPLE WANT TO FEEL SAFE AND KNOW THAT THEIR MESSAGE IS BEING HEARD AND DELIVERED BY THE FRUITS OF OUR COMBINED LABOR.
AND WHEN I MEAN THE FRUITS OF OUR COMBINED LABOR, I'M TALKING ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, FAITH-BASED, ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER.
'CAUSE WE CANNOT DO IT BY OURSELVES.
WE'VE BEEN PREACHING THAT MESSAGE, UH, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UH, WITH CHIEF PAUL, WE CANNOT DO IT BY OURSELVES.
WE HAVE TO DO IT, UH, TOGETHER.
WE MUST HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SHARE A MESSAGE AND TRUTH REGARDLESS OF HOW HARD IT MAY BE, REGARDLESS OF WHO FEELINGS YOU HURT, NO MATTER, UH, OR WHAT THEIR IDEA IS.
GIVEN THE TRUTH ALWAYS, UH, WILL PUSH YOU THROUGH ANY ISSUE THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND FINALLY, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE IN PROTECTING THE RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES OF EVERY CITIZEN IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, WHETHER AFFLUENT OR STRUGGLING TO EXIST IN THIS SOCIETY.
THIS IS MY CREED, THIS IS MY COMMITMENT TO MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN BLUE, AND TO EVERY CITIZEN WHO CALL OUR CITY HOME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT CANDIDATE WILL BE MR. MORRIS.
HE SAID THAT EATING THE WHOLE SANDWICH.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
HI, MS. CARLA, HOW ARE YOU? I'M WELL.
UM, SO THIS IS HOW, UH, HOW THIS IS GONNA WORK.
WE'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR YOU TO GIVE US OPENING STATEMENTS.
THEN WE'RE GONNA GO AROUND AND EACH MEMBER OF THE PANEL WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION.
UM, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER, UH, EACH QUESTION, AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK A SECOND TIME.
AND IF FOLKS HAVE A SECOND QUESTION, THEY'LL ASK THAT AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
AND THEN AT THE END, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR A CLOSING STATEMENT.
AND I, WHEN IT'S GETTING TIME FOR YOUR TWO MINUTES, I'LL KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE OKAY, THAT'D BE GREAT.
SO WHENEVER YOU'RE READY TO GET STARTED, I HAVE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT I'D LIKE TO PASS OUT.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO THAT NOW OR AFTER? UH, YOU CAN DO THAT NOW, THAT'S FINE.
OR, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW IF SOMEONE ELSE WAS OVER THERE THAT COULD HELP PASS IT OUT.
BUT YEAH, JUST GO AHEAD AND THANK YOU.
[02:00:01]
HOW YOU DOING, MAN? THANK YOU, SIR.WELL, GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING, ANSWERING ANY AND ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS WITH FULL HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY.
MY NAME IS TJ MORSE AND I'M A SERGEANT WITH THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHERE I'VE WORKED FOR GOING ON 21 YEARS.
I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE COMMANDER OF TRAINING SERVICES, WHICH PLACES ME OVER THE TRAINING ACADEMY, RECRUITING AND THE FIREARMS TRAINING UNIT.
I'VE ALSO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM, OR SWAT, AS IT IS COMMONLY CALLED FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY JOB AND I'M THANKFUL FOR ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS AFFORDED ME.
THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO UNIFORM PATROL TRAINED OFFICERS AS AN FTO, WORKED IN THE CANINE DIVISION AND THEN FOR THE LAST SEVEN PLUS YEARS HAVE BEEN IN OR SUPERVISED TRAINING FULL-TIME.
I'M CURRENTLY A CERTIFIED POST CURRICULUM INSTRUCTOR, DEFENSIVE TACTICS INSTRUCTOR, TASER INSTRUCTOR, STATE FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR, AND ADVANCED DMT AND CPR INSTRUCTOR.
JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THE CERTIFICATION THE DEPARTMENT HAS AFFORDED ME.
I WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT TRAVELED TO CALIFORNIA AND BROUGHT THE PROCEDURAL JUSTICE PROGRAM BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT.
I'M ALSO ONE OF ONLY TWO CURRENT INSTRUCTORS FOR FAIR AND IMPARTIAL POLICING, WHICH IS A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL POLICING, WHICH FOCUSES ON PREVENTING BIAS BASED PINI POLICING.
AND I'VE HELPED TEACH THAT COURSE TO EVERY OFFICER ON THE DEPARTMENT.
RECENTLY, I'VE HELPED PARTNER WITH AN ORGANIZATION FROM NEW JERSEY CALLED EQUAL JUSTICE USA AND ROLLING OUT A PROGRAM CALLED TRAUMA TO TRUST.
THIS PROGRAM BRINGS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND POLICE OFFICERS IN THE SAME TWO-DAY CLASS TO TALK ABOUT CONCERNS ON BOTH SIDES AND THE SPIRIT OF BRIDGING GAPS AND WORKING TOGETHER FOR COMMON GOALS.
FROM A POSITION OF TRUST, I WAS HONORED TO ORGANIZE AND ATTEND THE FIRST TWO PILOT SESSIONS EARLIER THIS YEAR AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE ROLLOUT OF MORE OF THESE IMPORTANT CLASSES.
BEING IN TRAINING FOR THE TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVES ME A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AND OUTLOOK.
I AM ABLE TO INTERACT WITH EVERY MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT DURING TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
I'M ALSO ABLE TO TEACH MANY COMMUNITY-CENTERED CLASSES TO SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, AND OTHER CLASSES THAT WE HAVE HOSTED, LIKE WOMEN'S SELF-DEFENSE COPS, AND CLERGY AND CITIZENS ACADEMIES.
APART FROM MY PROFESSIONAL INTEREST IN THIS PROCESS, I AND MANY MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY LIVE IN BATON ROUGE AND BATON ROUGE POLICE IS WHO WOULD RESPOND IF THEY EVER CALLED 9 1 1.
THIS GIVES ME AN EVEN MORE INVESTED INTEREST IN THE SUCCESS OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THE DECISION FOR CHIEF OF POLICE HAS A MAJOR IMPACT ON THAT SUCCESS.
TALKING TO CITIZENS AND LISTENING TO OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT, IT IS ALMOST LIKE PEOPLE ARE KIND OF HOLDING THEIR BREATH GREATLY ANTICIPATING WHO THE MAYOR WILL APPOINT TO TAKE OVER AS LEADER OF OUR GREAT DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, I COMMEND EACH OF YOU FOR YOU SITTING ON THIS COMMITTEE AND TAKING ON THIS GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING TO EACH OF YOU AND ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
I HAVE A QUESTION IN REGARDS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE FIVE LARGEST CRITERIA THAT A GOOD POLICE CHIEF WOULD HAVE TO LEAD THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE? UH, EXCELLENT QUESTION.
I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST LEADERSHIP.
I THINK GOOD POLICE CHIEF HAS TO BE AT THE CENTER, A GREAT LEADER.
UM, YOU HAVE TO MI LEAD THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN A DIRECTION THAT HE OR SHE WOULD WANT TO GO, UM, AND LEAD THEM.
NOT HAVING TO PULL THEM BEGRUDGINGLY, BUT LEAD THEM WHERE THEY WANNA FOLLOW WILLINGLY.
SECOND, UH, I THINK A KIND OF GO TWO AND THREE WOULD BE HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY.
WE NEED SOMEONE THAT IS GONNA BE VERY OPEN AND HONEST AND TRANSPARENT WITH ALL INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY GOING ON AND ANYTHING THAT MIGHT COME IN THE FUTURE TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND BRING THEM ON BOARD.
ALSO, UH, FOURTH, UM, THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS BIG ORGANIZATION, SO YOU NEED SOMEBODY WITH SOME BUSINESS SENSE, SOME COMMON SENSE AND, UM, SMARTS TO BE ABLE TO RUN AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THAT.
UH, I KNOW YOU ASKED FOR FIVE, BUT I THINK, UH, LEADERSHIP BEING THE BIGGEST, HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY, AND A WILLING JUST TO WORK WITH ALL PEOPLE.
SO THE QUESTION I'M GONNA ASK YOU IS FROM CATEGORY 11, POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR BRP CANDIDATES, BRPD CANDIDATES.
BUT TIED TO IT IS, UH, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING
[02:05:01]
OR KIND OF BRINGING IT UP, WE DID ASK BEFORE THIS ABOUT SORT OF DISCIPLINARY RECORDS AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE MIGHT ASK ABOUT IT.BUT WE SAW IT AND I NOTICED THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANYTHING IN YOUR FILE FOR NINE YEARS, BUT BEFORE THAT THERE WAS SOME THAT SEEMED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE CANINE UNIT.
I KNOW THAT IT UNDERWENT SOME CHANGES AND BE WELL AFTER YOUR TIME THERE, IT SEEMS. AND SO MY QUESTION THERE IS, THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER AS AN OFFICER IN THE CANINE UNIT, IN THE OTHER UNITS, WERE THERE ANY POLICIES OR PROCEDURES THAT YOU SAW IMPLEMENTED THAT SUCCEEDED? WERE THERE OTHERS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MODIFIED? ARE THERE SOME THAT HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED THAT HAVE LED TO GOOD RESULTS? OKAY.
I'D BE HARD PRESSED TO THINK OF ANY POLICIES THAT WE JUST COMPLETELY GOT RID OF.
UM, I CAN THINK OF QUITE A FEW POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN AMENDED, CHANGED, UPDATED, UM, WHICH ALL THINGS NEED TO BE, I BELIEVE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AS YOU KNOW, TIMES PROGRESS AND CLIMATE'S CHANGED, ALL POLICIES NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY UNDER REVIEW.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, TATTOOS AND FACIAL HAIR AND GROOMING POLICIES, JUST TO NAME A FEW THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
I KNOW THAT, UH, THE CANINE UNIT AFTER, YOU KNOW, RECENT YEARS WAS UNDER SOME SPOTLIGHT.
AND THIS, THERE WERE SOME POLICY CHANGES MADE WITH THE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL BEING IN MIND ON, UM, THE USE OF OUR TRAINED POLICE CANINES AND OPERATING JUVENILES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WEARING BODY CAMERAS TO DO TRACKS ALL OF THOSE COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH, UM, USING THE BODY CAMERAS FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY BECAUSE 99% OF THE TIME WE ARE GOING TO COME OUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THOSE.
SO I THINK HAVING THE BODY CAMERAS IS NOTHING BUT GOOD FOR OUR OFFICERS AND FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
OUR CANINE DIVISION IS HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY DECORATED.
UH, WE JUST ATTENDED NATIONAL, OUR, THEY JUST ATTENDED NATIONALS AND WE HAD SOMEBODY PLAY SECOND IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, UH, FIRST IN OBEDIENCE AND THEN SECOND OVERALL IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY FOR WORK WITH HIS LEASE DOG.
UM, WHEN I WAS THERE, AND I KNOW IT CONTINUES NOW, THE RATIO OF APPREHENSIONS TO GIVE UPS WAS, WELL, WELL, WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, THERE'S NATIONAL AVERAGE OF ABOUT 33% THAT YOU WANNA LOOK AT AS COMMON PRACTICES.
AND OUR DIVISION WAS ALWAYS WELL, WELL UNDER THAT, WHICH MEANS THAT THE HANDLERS WERE RESTRAINED IN THE USE OF THEIR DOGS EVEN THOUGH THAT THEY HAD THEIR DOGS OUT AND COULD HAVE SENT, THE DOGS WERE ALLOWING SUSPECTS TO GIVE UP AND TAKEN INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT THAT USE OF FORCE.
UM, THE QUESTION IS COMING FROM THE CATEGORY OF EXTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY, PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR PLAN FOR ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES REGARDING OFFICERS BEING CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND OTHER CRIMES.
YEAH, SO I THINK IT'S BEEN SAID MANY TIMES.
IT MIGHT'VE BEEN SAID HERE BEFORE Y'ALL, THAT NO ONE LIKES A BAD POLICE OFFICER.
MORE THAN NO ONE HATES A BAD POLICE OFFICER MORE THAN A GOOD POLICE OFFICER.
UH, I THINK THAT ESPECIALLY RINGS TRUE FOR ME BEING IN TRAINING FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE.
LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN A PART OF TRAINING FULL-TIME FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS.
AND SO THAT MEANS FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS I'VE HELPED EITHER TRAIN OR SUPERVISE EVERY SINGLE POLICE OFFICER THAT WE'VE HIRED.
SO ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT GROUP, I ALMOST FEEL LIKE, UH, THEY'RE MY KIDS OR MY CHILDREN.
UM, AND IT'S KIND OF A GUT PUNCH.
IF I SEE ONE OF THEM GETTING IN TROUBLE OR GOING AGAINST THOSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT I KNOW I POURED BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS INTO THEM TO TRY TO GET THEM TO UPHOLD.
UM, WE HAVE TO, ANY ALLEGATIONS NEED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND LOOKED AT HEAD ON.
AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA USE THAT WORD FULL TRANSPARENCY, UH, THAT IF WE ARE WRONG, WE'RE WRONG.
AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE OF THE TWO.
AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO RUN THOSE INVESTIGATIONS INDEPENDENTLY, ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE AND CRIMINALLY SIDE.
UM, AS CHIEF OF POLICE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE INNOCENT CRIMINALLY BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF PROOF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT.
BUT ADMINISTRATIVELY YOU DID SOME THINGS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GET TO THAT LEVEL OF PROOF.
AND GUESS WHAT, YOU'RE NO LONGER WORKING FOR US OR THERE'S GONNA BE SOME KIND OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
SO I THINK WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SPECIAL CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS, THOSE TWO INVESTIGATIONS RUNNING SEPARATE AND WE CAN DO THINGS ON BOTH SIDES.
UH, MR. MORRIS, HOW YOU DOING? GOOD.
ARE THERE O OTHER MODELS OF POLICING THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TRIED IN BATON ROUGE THAT COULD REDUCE CRIME AND PROMOTE SAFETY? OTHER MODELS OF POLICING? SO I THINK THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE 21ST CENTURY POLICING HAVE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY.
UM, R-R-T-C-C, UH, SHOT SPOTTER, OUR CAMERA SHARING PROGRAM, PROGRAMS LIKE THAT, I THINK, UH, THOSE INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN REALLY, REALLY SUCCESSFUL AND WE'RE ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THOSE LABORS ON A DOWNWARD TREND OF HOMICIDES
[02:10:01]
RIGHT NOW, UM, THIS YEAR, UH, RECOVERING FROM THE SPIKE THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF COVID AND A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS.BUT AS FAR AS MODELS OF POLICING, I COULD, I THINK THAT WE COULD DO MORE WITH ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY SO THAT CRIMES ARE ACTUALLY REPORTED.
WE CAN LOOK AT USES FOR TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO MAKE IT EASIER TO REPORT CRIMES AND INTERACT WITH THE POLICE SO THAT WE GET A TRUE FEELING OF WHERE WE NEED TO PUT OUR RESOURCES AND OUR OFFICER DEPLOYMENT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE PROGRAMS LIKE THAT WE'VE KIND OF GONE AWAY FROM, BUT THAT WE COULD EASILY GET GRANT MONEY, LIKE THE BAY CAR PROGRAM, WHICH WAS USED IN THE PAST.
UM, IT'S KIND OF CONTROVERSIAL.
UM, PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AS ENTRAPMENT OR SOMETHING.
MY OPINION, I DON'T SEE WHY A CITIZEN THIS CITY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE THEIR CAR UNLOCKED IN A PARKING LOT WITH VALUABLES AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT GETTING BROKEN INTO.
I DON'T SEE WHY A CITIZEN IN THIS COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PULL UP TO A GAS STATION, LEAVE THEIR CAR RUNNING, GO INSIDE, GET A DRINK, AND COME OUT AND NOT EXPECT THEIR CAR TO STILL BE THERE.
SO I THINK PROGRAMS LIKE BIG CAR WHERE IF CRIMINALS ARE LIKE, OH, I BETTER THINK TWICE BEFORE BREAKING INTO THIS CAR BECAUSE MAYBE IT'S OWNED BY THE POLICE WOULD BE VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT BROUGHT BACK.
UH, THE CHIEF'S POSITION, UH, THE CHIEF ACCESS CEO OF A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATION, WHICH OVERSEES HUNDREDS OF STAFF AND MILLIONS OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS AND MANAGED THOUSANDS OF PHYSICAL RESOURCES.
WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND MAKES YOU QUALIFIED TO SERVE AT THIS LEVEL? PLEASE PROVIDE SPECIFIC DETAILS.
UM, KIND OF LIKE, UH, ANSWER TO MR. GREEN.
THAT IS DEFINITELY AN IMPORTANT PART OF BEING CHIEF OF POLICE IS BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND BEING THE LEADER OF YOUR, THE ALL THAT BUDGET.
RIGHT NOW, AS THE COMMANDER OF TRAINING SERVICES, I HAVE THREE DIVISIONS UNDERNEATH ME.
WHILE THAT MIGHT SEEM SMALL, THREE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DIVISIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT BEING THE TRAINING ACADEMY, WHICH TOUCHES EVERY SINGLE OFFICER, THE FIREARMS TRAINING UNIT, WHICH AGAIN, TRAINS EVERY OFFICER IN RECURRING TRAINING AND FIREARMS, AND THEN RECRUITING, UM, ALL THREE OF THOSE DIVISIONS.
MASSIVE BUDGETS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WHEN TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE IN, RECRUITING, TRAINING THEM, AND THEN THE PURCHASING OF FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, BIG PRICE TAGS.
UH, I WOULD USE THE PRINCIPLES THAT I'VE LEARNED IN THIS POSITION.
AND INSTEAD OF ADDING 2000 PLUS 2000, KIND OF 20 MILLION PLUS 20 MILLION, UH, KIND OF PRINCIPLES THAT, AND I'VE ALWAYS KIND OF LIVED BY THE PHILOSOPHY THAT I DON'T HAVE TO OWN A BOAT TO GO FISHING.
I JUST NEED TO KNOW SOMEONE WHO OWNS A BOAT
WE HAVE A LOT OF TALENTED PEOPLE, CIVILIANS WORKING IN PURCHASING AND ACCOUNTING AND BUSINESS MANAGERS THAT I CAN LEAN ON FOR THOSE KIND OF OPINIONS.
UH, MR. MORRIS, UH, THIS COMES FROM THE CATEGORY OF OFFICER WELLNESS AND WELLBEING.
UM, HOW WILL YOU ADDRESS AND WHAT IMPROVEMENTS MIGHT YOU MAKE AS CHIEF, UH, IN DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT OFFICERS FACE? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I THINK THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR OFFICERS IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE WHEN WE SEE BAD ACTORS, BAD HEADLINES.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SMALL THINGS LEADING UP TO THAT.
AND IF WE CAN GET AHEAD OF THAT, I THINK THAT THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE'VE MADE A LOT OF STRIDES SINCE 2016, DEVELOPING PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS INTERNALLY, LOOK USING SOME EXTERNAL RESOURCES ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BEHIND THE LINE, UM, BACK THE BLUE, UM, AND THEN OUR PEER SUPPORT.
I THINK THAT THE ELEMENT THAT WE'RE MISSING IS THAT WE'RE MORE ON A REACTIVE SIDE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF SWITCH TO BEING PROACTIVE.
UM, I MYSELF BEEN THROUGH WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED SEVERAL TRAUMATIC OR, UM, CATASTROPHIC EVENTS BEING ON THE DEPARTMENT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT LOTS OF HELP WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE THINGS.
BUT IT'S ALL THE SMALL THINGS.
WHENEVER I'M OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TALKING TO PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE SO SURPRISED WHEN I LET THEM KNOW, HEY, OFFICERS GO TO A CRASH WHERE SOMEONE IS KILLED AND THEY'RE STANDING THERE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT A DEAD BODY AND GIVING SOMEBODY A DEATH NOTIFICATION.
15 MINUTES LATER, THEY'RE GOING TO SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE ABOUT A LOUD MUSIC COMPLAINT.
THEY'RE AT A SHOOTING SCENE, PUTTING TOURNIQUETS IN CHEST SEALS AND SAVING SOMEONE'S LIFE, WASHING THEIR HANDS, CLEANING UP, AND THEN GOING TO WORK A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT OR SOMEBODY'S HOUSE THAT GOT BROKEN INTO.
IT'S THOSE WHAT WE CONSIDER SMALL THINGS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY ARE LIKE, WHOA, THAT'S CRAZY.
UM, THE BIG THINGS, OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS AND GETTING HURT.
THERE'S A LOT OF SYSTEMS IN PLACE.
I THINK WE COULD BE MORE PROACTIVE ON THOSE OTHER AREAS.
WHEN I WAS GETTING MY EMT AND MY ADVANCED EMT CERTIFICATIONS, WE HAD TO DO RIDEALONGS ON THE AMBULANCE.
[02:15:01]
THOSE INSTANCES WHERE I WAS DOING RIDEALONGS WITH EAST BATON ROUGE EMS, THERE WAS CALLS THAT THEY WOULD CONSIDERED CATASTROPHIC THAT BEFORE WE LEFT, THERE WAS SOMEONE THAT MET US AT THE HOSPITAL TO MAKE SURE WE WERE OKAY AND COULD GO ON TO THE NEXT CALL.AND I COULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU, MR. MORRIS, UH, UH, PROBABLY ANSWERED MORE PHONE CALLS AND TOLD FOLKS, I CAN'T TALK ABOUT YOU, UH, THE MOST, APPARENTLY THE FOLKS THAT YOU'VE ARRESTED OVER THE YEARS, REALLY LIKE YOU,
BUT YOU KNOW, I THANK YOU MR. HANS.
THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, IT SAYS A LOT, RIGHT? UH, AND, AND DRAKE ALLUDED TO SOMETHING THAT, THAT I JUST WANT TO GET SOME CLARITY ON, UH, BECAUSE I WANNA BE FAIR IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, I'M GONNA ASK IF WE CAN GO TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
'CAUSE I WANT ASK SOMETHING FROM HIS IA FILE IF IT HELPS.
YOU GET, I, I'M, I'M WILLING TO ANYTHING IN MY FILE BE COMPLETELY CON TRANSPARENT ABOUT OPEN, IF THAT HELPS.
I'M WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I, I, I WOULDN'T WANT DO THAT.
I WANT IF WE CAN GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION SECOND.
MR. COLE LEFT YOU HANGING TONIGHT.
HUN
EVEN WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, USE OF FORCE REVIEW, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I, AT THIS POINT, I'D BE WILLING TO JUST KIND OF, HERE'S THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE AND YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ELEMENT OF TRAINING SO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
I'M NOT SAYING THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH AN ENTIRE POLICE ACADEMY BY ANY MEANS, BUT THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF TRAINING THAT'S INVOLVED.
AND THERE NEEDS TO BE THAT PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONE, NOT JUST THE POLICE LOOKING AT IT AND NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY LOOKING AT IT, BUT KIND OF A PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER, LOOKING AT IT AND TRYING TO GET BOTH SIDES, BOTH POINT OF VIEWS.
OKAY, MR. GREEN, DO YOU HAVE A SECOND QUESTION? THIS TIME I PASSED TO DRAKE, PLEASE.
UH, SO SORRY, I'M TRYING TO FIND A QUESTION.
SOME OF MY BACKUPS I'VE ALREADY BEEN ASKED.
UM, WELL, SO I GUESS THIS, WAIT, LET ME START WITH THIS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE MYSELF, THIS IS FROM CATEGORY ONE, PERSONAL APPROACH IN LEADERSHIP.
AND THIS KIND OF GOES TO JEAN'S COMMENT ABOUT HOW PEOPLE SEEM TO, IN THE COMMUNITY, SEEM TO LIKE YOU, EVEN THE PEOPLE YOU'VE ARRESTED.
YOU SEEM VERY PERSONABLE HERE.
AND AS YOU SAID TO US, THE LAST AND ONLY CIVILIAN COMPLAINT YOU HAD WAS 19 YEARS AGO.
SO SEEING THAT YOU, YOU KIND OF HAVE THIS CHARACTER ABOUT YOU, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I'M WONDERING IS, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE CHIEF HAS TO FACE SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS AND ROLES OR RATHER CHOICES.
AND SO IF YOU'RE SELECTED AS THE CHIEF POLICE, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT, STAKEHOLDERS, OFFICERS, THE COMMUNITY, THE UNION, POLITICAL ACTORS AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN HAVE FAITH IN OR UNDERSTAND THE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE? UH, VERY GOOD QUESTION FOR THAT.
I WOULD LOOK AT, UH, TENETS OF PROCEDURAL JUSTICE.
I THINK THAT IF YOU GIVE EVERYBODY A VOICE AND YOU MAKE THE PROCESS AS TRANSPARENT AS IT CAN BE, UM, AND YOU TREAT EVERYONE FAIR AND IMPARTIALLY, THEN PEOPLE KIND OF WILL GET IT.
THEY WILL UNDERSTAND, LIKE I SAID, BEING A PART OF TRAINING FOR OVER SE, YOU KNOW, OVER SEVEN YEARS, FULL TIME FOR SEVEN, A LITTLE OVER SEVEN YEARS NOW.
I SEE AND PUT MY HANDS ON EVERYONE IN THE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN PEOPLE COME THROUGH RECURRING IN-SERVICE TRAINING, IT'S KIND OF LIKE, UH, THE HUB OF THE DEPARTMENT, LIKE A HIGH SCHOOL LOCKER ROOM OR A BARBERSHOP OR COFFEE SHOP WHERE EVERYBODY JUST KIND OF GETS TOGETHER AND STARTS TRADING STORIES, TALKING ABOUT RUMORS, TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON, COMPLAINING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND I LOOK AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO KIND OF QUASH SOME OF THAT STUFF, UM, AND REMIND EVERYBODY, HEY, REMEMBER WHY YOU'RE HERE.
REMEMBER WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE NEGATIVITY.
DO YOUR PART TO BRING UP THE POSITIVITY.
MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM A PERSONAL APPROACH IN LEADERSHIP, WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY WHEN YOU RETIRE? SO I HOPE THAT MY LEGACY IS ONE THAT
[02:20:01]
I LEFT AN IMPACT ON MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.UM, SO WHEN I WAS A NEW OFFICER, BRAND NEW OUTTA THE ACADEMY, I GOT ASSIGNED TO FIRST DISTRICT, GUS YOUNG AREA WAS MY MAIN AREA THAT I WAS IN.
I WOULD BE RIDING AROUND AND NO MATTER WHERE I WENT, WENT IN THAT AREA MAKING A TRAFFIC STOP, ANSWERING A CALL.
THERE WAS ALWAYS THE SAME 10 YEAR OLD BOY THAT WOULD RIDE UP ON HIS BICYCLE NO MATTER WHERE I WENT.
HE'D COME AND SAY, T MORRIS, T MORRIS, FLAG ME DOWN, STOP.
WIND UP DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, GOING TO HIS HOUSE, HAVING DINNER WITH HIM AND HIS FAMILY, GOING TO HIS SCHOOL, HAVING LUNCH WITH HIM AND HIS SCHOOL, BUYING HIM AND HIS TWIN SISTER BIRTHDAY PRESENCE.
AND TO SEE 20 YEARS LATER, THAT WHO WAS A BOY THEN THAT YOUNG MAN, WHAT HE'S BECOME, UM, I WON'T MENTION HIS NAME, BUT THE LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HE IS, I THINK THAT EVERYBODY HERE WOULD PROBABLY RECOGNIZE HIS NAME IF I SAID IT.
AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HE'S HELPED START TO LOOK AT HELPING OTHER PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS, UM, GET BETTER.
THINGS THAT I'M MOST PROUD ABOUT AND THE LEGACY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LEAD.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
UH, UH, UH, BROTHER MORRIS, UH, I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN BASED UPON 21ST CENTURY POLICING PILLARS.
SOMETHING THAT STICKS OUT IN MY MIND, IT SAYS, DUTY TO INTERVENE.
SO, DUTY TO INTERVENE IS, UH, ACTUALLY A NEWER KIND OF A HOT TOPIC, UM, ITEM KIND OF SWEEPING THE COUNTRY THAT, UM, TRAINING ACADEMY DIRECTOR THAT WORKS FOR ME, SERGEANT SHARON DOUGLAS.
SHE RECENTLY ATTENDED SOME TRAINING AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A LESSON PLAN THAT WE ARE GOING TO WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE CHIEF AND ADMINISTRATION, BUT US AT THE TRAINING ACADEMY LEVEL.
AND WE'RE GONNA START AT THE TRAINING AND WITH THEIR PERMISSION MANDATE THAT EVERY SINGLE OFFICER GO THROUGH THAT TRAINING.
UM, DUTY INTERVENE IS BASICALLY, IF I AM OFFICER ON SCENE, I SEE ANOTHER OFFICER DOING THAT.
THEY, SOMETHING THEY SHOULD NOT BE DOING USING EXCESSIVE FORCE, TREATING A CIVILIAN THE WAY THEY SHOULDN'T BE STEALING SOMETHING.
UM, TRYING TO THINK OF EXAMPLES, BUT BASICALLY IF I SAY DOING SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, IT IS UP TO THAT OFFICER AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO KIND OF STEP IN AND STOP THAT.
THAT IS WHAT DUTY INTERVENING TRAINING IS ALL ABOUT.
AND UNDER MY LEADERSHIP, I WOULD LOVE TO MANDATE THAT ACROSS THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT.
WITHOUT DISCUSSING ANY DETAILS REGARDING THE BRAVE CAVE AND RELATED ACQUISITIONS, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THIS TYPE OF ALLEGED ACTIVITY WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN AND GIVE US SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES? SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE INVESTIGATIONS WITH THE BRAVE CAVE AND STREET CRIMES UNITS, I THINK THAT THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THE BEST WAY, BUT DIFFERENT WAYS TO ENSURE THAT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, IS ONE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS INVESTIGATION VERY SERIOUSLY AND THOROUGHLY.
AND ANY AND ALLEGATIONS NEED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
AND ANY PLACE THAT WE SEE WHERE TRAINING WAS NOT FOLLOWED, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE NOT FOLLOWED.
WE DO NOT ALLOW, WE DO NOT ALLOW THIS.
WE WILL NOT PUT UP WITH THIS AND KIND OF SET A TONE FOR THE REST OF THE OFFICERS.
ON TOP OF THAT, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB IN THESE SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS OF MAKING SURE THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, SEEMS LIKE, UM, SOME SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS, NARCOTICS, STREET CRIMES UNIT, UM, THERE'S LAX IN CERTAIN AREAS WHEN IT COMES TO UNIFORMS, GROOMING, JUST SMALL THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ON THE SURFACE IS LIKE, HEY, THAT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL IF THEY'RE OUT THERE POLICING IN UNDER ARMOUR T-SHIRTS.
BUT I THINK IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT THEN LEAD, HEY, WE'RE SPECIAL SO WE CAN GET AWAY WITH DOING THESE OTHER THINGS.
AND TO ME, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THAT.
UH, MR. MORRIS, THIS IS, UH, STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES CATEGORY.
UM, HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THE INCREASING, UH, RATE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? HUGE, HUGE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE SEEN A RISE SINCE C-O-V-I-D IN 2020, WHERE VICTIMS AND THEIR ABUSERS ON LOCKDOWN TOGETHER IN THE SAME HOUSE.
UM, AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY GOT A GRASP AND RECOVERED EVEN SINCE THEN IN THE PAST THREE YEARS.
I THINK, AGAIN, IT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE CAN'T ARREST OUR WAY OUT OF.
I THINK WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF TRAINING OUR OFFICERS ON HOW
[02:25:01]
TO INVESTIGATE THESE CRIMES AND LOOKING FOR THE PREDOMINANT AGGRESSOR.WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THE TRAINING ACADEMY, RECURRENT TRAINING, TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INVESTIGATIONS AND MAKING THE APPROPRIATE ARREST.
BUT THEN AFTER THAT ARREST KIND OF GOES INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S HANDS, UNFORTUNATELY GOES INTO THE COURTS AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US KIND OF WORK WITH PEOPLE TO INCREASE THE ANKLE MONITORING PROGRAMS AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S FOLLOWED THROUGH PROBATION AND PAROLE CHECK-INS, AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HELP ENCOURAGE THAT, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO NEED TO JUST WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, IRIS, BUTTERFLY, OR ORGANIZATION, ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE WORK RIGHT NOW TO BRING AWARENESS TO THIS SUBJECT SO THAT THE CRIMES ARE GETTING REPORTED, EVEN IF THE VICTIM'S NOT ABLE TO REPORT IT, MAYBE SOMEBODY THAT THE VICTIM KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON, THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE REPORTING IT.
AND WHEN THAT REPORT IS MADE, THEN WE CAN START THE PROCESS FIRST WITH THE POLICE LEVEL, MAKING THE ARREST, AND THEN FOLLOWING ALL THE WAY THROUGH, UM, INTO THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
IT WAS A QUESTION, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, BUT JUST A STATEMENT.
UH, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HUMILITY AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS.
AND THAT LITTLE BOY REALLY WANTS TO SEE YOU BE POLICE CHIEF
I, MY QUESTION COMES FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE BLACK COMMUNITY, TO IMPROVE TRUST AND OPEN COMMUNICATION? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA? GREAT.
UH, I KIND OF SUBSCRIBE TO PSYCHOLOGY THEORY CALLED THE CONTACT PRINCIPLE.
CONTACT THEORY OR BASICALLY STATES.
THE MORE INTERACTIONS YOU HAVE WITH SOMEONE, THEN THE MORE THE STEREOTYPES ARE BROKEN DOWN, THE MORE THEN YOU'RE ABLE TO VIEW THEM AS A REAL PERSON, THE MORE THEN YOU'RE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THEM AND GET CLOSER TOGETHER.
SO THE, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHEN THE POLICE SHOW UP, IT'S BECAUSE SOMEONE'S HAVING A BAD DAY, RIGHT? IT'S, NOBODY CALLS US AND SAYS, HEY, WOULD YOU COME OVER? 'CAUSE I WANT YOU TO BE PART OF OUR BARBECUE AND EVERYTHING IS FINE.
AND HUNKY DORY OVER HERE, SOMEONE HAD JUST HAD, WAS A VICTIM OF A CRIME.
SOMEONE WAS JUST A SUSPECT OF A CRIME, SOMEBODY GOT PULLED OVER 'CAUSE THEY WERE SPEEDING OR RUNNING A RED LIGHT.
SO THE MORE POSITIVE INTERACTIONS WE CAN HAVE THROUGH COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, THROUGH COMMUNITY INTERACTIONS, THE BETTER.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON RECENTLY THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE EXPANDED IS OUR MEDICAL SUPPORT TEAM.
UM, I, I SAID EARLIER, THE DEPARTMENT REPORTED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MY ADVANCED EMT DEGREE.
UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL OFFICERS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH PROGRAMS SIMILAR TO THAT.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS GRANT MONIES THAT WE COULD PUT, UH, AEDS IN THE BACK OF POLICE CARS SO THAT IF SOMEONE CALLS 9 1 1, MAYBE WE CAN GO AND HELP THAT PERSON BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO ARREST, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE CALLS 9 1 1, HIGH PROBABILITY THERE'S A POLICE CAR CLOSER THAN A FIRETRUCK OR AN AMBULANCE.
AND OUR OFFICERS ARE ALREADY TRAINED IN THE USE OF A LOT OF MEDICAL STUFF, INCLUDING CPR AND AEDS.
SO WHY NOT LET US GET THE SUPERHERO TITLE LIKE FIREFIGHTERS AND EMS AND GOING TO SAVE LIVES INSTEAD OF TAKING THE BAT RAP ALL THE TIME.
AND THIS WILL BE THE FINAL QUESTION.
UM, SO YOU ARE AN INVOLVED WITH TRAINING, SO YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT RECRUITMENT.
I KNOW WE'RE, I THINK A HUNDRED OFFICERS DOWN A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT.
SO WHAT KIND OF IDEAS WOULD YOU BRING FOR I IMPROVING RECRUITMENT TO, TO GET OUR NUMBERS BACK UP? GREAT QUESTION.
UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, LIKE I SAID, I BECAME COMMANDER TRAINING SERVICES.
SO THE RECRUITMENT DIVISION ACTUALLY FALLS UNDERNEATH MY COMMAND.
WE HAVE A NEW RECRUITING DIRECTOR, SERGEANT MCCOY, THAT I THINK HAS BEEN JUST DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB IN THE SHORT TIME THAT HE'S BEEN THERE.
HE HAS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AND A NEW UNIQUE OUTLOOK ON TRYING TO BRING MORE PEOPLE IN.
UM, WE'RE STARTING NEW INITIATIVES, UH, 30 BY 30 INITIATIVE TARGETING TO GET MORE FEMALE OFFICERS ON THE FORCE GLOBAL.
UM, IT'S A COUNTRYWIDE KIND OF THING 'CAUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT, FEMALES ARE GENERALLY UNDERREPRESENTED, UNDERREPRESENTED, UH, WORKING WITH OUR LOCAL COLLEGES, SPECIFICALLY BRCC SOUTHERN WHO HAVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS TRYING TO GET A PIPELINE.
I WENT TO BRCC NOT TOO LONG AGO AND I HEARD A STAT THAT KIND OF SHOCKED ME THAT THEY WERE HAVING 30 OR 40 CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UM, GRADUATES EVERY SEMESTER OR EVERY YEAR.
AND I WAS THINKING, WELL, WHERE ARE THEY GOING? WHY ARE THEY NOT COMING TO THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT? RIGHT? SO
[02:30:01]
THOSE KIND OF THINGS REALLY, REALLY THINK WE NEED TO STEP UP OUR SOCIAL MEDIA GAME.UM, THERE'S NO REASON MY HOMETOWN IS SLIDE LOUISIANA, UM, LOOKING AT THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE, LID POLICE DEPARTMENT, A LITTLE SMALL PLACE.
THEY HAVE MORE FOLLOWERS THAN THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S FACEBOOK PAGE.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO STEP UP OUR SOCIAL MEDIA GAME WHERE WE'RE ATTRACTING THAT YOUNG TALENT.
UH, PART OF THAT IS HIGHLIGHTING WHAT OUR OFFICERS ARE DOING.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE AMAZED WHEN I TELL THEM THAT WE HAVE MEDICAL SAVES, UH, OVER SE ABOUT AROUND 75 OR SO A YEAR FROM PUTTING ON, FROM SAVING GUNSHOT VICTIMS AND TRAUMA VICTIMS WITH GUN TOURNIQUETS CHEST SEALS, THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE FIRST THERE AND THEY'RE DOING LIFESAVING MEASURES.
THAT'S A TRIBUTED TO THE DECREASE IN HOMICIDE RATE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF WHAT WORK OUR OFFICERS ARE DOING, WE'RE DEPLOYING 25 TO 30 USES OF NARCAN TO SAVE OVERDOSE VICTIMS, UM, YEARLY.
AND SO IF WE CAN FOCUS ON THE GOOD THINGS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES, I THINK THAT WILL ALSO HELP OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS.
OKAY, SO THAT WRAPS UP OUR QUESTIONS.
UM, OUR LAST THING IS, UH, YOUR, YOUR CLOSING STATEMENTS FOR US.
SO HAVE ABOUT TWO MINUTES FOR THAT.
UH, JUST IN CLOSING, I WANT TO AGAIN, THANK Y'ALL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE GRAVITY OF Y'ALL'S RESPONSIBILITY IS LOST ON ANY ONE OF YOU.
AND I JUST APPRECIATE THIS POSITION THAT Y'ALL HAVE TAKEN ON.
THE NEXT CHIEF OF POLICE IS, LIKE I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, PEOPLE ARE WAITING ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEAT TO SEE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND I THINK THAT DECISION IS GOING TO EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE APARTMENT IN THE CITY FOR YEARS TO COME.
UM, SO IT'S A VERY BIG DECISION AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I APPRECIATE Y'ALL LETTING ME COME AND SPEAK TO YOU, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE.
WE'VE GOT ONE MORE, UM, CANDIDATE TO HEAR TODAY.
AND THERE IS, UH, JASON'S DELI OVER THERE.
SO IF YOU'RE HUNGRY NOW AND YOU'D LIKE TO GET A BOX, UH, WHILE WE'RE HERE, I SUGGEST YOU GET IT NOW.
UH, OR IF YOU WANNA WAIT TILL WE'RE DONE AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER THAT.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
UM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE WILL, UH, WE WILL HAVE MR. POLITO ACTUALLY ISN'T SAYING THAT.
UM, SO, UH, MR. POLITO, HERE'S THE WAY THAT OUR, OUR PROCESS HAS WORKED.
WE'LL START WITH A THREE MINUTE, UH, OPENING STATEMENTS.
AND THEN, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE PANEL AND EVERYONE WILL HAVE A QUESTION TO ASK.
UH, AND YOU'LL HAVE ABOUT TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER.
UH, THEN WE WILL GO BACK THROUGH AND IF PEOPLE HAVE A SECOND QUESTION, WE'LL DO THAT AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES, UH, TO, UM, TO GIVE A CLOSING STATEMENT.
AND, UH, SO I DON'T HAVE TO INTERRUPT, I'LL KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE WIND UP RAPID UP TIME.
SO WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, YOU CAN START WITH, UH, YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS.
I AM THE COMMANDER OF THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS BUREAU FOR THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I BEGAN MY CAREER WITH BRPD IN 1995 AFTER LEAVING GRADUATE SCHOOL.
SINCE THEN, I HAVE WORKED THROUGHOUT JUST ABOUT EVERY ASPECT OF THE DEPARTMENT.
I SPENT 10 YEARS IN UNIFORM PATROL IN CANINE SIX AS A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE, SIX AS IN OUR FULL-TIME SWAT UNIT.
THEN I WENT BACK TO HOMICIDE AS THE HOMICIDE COMMANDER, THEN BACK TO FULL-TIME TO BE THE SWAT COMMANDER.
[02:35:01]
HAD BEEN THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER AND THE BUREAU COMMANDER FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.I'M MARRIED, HAVE THREE CHILDREN, 2 24 YEAR OLD TWINS, AND A SIX YEAR OLD SON IN FIRST GRADE.
ALL RIGHT, THEN WE'LL START WITH MR. GREEN.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING BRPD TODAY? WE'VE GOT A COUPLE BLACK EYES RECENTLY.
UH, MORALE IS A PROBLEM, BUT IT'S, SOME OF IT IS OUR OWN DOING.
THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT IS SHORT.
ALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE SHORT.
UH, WE NEED TO GET BETTER WITH TAKING OUR KE CARE OF OURSELVES.
WE HAVE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TASKED TO DO.
BUT WE'VE GOTTA START LOOKING INSIDE, TAKE CARE OF OUR OFFICERS MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY SO THAT SOME OF THE BLACK EYES THAT WE HAVE OCCURRED DON'T CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
SO THIS IS FROM CATEGORY 10, OFFICER WELLNESS AND WELLBEING.
AND GIVEN THAT YOU WERE A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE AND THEN UNIFORM PATROL AND SWAT, I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN YOUR FAIR SHARE OF, UH, TRYING MOMENTS AND, AND DISTRESSING INCIDENTS.
AND WITH THAT IN MIND, UH, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, HOW WILL YOU ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT OFFICERS MAY FACE AND ENSURE THEIR HOLISTIC WELLBEING? ALRIGHT, SO I WENT TO THE FBI ACADEMY WHEN I GRADUATED.
ONE OF THE CLASSES WE TOOK, I WROTE A CORNERSTONE PAPER ON OFFICER WELLNESS.
IN THAT PAPER, I LISTED SEVERAL THINGS.
MOST OF WE HAVE STARTED TO DO.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS IS OUR PEER SUPPORT GROUP.
FOR YEARS, MENTAL HEALTH WAS STIGMATIZED, NOT ONLY IN SOCIETY, BUT ESPECIALLY THE POLICE.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT I HAVE DONE OR SEEN, AND I, I HAVE SEEN DONE THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFECTED ME EARLIER IN MY CAREER, AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PROCESS IT.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE AN OFFICER THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO PROCESS IT, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN.
THEY CAN BECOME INTROVERTED, AND THEN THEY JUST STOP BEING A GOOD EMPLOYEE.
UH, THEY START DOING THE OPPOSITE AND THEY BECOME EXTROVERTED, AND THEY'RE A LITTLE RUFF ON CRIMINALS OR RUFF ON SOCIETY THAT SOMEBODY DOESN'T NEED TO BE.
SO, MENTAL HEALTH IS A BIG THING.
OUR PEER SUPPORT GROUP HAS REACHED OUR OFFICERS, OUR OFFICERS ARE STARTING TO COME AROUND IN 2023.
FINALLY, THAT IT'S OKAY TO SAY YOU NEED HELP.
IT'S OKAY TO SEE SOMEBODY AT THEIR WORST STATE.
IT'S OKAY TO SEE SOMEBODY THAT IS MURDERED MINGLED IN A CAR.
IT IS NOT A YOU MEAN CONDITION THAT WE CAN JUST TURN OFF.
SO OUR, I WOULD CONTINUE THAT.
I WOULD CON CONTINUE OUR PEER SUPPORT.
I WOULD LOVE TO LOOK INTO THE ABILITY TO HAVE MORE REGISTERED INDIVIDUALS HELP US.
OUR PEER SUPPORT GROUP IS GREAT.
THEY ALSO ARE ON OUR, THEIR CRISIS NEGOTIATING TEAM.
SO THEY ARE WELL TRAINED IN THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT THEIR MAIN JOB.
WE NEED HELP FROM REAL WORKERS.
MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM THE CATEGORY OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WHICH NEW COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORTS DO YOU FAVOR MOST? WHY? WHICH DO YOU DISFAVOR? WHY? SO I FAVOR MOST, SOME OF THE STUFF WE'RE DOING NOW, WE'RE USING DATA IN OUR, UH, P AND I GROUPS, OR P AND I TO TARGET WHERE WE BELIEVE AREAS OF CRIME ARE OCCURRING.
AND NOT JUST THE INDIVIDUALS, BUT THE SPECIFIC AREAS.
WHAT I DON'T FAVOR IS, IN ALL HONESTY, HOW WE USED TO POLICE IN THE 95 AND EVERYTHING WHEN I GOT HERE.
ZERO TOLERANCE DOES NOTHING TO A COMMUNITY.
IF I STOP EVERY INDIVIDUAL FOR EVERY BRAKE LIGHT OR EVERY LICENSE PLATE LIGHT, OR EVERYBODY THAT'S DOING SOMETHING, ALL I GET IS THE PEOPLE DON'T WANNA BE AROUND THE POLICE.
THAT DOESN'T STOP A MURDER THAT HARASSES CITIZENS.
THERE IS A CERTAIN ELEMENT OF PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW ARE COMMITTING THE MOST CRIMES.
WE TARGET THEM AND WHERE THEY HANG OUT AND WE JUST HELP CIVILIAN OR CITIZENS.
MR. POLITO, HOW YOU DOING THIS AFTERNOON? I'M DOING WELL, SIR.
DO YOU BELIEVE BRPD SHOULD BE REORGANIZED? WHY AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE? I SHOULD, I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE THE NEXT CHIEF
I BELIEVE THAT IN MY WHOLE HEART.
[02:40:01]
UH, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IN MY FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN WE'RE DOING NOW.UM, BUT WE SHOULD LIVE BY OUR STANDARD.
OUR GOAL IS FOR PROTECTION OF CITIZENS TO STOP CRYING.
BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS I SHOULD BE THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP MANAGERIAL STYLE? AND THIS IS SOMEWHAT OF A TWO PART QUESTION.
WHAT ARE YOUR POSITIONS ON DISCIPLINE AND COMMENDATION? OKAY, SO I HAVE TO WATCH MYSELF BECAUSE I AM A FRONT OF THE LINE LEADER.
I, I, I DON'T MIND DELEGATING AND I'M OKAY WITH DELEGATING.
I CAN'T DO IT ALL, BUT I'M NOT GONNA ASK SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING THAT A, I HAVEN'T DONE, OR B I'M NOT PREPARED TO DO.
SO MY STYLE IS I AM, UH, ONE OF THE PEOPLE, WHETHER I'M THE CHIEF OF POLICE OR NOT, WHICH I THINK I SHOULD BE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN CALL ME CHRIS, BUT IT MEANS I, ANYTHING THAT I'VE ASKED 'EM TO DO, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH DOING MYSELF.
SO I'M A HANDS-ON TYPE OF LEADER.
UH, I AM MORE THAN FINE WITH DISCIPLINE.
IF I TELL YOU WHAT I NEED YOU TO DO AND YOU CHOOSE NOT TO DO IT, THAT'S NOT MY FAULT.
I JUST NEED TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO.
WHAT I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH, AND I HAVE GOTTEN BETTER RECENTLY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, IS ACCOMMODATIONS.
I CAME ON THIS DEPARTMENT IN 1995 WHEN THIS WAS MY JOB, AND I GOT SOME AWARDS, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT I WAS STRIVING TO DO.
AND IT WAS NOT WHAT MY SUPERVISORS TOLD ME TO DO.
SO I HAVE, I'VE LEARNED THAT I LIKE ACCLAMATIONS, I LIKE AWARDS.
I NEED TO REACH THE OTHER OFFICERS BY GIVING AWARDS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE SWAT TEAM AT CHRISTMAS JUST TELLING EVERYBODY, CONGRATULATIONS.
AND ALL I GOT WAS A BUNCH OF TEXTS WHERE, WHO WAS THIS, WHO TOOK OVER MY ACCOUNT AND WHY, WHO WAS BEING SO NICE?
UH, MR. POLITO, UH, WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH THE POLICE UNION? UH, THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE.
UM, UH, HAVING TO DO WITH ACCOUNTABILITY AND, UH, SO HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THAT? SO I KNOW THEM ALL.
UH, AGAIN, I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST 29 YEARS.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH WHAT THEY'RE TASKED TO DO.
AND THEY'RE TASKED TO KEEP THE APPOINTED AUTHORITY, ME OR THE CHIEF IN LINE, TO MAKE SURE THAT HOW OFFICER A IS DISCIPLINED IS THE SAME AS OFFICER B.
IF THE FACTS AND THE OFFICER'S STANDARDS ARE THE SAME.
I'M GOOD WITH WORKING WITH THEM.
I'M GOOD WITH WORKING WITH FOPI WOULD BE GOOD WITH WORKING MAGNOLIA.
WHAT I AM NOT GOOD WITH IS THEM DICTATING THAT THEY'RE GONNA RUN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO DO THAT.
WHAT THEY WANT IS FAIRNESS, WHICH I WANT TO BE, AND I BELIEVE I AM.
SO I THINK I HAVE NO PROBLEM WORKING WITH ANY OF THE ORGANIZATION.
UH, MY QUESTION COMES FROM THE ROLE OF POLICE.
UM, WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE PRESENCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WITHIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS? SO GOOD AND BAD.
UH, IF, IF IT'S USED IN A WAY TO FOSTER POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OFFICERS AND STUDENTS, THAT'S GREAT.
UH, I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL AS THEY CITE IN 21ST CENTURY POLICE AND THAT THE POLICE AREN'T THERE TO ENFORCE A BUNCH OF LAWS AND RULES, THEN THAT'S THE WRONG PLACE TO DO THAT.
I'M, I'M OKAY WITH HAVING, UH, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
I'M OKAY WITH DO WE DO DEMOS CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT FOR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
WHAT I DON'T WANT IS THE POLICE TO BE THE DISCIPLINARY AT EACH SCHOOL.
THAT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE MOM OR THE DAD THAT SEES ME IN UNIFORM AND TELLS ME, TELLS THEIR CHILDREN TO BEHAVE, OR THE POLICE ARREST YOU AND INFURIATES ME.
I'M NOT GONNA ARREST YOU FOR BEING MISBEHAVING.
THAT'S HOW YOU BREED UNTRUST WITH THE POLICE.
SO I'M GREAT WITH THE CONCEPT OF IT.
AS LONG AS THE SCHOOL AND THE OTHER PEOPLE DON'T DECIDE THAT THEY WANT THE POLICE TO BE THE ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
YOU ALLUDED TO THIS A LITTLE EARLIER, SO I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU TO EXPOUND ON IT.
WHAT DOES THE FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK LIKE? RANK YOUR TOP FIVE PRIORITIES AND YOUR PROCESS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THEM.
SO IN MY HEAD, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THE FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS ARE GONNA BE BUSY.
[02:45:01]
HOWEVER, KNOWING ME, IT'S NOT GONNA BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN MY LAST A HUNDRED DAYS.IF I'M NOT GONNA COME IN BOSS OF THE WALL AND NOT DO ANYTHING AFTER THAT, I'M GONNA BE BUSY MY ENTIRE CAREER.
WELL, FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO MEET WITH THE MAYOR.
I'D LIKE TO MEET WITH THE MAYOR, EVEN THOUGH SHE WILL PICK ME, BUT I STILL NEED TO MEET WITH HER AND MEET WITH THE COUNCIL.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THEIR DESIRES AND THEIR IDEAS AND CONCERNS ARE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HAVE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER SET UP A MEETING FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS SO I CAN MEET THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND HEAR THE SAME THING FROM THEM.
HEY, WHAT ARE YOUR DESIRES, CONCERNS, AND NEEDS FOR THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT MOVING FORWARD? I, I NEED TO MEET WITH THE OFFICERS.
I'M THE FIRST QUESTION OF MR. GREEN EX.
I SAID ALL MORALE WAS DOWN AND MORALE IS, MORALE HAS BEEN DOWN FOR A FEW YEARS.
I NEED TO HEAR THEIR, I NEED TO HEAR WHAT THEIR NEEDS AND DESIRES ARE.
WHAT ARE THE SHORTCOMINGS? WHAT ARE THEIR CONCERNS? I NEED TO HEAR ALL OF THOSE.
I'D LIKE TO FORM A BOARD OF NEW OFFICERS AND SEASONED OFFICERS AND TELL ME WHAT I'M MISSING.
WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS IN THE DEPARTMENT THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE SHOULD CHANGE? WHAT ARE SOME IDEAS? I DON'T WANNA DO IT ALL MYSELF.
AND THEN FINALLY, OR NOT FINALLY, FOURTH, I NEED TO BE UPDATED ON ALL OPEN IA AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING BRPD OFFICERS.
I KNOW A LOT ABOUT SOME OF THEM, BUT MOST OF 'EM, I ONLY KNOW WHAT THE NEWS IS.
I NEED TO KNOW WHO WE'RE INVESTIGATING, WHAT WE'RE INVESTIGATING, AND BE READ ON THAT.
AND FIVE, THERE IS A NEW ORGANIZATION INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO START, AND I'M SOMETHING ABOUT THE IDEA OF STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
I'D LIKE US TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR, UH, POLICIES AND I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE A HYBRID WHERE THERE WAS INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC ON IT.
IN MY HEAD, I'M THINKING SOMETHING ALONG THE TI TIME OF A, UH, THE GRAND JURY.
SO MAYBE FOR TWO PEOPLE FOR A YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THOSE ARE ALL THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO IN MY FIRST 100 DAYS.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, I'M A MEMBER OF TOGETHER BATON ROUGE.
ONE OF OUR BIG PRIORITIES IS, UH, INTRODUCING, UM, CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
UH, SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AND HOW YOU MIGHT INCORPORATE THAT OR, OR WORK WITH THAT? SURE.
UH, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT WHAT I'VE READ.
I KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE, AS I SAID IN THE FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS, ONE OF THE ORGAN OR ONE OF THE DIVISIONS.
I WOULD LIKE TO START, I'D LIKE IT TO BE A HYBRID WHERE THERE WAS OFFICERS, BUT THAT THERE WERE CIVILIANS SAW INVOLVED IN THAT FOR THAT OVERSIGHT ON PAPER.
AND IN THEORY, I'M ALSO NOT OPPOSED OF HAVING A CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BOARD REVIEW THE FINDINGS THAT WE HAVE AFTER OFFICERS GET THROUGH INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
AND IT GOES BEFORE THE CHIEF AND THE DEPUTY CHIEF.
UH, I NEED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
UH, I JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT WORKS.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE TRAINING ON THAT.
NOW, WHETHER IT BE, UH, COPS IN CLERGY, IF YOU'RE IN LAW, ENFOR, IF YOU'RE IN CLERGY, OR IF IT WOULD BE THAT YOU NEED TO GO TO THE CITIZENS ACADEMY, I THINK YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT US.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, LET'S NOT READY FOR THAT.
UM,
I DO HAVE TO ASK IF I CAN, THIS ISN'T A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE KIND OF QUESTION.
UM, I'M SURE THAT THE ANSWER IS YES.
'CAUSE YOUR LAST NAME IS POLITO AND YOU SAID YOU HAD TWINS.
YOU'RE DYLAN AND DALTON'S DAD.
WELL, I WENT TO CATHOLIC HIGH.
WE WERE ALL IN THE SAME GRADE.
SO TELL UH, TELL THEM I SON THEM.
AND, UH, DYLAN WORKS FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
I SAW THAT HE'S GETTING MARRIED TOO, RIGHT? NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
DID YOU GET MARRIED? MAYBE IT WAS A DIFFERENT FELITA.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT, 'CAUSE IF I SAID, OH, I FOUND THE REGISTRY AND I WENT, I, IT, IT BETTER BE.
AND THEY'RE NOT, NO, NOT HAPPENING.
WELL, HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T JUST BROKEN A WORM.
WELL, HE DIDN'T ANSWER MY TEXT EARLIER TODAY, SO I'M GONNA FIND OUT.
WELL, DON'T TELL HIM I TOLD YOU THAT.
BUT TO TRY TO ASK A QUESTION, UM, OH, OKAY.
I BELIEVE THIS IS CATEGORY FIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO I KNOW MS. KOAL ASKED ABOUT LIKE A CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD AND THERE'S, AND YOU'VE DISCUSSED, UH, COPS AND CLERGY.
BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS SUBMITTED OR BROUGHT UP BY THESE MEMBERS IS, WORKING WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS IS IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO TRY TO MAKE
[02:50:01]
SURE THAT ACTUAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WERE, OR COMMUNITY RATHER WERE ALSO ENGAGED, THAT THOSE INTERACTIONS ALSO OCCURRED.LOOK, I DO WANNA WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY LEADERS.
THEY ARE LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY FOR A REASON.
BUT THERE ARE TIMES THAT THINGS GET PASSED DOWN AND YOU PUT IN YOUR OWN WORDS, I NEED TO HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS.
SO THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE THINGS IN THOSE FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS IS MEETING WITH ALL THE CITIZENS, OR AT LEAST HAVING THEM AFFORDING THE ABILITY THROUGH THE COUNCIL HOW WE DO THE, UH, THE CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OR ADDING 'EM TO THE BOARDS.
I DON'T THINK IT ALL NEEDS TO COME FROM A COMMUNITY LEADER.
HOW WE DO, HOW WE JUST OPEN IT UP AND TAKE NAMES.
I'M NOT TELLING YOU THAT THE LEADERS ARE NOT GIVEN THE CORRECT INFORMATION.
I'M TELLING YOU THAT WHEN YOU TELL SOMEBODY AND THEY TELL SOMEBODY THERE'S SOMETHING LOST IN TRANSLATION, I NEED TO HEAR FROM THE REAL CONCERNS, THE REAL PEOPLE AND THEIR NEEDS AND CONCERNS.
LEMME KNOW IF DYLAN'S GETTING MARRIED TOO.
MY ONLY QUESTION IS CAN WE CRASH THE WEDDING WITH YOU,
'CAUSE SHE'S GONNA BE REALLY MAD.
HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SECTION? HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE BLACK COMMUNITY, TO IMPROVE TRUST AND OPEN COMMUNICATION? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA? SO BY EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA, BESIDES WORKING THE 29, ALMOST 29 YEARS AND COMING IN, CONTACT PEOPLE AND LOOK, POLICE COME TO CONTACT PEOPLE ON THEIR WORST DAYS.
USUALLY SOMETHING BAD HAS HAPPENED TO THEM, BUT WE HAVE TO FOSTER THOSE CONTACTS WHEN IT'S NOT YOUR WORST DAY.
WE DO THAT WITH OUR DEMONSTRATIONS WHEN WE BRING OUR HORSES OR OUR MOTORCYCLE, OUR SWAT, OUR CANINE OUR MOTORS UNITS TO DEMOS.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF ALL THOSE.
IT'S THOSE COMMUNITY RELATIONS OR THOSE COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WE START FOSTERING RELATIONS.
I WOULD CONTINUE THOSE, THE OPEN MEETINGS WITH THE COUNCIL AND EACH, UH, EXCUSE ME, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER HAVING A MEETING WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND ME BEING INVOLVED.
I'M MORE THAN WILLING AND THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO HEAR FROM THEM.
ALL THOSE HAVE WORKED IN THE PAST.
WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGING PEOPLE WHEN IT'S NOT THEIR WORST DAY AND THAT WE'RE JUST LISTENING.
LET THEM KNOW THAT I, I ACTUALLY SEE THEM, WHAT THEY'RE HEAR, SEE THEM.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING, BUT IT MEANS I'M WILLING.
WE ARE SO MUCH MORE ALIKE THAN WE ARE DIFFERENT.
WE JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT ON THE WAY UP HERE.
AND IT'S, MY WIFE'S WATCHING IT, SO I'M GONNA GET IN TROUBLE ON THE WAY UP HERE.
I STOPPED AND GOT AN ENERGY DRINK, WHICH I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO DRINK A BUNCH OF.
I'M LEAVING THE DOLLAR GENERAL.
A OLDER BLACK LADY CEASED ME AND SAID, BABY, YOU'RE GONNA WORK.
I SAID, NO MA'AM, I'M GOING FOR AN INTERVIEW.
IT WAS JUST A SMALL INTERACTION.
SHE WAS POLITE TO ME AND THAT WAS IT.
WE JUST NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WE'RE ALL PEOPLE AND CONTINUE TO TREAT EACH OTHER AS SUCH.
I'M SORRY ABOUT THE ENERGY DRINK.
THIS IS UNDER THE CATEGORY OF RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND PERSONNEL SUPPORT.
UH, CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR PHILOSOPHY AND YOUR IDEAS ABOUT INCREASING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION? SO YES, WE HAVE A NEWER PERSON IN RECRUITING THAT IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
HE IS DOING SOME OUTSIDE THE BOX STUFF.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE GOING TO THE PLACES THAT IN THE PAST WE HAVEN'T GONE OTHER SCHOOLS, OTHER EVENTS.
WE HAVE TO PUT OURSELF OUT THERE MORE AND MORE.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT GETS TO BE HARD FOR THEM IN THE OFFICES IN RECRUITING.
THE DEPARTMENT IS SHORT AND THERE'S ONLY SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE ALLOWED TO THAT.
SO WHETHER WE USE PART-TIME HELP OR WE USE RESERVES TO HELP THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ADDED TO IT.
WE NEED MORE IN OUR FACE IN THAT.
UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, MYSELF AND SOME FELLOW OFFICERS WENT TO THE MODEL, LOUISIANA TO CONDUCT AN ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENT, ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING.
I'M SORRY, TO HELP GRADE THEM FOR THEIR SECURITY WHILE ALSO THEY HAVE DISPATCHERS.
SO I'VE MADE IT A POINT TO TELL A COUPLE OF THE DISPATCHERS THAT WE WERE HAVING A TEST FOR DISPATCHERS AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR DISPATCHERS.
SO IT'S JUST CONTACT LIKE THAT, WHETHER IT BE ME, WHETHER IT BE ANY OTHER OFFICER.
WE ARE OUR BEST TOOL TO SELL OURSELVES.
WE JUST NEED TO GET THAT PRIDE BACK IN US.
UH, MR. POLITO, THIS QUESTION COMES
[02:55:01]
FROM THE STANDARDS AND STRATEGY SECTION.HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS POTENTIALLY DISCRIMINATORY STOPS AND ARRESTS? SO STOP AND FRISK GETS A BAD NAME OR IT CAN GET A BAD NAME IF IT IS USED INCORRECTLY.
LEGALLY, IF YOU HAVE THE, THE REASONING TO BELIEVE SOMEBODY IS VIOLATING A SOMETHING, A CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR HOLDING A GUN, THAT'S FINE.
WHAT I DON'T WANT IT TO BE AND WHAT IT SHOULDN'T BE, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPART DOES IT, IS THAT IT SHOULD JUST BE A TARGETING THING THAT I SEE AN INDIVIDUAL, WHETHER IT BE A BLACK MALE, WHITE MALE, OR ANYBODY WALKING IN A SPECIFIC AREA.
TRAINING IS THE WAY TO DO THAT.
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUT FORTH OR PUT FORTH TRAINING SHOWING, HEY, THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
AND WE DO THAT BY OUR IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING.
WE DO THAT BY OUR LEGAL UPDATES.
WE DO THAT WHEN WE SEND OUR NEW OFFICERS TO FTOS AND MAKE SURE OUR FTOS ARE STILL CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THE RULES.
IT'S THOSE CHECKS AND BALANCES.
I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE ANY OF THEM.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING USED.
AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY ABSOLUTELY ARE.
THIS QUESTION ALSO COMES FROM THE STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES SECTION, AND I'M ASKING IT TO OF YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE AND JUST WANT TO HEAR YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
WHAT'S YOUR STANCE ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF SWAT TEAMS AND THE EXECUTION OF NO-KNOCK WARRANTS? SO BEEN IN SWAT FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS.
I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE USE OF SWAT TEAMS. UH, THERE IS SOME MISCONCEPTION IN THE PUBLIC ABOUT NO-KNOCK WARRANTS THE DAYS, AND LOOK, I'M NOT TELLING YOU, THERE'S OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT STILL DON'T DO IT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
I'M TELLING YOU WHAT THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES.
OUR DAYS OF RUNNING THROUGH A HOUSE JUST COME PULLING UP, HITTING THE DOOR AND RUNNING THROUGH THERE.
THOSE, THOSE HAVE BEEN GOING FOR YEARS.
WHETHER IT'S A NO-KNOCK WARRANT OR NOT, IT'S NOT SAFE.
THE ONLY TIME WE ARE FAST LIKE THAT IS WHEN IT COUNTS.
AND THAT'S FOR A HOSTAGE RESCUE.
WHEN SOMEONE IS HOLDING YOU BY GUNPOINT, OUR CALL OUTS OUR, EXCUSE ME, OUR, OUR SWAT CALLS, WHETHER THEY BE A NO-KNOCK WARRANT OR NOT, THE DETECTIVES CAN WRITE 'EM.
AND THERE ARE TIMES WE ASK FOR THEM.
IT'S NOT TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN TO BREACH THE DOOR.
AND IT IS ONLY JUST THAT SAFER FOR THE OFFICERS.
THEY BREACH THE DOOR AND THEN WE SURROUND AND CALL OUT.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET ANYBODY.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS OPEN A DOOR 'CAUSE THAT'S THE WAY TO GO IN THE HOUSE SAFELY.
SOMETIMES WE ASK FOR A NO-KNOCK WARRANT SO WE CAN BREACH THE DOOR BEFORE WE ANNOUNCE OURSELF.
AND IT'S ONLY FOR OFFICER SAFETY.
IT'S NOT TO GO THROUGH THERE AND ANYTHING.
THOSE DAYS STOPPED YEARS AGO FOR THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND MY LAST QUESTION, UM, IS, UH, WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE THE THREE PRIMARY ROLES OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE? THREE PRIMARY ROLES.
SO I NEED TO BE A CHEERLEADER.
I NEED TO BE A CHEERLEADER FOR MY DEPARTMENT.
I NEED MY DEPARTMENT BESIDES BEING A CHEERLEADER, I NEED THEM TO TAKE IT TO HEART THAT THEY'RE WORTH IT.
IF THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THEY'RE DESERVING OR IF THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION, THEY START LOSING INTEREST.
WHEN THEY DO THAT, THEY STOP PATROLLING.
WHEN THEY STOP PATROLLING, CRIME GOES UP.
WE ARE HAVING A REDUCTION OF CRIME RIGHT NOW.
SO I NEED TO BE THE CHEERLEADER FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
TWO, I NEED TO BE A COMMUNITY MEMBER.
I NEED TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY.
I NEED TO HEAR WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT AND WRONG.
I DON'T NEED TO HEAR JUST WHAT WE'RE DOING WRONG, BUT EVERYBODY DOES WANT TO HEAR WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT.
I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S WORKING AGAIN, BECAUSE I CAN'T BE THERE THE WHOLE TIME.
AND FINALLY, I JUST NEED TO BE FAIR AND HONEST.
I NEED TO TELL THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DEPARTMENT, I NEED TO TELL THE MEN AND WOMEN OF BATON ROUGE, THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND I NEED TO DO MY BEST TO DO IT.
I NEED TO HOLD OUR OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY MESS UP, CORRECT IT WHEN IT CAN BE CORRECTED, AND PAT 'EM ON THE BACK WHEN THEY GET TOLD THAT THEY DID THE WRONG THING AND THEY FIND OUT THAT THEY DON'T, I NEED TO DO THAT FOR THEM.
I NEED TO DO THAT FOR THE CITIZENS.
SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR QUESTIONS THEN.
UH, NOW WE'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR, YOUR CLOSING STATEMENTS.
I'LL MAKE IT BRIEF SO Y'ALL CAN GO HOME AND I CAN GET MY WIFE MAD AT ME FOR A DRINK OF ENERGY.
I SAID I'VE COMING UP ON MY 29TH YEAR, I, IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE HAS BEEN DAYS THAT I DID NOT WANT TO GO TO WORK.
[03:00:01]
I WANTED TO BE LAZY AND GO FISHING OR SOMETHING ELSE.BUT I'VE ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
I'VE ENJOYED THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE MET.
I AM 53 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE LIVED IN BATON ROUGE ALL BUT TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE.
NOT IN THE PARISH INSIDE OF THE CITY.
I LIVE HERE, I SHOP HERE, I WORK HERE.
MY WIFE WORKS HERE, MY KIDS WORK HERE.
WE ARE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I NEED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE STRONG.
I NEED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DO RIGHT FOR THE SIX YEAR OLD THAT I HAVE.
I NEED THIS CITY TO BE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF EVERYTHING.
AND I NEED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO JUST BE TOP-NOTCH.
WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK IS DO WE WANT A PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE DO THESE OTHER THINGS SO THAT WE CAN, UM, SO IF PUBLIC WANTS TO LEAVE, THEY CAN DO THAT BEFORE.
SO WE'RE GONNA, DO I NEED TO GET A VOTE ON THAT OR CAN WE JUST DO THAT? OKAY.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE, UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE ITEM SIX ON THE AGENDA AND THAT'S PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO IF THERE'S ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK, UH, YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO DO SO.
THANK, I THINK EVERYONE HAS SAID THAT WE NEED TO GET OUR TRUST BACK BETWEEN THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF BATON ROUGE.
WE'VE LOST THAT UNDER THIS CURRENT LEADERSHIP IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THE DECISION MAKERS, WHICH ARE OUR DEPUTY CHIEFS.
EVERYONE AGREES OUR CRIME IS OUT OF CONTROL.
THIS GROUP HAS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA THIS WEEK.
WALLET HUB PUBLISHED THAT THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IS THE MOST DANGEROUS STATE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THE THREE CITIES THAT MAKE UP THOSE CRIME NUMBERS ARE BATON ROUGE, TREEPORT AND NEW ORLEANS.
THAT'S 182 OF 182 IS BATON ROUGE.
THIS HAS GONE OUT TO THE WHOLE WORLD AS TO WHERE WE ARE IN BATON ROUGE.
THREE YEARS AGO, WE WERE SEVEN FROM THE BOTTOM AND WE'VE DONE SO WELL.
NOW WITH WHERE WE ARE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH OUR CRIME, WE NEED A CHIEF WHO PRIORITIZES THE CITY AS A WHOLE OVER FAMILY, FRIENDS, SOCIAL GROUPS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, BUSINESS GROUPS, INCLUDING FRATERNITIES.
SAFETY FOR THE CITIZENS MUST COME FIRST.
THAT'S WHERE TRUST WILL START.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS NOT WORKING.
WE DON'T NEED MORE OF THE SAME, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE MANY LAWSUITS WE'RE NOW SEEING AND NOW BEING NAMED THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
Y'ALL ARE THE START OF CHOOSING A CANDIDATE THAT WILL HELP US GET OUT OF WHERE WE ARE.
CHOOSE WELL, THE WORLD IS WATCHING.
THIS DECISION AFFECTS BATON ROUGE AND THE STATE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK? ALL RIGHT.
IF NOT, UM, ARE WE TAKING EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DO? OKAY, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
MR. MCCLANAHAN WANTED TO HEAR THE SCAFFOLD, SO THERE WE GO.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE, UH, US INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE CHARACTER AND OR PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OF THE REMAINING CANDIDATES.
[03:05:02]
UM, THAT INCLUDES D AHMED W CLARIDA, A, DAVIS V GUILLORY, T HENDERSON, C IVY, C JOAQUIN, C KCH, UH, OH, I CAN'T READ MY HANDWRITING.A MALVO, UH, B STRONG AND D WALLACE.
ARE, DID ANY OF THESE PEOPLE OBJECT TO US GOING INTO, INTO EXECUTIVE DIS SESSION FOR THEIR DISCUSSIONS? NO, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY OBJECTIONS.
UM, JUST A REMINDER THOUGH, UH, MR. MALVO DID VOLUNTARILY WITHDRAW FROM THE PROCESS, SO I DID NOT KNOW THAT.
UM, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION? I MOVE.
SO I PARDON? SHE, SHE SAID I HAD TO VOTE.
UM, LOOK, I GOT CLIFF NOTES HERE.
SO WE ARE GONNA GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
YOU GETTING LOOK THAT RIGHT? GIVE SOMEBODY A LITTLE
WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IS COMING BACK.
I MEAN, I THINK THE LAST THING THAT WE'RE GONNA, UH, UH, COME BACK WITH IS WHO ELSE WE'RE GONNA BE INTERVIEWING.
SO YOU ARE WELCOME TO SIT HERE.
YOU DO NOT YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT ELSE FOR YOU TO HEAR PERTAINING TO YOU IF YOU SIT HERE, BUT DO WHAT YOU WANT.
I WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MR. GREEN, ARE YOU GOOD WITH THE EXITING EXECUTIVES? ALL RIGHT.
AND THE CHAIR? UH, THAT MAKES IT UNANIMOUS.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS TO DETERMINE, UH, CANDIDATES THAT WE WILL INTERVIEW ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST, DOES ANYONE HAVE RECOMMENDATION? ADAM CHAIR? I MOVE TO SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER 1ST.
INTERVIEWS FOR DARREN AHMED, WILLIAM CLARIDA, ALVIN DAVIS, VARDEN GUILLORY, AND TIMOTHY HENDERSON.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
DARREN AHMED, WILLIAM CLARITA, ALVIN DAVIS, VARDEN GUILLORY, AND TIMOTHY HENDERSON.
STARTING AT FOUR O'CLOCK ON NOVEMBER 1ST, WE WILL SEE THE, THE, THE REMAINING CANDIDATES AT A FUTURE DATE.
WE HAVE NOT CONFIRMED EXACTLY WHAT THAT FUTURE DATE, WHAT IS, SO WE WILL MAKE THAT PUBLIC WHEN WE HAVE IT CONFIRMED.
IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, DOES ANYONE HAVE, UH, MOTION? I MOVE TO ADJOURN.