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WHY DID YOUR HONOR? GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO THE POLICE[Police Chief Candidate Review Meeting on November 1, 2023.]
CHIEF REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING.I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
LESLIE, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? YES.
AT THIS TIME, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 26TH MEETING.
SO, MOVING BY MS. VICTORIA, SECONDED BY MS. CALWELL.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS.
FIRST UP IS CANDIDATE DARREN AHMED.
HOW ARE YOU ALL TODAY? THANK YOU FOR COMING, MR. AHED, THE WAY THAT THE INTERVIEW PROCESS IS GONNA, ALRIGHT.
WELL, RIGHT, MR. AMED, THE WAY THE INTERVIEW PROCESS IS GONNA WORK, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT, AND THEN EACH, EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER WILL HAVE THE OPTION OF ASKING UP TO TWO QUESTIONS, UP TO TWO QUESTIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ASK TWO, BUT WE, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK UP TO TWO QUESTIONS.
THERE IS A LIST OF, UH, TOPICS THAT WE WILL BE ASKING THE QUESTIONS FROM, AND THEN EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER WILL STATE THE TOPIC THAT THE QUESTION IS COMING FROM.
ASK THE QUESTION, AND THEN YOU'LL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION.
AFTER ALL OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED, YOU'LL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO MAKE CLOSING REMARKS.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF EVERYONE IS READY TO GO, UH, YOU CAN BEGIN WITH YOUR OPENING STATEMENT.
TELL Y'ALL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 YEARS NOW.
UH, I'M NOT ORIGINALLY FROM BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.
I'M MADE UP TO NEW ORLEANS, BUT I'VE BEEN, UH, I'VE LIVED IN ABOUT 13 DIFFERENT PLACES AND WENT TO 13 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
SO THIS PLACE UP UNTIL THIS DAY, IS THE FIRST PLACE I'VE EVER MADE.
I'VE BEEN HERE 24 YEARS FOLLOWING MY GRADUATION FROM SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS WHY I INITIALLY CAME HERE.
UM, I DON'T THINK I EVER THOUGHT LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD TAKE ME THIS FAR IN MY CAREER, BUT MY MOTHER ALWAYS SAID, IF YOU WANNA MAKE THE GOOD LORD LAUGH, YOU TELL 'EM YOUR PLANS
SO, SO I STAND BEFORE YOU ALL TODAY, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE, TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL.
UH, LEADERSHIP IS, I BELIEVE, CALLED UPON, AND, UH, I NEVER HAD THE INITIATIVE TO WANT TO BE THE CHIEF OF POLICE THIS EARLY IN MY CAREER.
SO IT DEFINITELY WAS A CALLING.
AND I WILL DO MY BEST AND LIVE UP TO MY LEVEL OF INTEGRITY AND THE CITY'S LEVEL OF INTEGRITY, UH, IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE THAT I'VE APPLIED FOR TODAY.
AND HOPEFULLY I WILL PLEASE YOU ALL TODAY WITH THE ANSWERS THAT I CAN PROVIDE YOU.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US SERGEANT.
WHETHER YOU'RE SELECTED FOR CHIEF OR NOT, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO BE WHEN YOU RETIRE FROM THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT? I'M ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
UM, MR. GREEN, I, I, I LOOK AT MY LEGACY AS BEING, WHAT DID I DO IN A POSITIVE MANNER TO, UH, EXPRESS MYSELF TO THE CITY IN A WAY THAT I LED THE CITY.
UH, IT'S IN MY KNOWLEDGE AND IN MY BELIEF THAT AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, I, I SHOULD NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO WORK FOR ME OR THE CITY TO FOLLOW ME.
I SHOULD WORK FOR THE CITY AND I WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, IT'S HOW I CAN BETTER THE LIVES OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE IN THIS UNIFORM AS WELL AS BE A POSITIVE, UH, LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M, I'M DEFINITELY ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND, UH, I'M ALL ABOUT INSTILLING LOVE BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
IT'S GONNA TAKE US IN COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH PEOPLE IN THE CITY IN ORDER TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORK IN AN ORDERLY FASHION.
AND I, I THINK THAT IS WHAT MY LEGACY IS TO LEAVE HERE KNOWING THAT I DID A VERY WELL JOB.
SO I SAW ON YOUR RESUME THAT YOU'RE THE DIRECTOR OF RECRUITING.
SO THIS IS FROM CATEGORY NINE, RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PERSONNEL SUPPORT.
AND SO ONE OF THE QUOTES PRESENTED IS THAT, AS POLICE CHIEF, YOU'LL BE GIVEN THE FINAL AUTHORITY TO MAKE ALL HIRING DECISIONS.
IF YOU WERE PRESENTED WITH A NEW HIRE CANDIDATE WHOSE HIRING COULD BE DEEMED AS CONTROVERSIAL BY SOME, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS YOU WOULD EMPLOY IN MAKING YOUR ULTIMATE DECISION AS TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT? SO, SO JUST A SMALL CORRECTION.
UH, I'M THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR OF RECRUITING UP UNTIL ABOUT FIVE MONTHS AGO.
I CURRENTLY WORK IN MEDIA RELATIONS RIGHT NOW.
UM, LOOKING AT THE HIRING PROCESS, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS UNDER MY DIRECTING THERE.
AND WHAT I DID WAS LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES AND HOW THEY WERE HIRING AND, AND RETAINING OFFICES ACROSS THE NATION.
UH, THERE IS A DEFINITELY A PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO CIVIL SERVICE.
THERE'S A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IN THAT PROCESS, AN OFFICER OR AN INDIVIDUAL INTERESTED
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IN BECOMING A POLICE OFFICER OR A NON-SWORN PERSONNEL, THEY HAVE TO TAKE A CIVIL SERVICE TEST AND OBTAIN A 75% HIGHER IN THE SCORE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT POSITION.ONCE WE GET THAT INFORMATION, AS A POLICE OFFICER, WE CALL THEM IN AFTER WE'VE REQUESTED MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS FROM THEM.
WHEN THEY COME IN TO DO A PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT, WE BRING THEM THROUGH A PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT WHERE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO MEET A CERTAIN SET OF STANDARDS BASED ON, UH, PUSHUPS SET UP AND RUNNING A MILE AND A HALF.
WHEN WE GET THAT CANDIDATE PASSED THAT PROCESS, HE'S SCREENED THROUGH A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION.
HE'S SCREENED THROUGH A VOICE STRESS ANALYSIS, WHICH IS A POLYGRAPH OR THE SAME THING.
AND AFTER THAT, HE'LL GO THROUGH A FURTHER BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION.
ONCE WE LOOK AT THOSE DOCUMENTS AND WE DON'T FIND ANY DISCREPANCIES THAT VIOLATES OUR EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS, THEN WE'LL SET HIM UP FOR AN INTERVIEW BEFORE A PANEL THAT'S SET BY THE CHIEF'S OFFICE.
IF HE GETS THAT SCORE THAT PUTS HIM IN A 70 OR ABOVE PERCENTAGE, HE WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR HIRE AND THE CHIEF WILL MAKE THAT FINAL SELECTION OF THAT CANDIDATE.
WE DO FOLLOW THE EOC RULES AND GUIDELINES, AS WELL AS ADA RULES AND REGULATIONS.
SO EVERYONE IS GIVEN A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL PROCESS.
SO IF I COULD FOLLOW UP ON THAT WITH THE, IN THAT KIND OF CONTROVERSIAL ASPECT, IS THE INTERVIEW BEFORE THE CHIEF'S OFFICE, WHAT YOU WOULD TRY TO EMPHASIZE TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION? OR WOULD IT FOCUS MORE ON THAT KIND OF ACTUAL INVESTIGATIVE ASPECT? OR WHAT, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT WORK? SURE.
THERE CAN BE A MULTITUDE OF THINGS.
SO MAKING SURE WE GIVE EVERYONE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, UH, IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR CRIMINAL BACKGROUND.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME THINGS THAT THEY MAY, MAY HAVE IN THEIR TRAFFIC RECORD, THEIR TRAFFIC HISTORY.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD, UH, WHICH IS A TWO-PART BOARD.
WHEN THAT BOARD INTERVIEWS THIS CANDIDATE, THEY'RE GOING TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS, UH, BASED ON THIS BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND ANYTHING IN THEIR FILE THAT MAY BE OF QUESTION, UH, AS HIS INTEGRITY TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER.
WE'RE VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY.
UH, LOOKING AT THAT, ONCE THAT CANDIDATE, AGAIN GETS THAT PASSING SCORE, IT IS ALWAYS LEFT ON THE DISCRETION OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO MAKE THAT FINAL DECISION.
MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM, UH, THE CATEGORY OF COMMUNITY, UH, ENGAGEMENT.
WHAT ARE YOUR PROPOSALS CONCERNING NETWORKING WITH OTHER SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY, CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, ADVOCACY GROUPS, ET CETERA, WHO WORK TO ADDRESS CAUSES OF CRIMES, POOR EDUCATION, JOB OPPORTUNITY, ADDICTION, ET CETERA? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA? UH, SO YES, MA'AM.
I, I'VE WORKED SIDE BY SIDE WITH OUR PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, BUT ALSO BEING A RECRUITER, UH, WHEN WE STARTED TO CHANGE UP THINGS, I WENT AND LOOKING, I WENT LOOKING IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS INSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION IS THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS, AS US LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT NATURE AND HOW THEY SEE US VERSUS HOW WE MAY SEE THE PERFECT CANDIDATE OR WHAT WE MAY THINK THE PERFECT CANDIDATE IS.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT COMMUNITY POLICING STRATEGIES, BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, BUILDING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND THOSE COLLABORATIONS WITH THE FAITH-BASED LEADERSHIP COMMUNITIES, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, DRUG REHABILITATION CENTERS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OUTREACH, UH, GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION, AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS, ALL OF THESE THINGS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN US BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND AS LONG AS WE STAY COLLABORATING, ESPECIALLY AS A LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST AS A POLICE OFFICER, BUT AS PUBLIC SERVICES, THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TOUCH OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO REDUCE THE GUN VIOLENCE AT THE SAME TIME, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, SPOT THOSE PERFECT CANDIDATES THAT ARE OUT THERE ASSISTING AS WE BUILD THESE COLLABORATIONS AND THESE PARTNERSHIPS.
AND I THINK ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, WE ALL KNOW THAT MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS IS VERY IMPORTANT THESE DAYS.
IT, IT PLAYS A, IT PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IN OUR CITIZENS BECAUSE PEOPLE TEND TO ALMOST WANNA DEHUMANIZE POLICE OFFICERS BECAUSE OF THAT TITLE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE, UH, HUSBANDS, WE'RE, WE'RE WIVES, WE'RE LEADERS.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP OUR POLICE OFFICERS MENTAL HEALTH, UH, AS WELL AS THE CITIZENS' MENTAL HEALTH.
BUT THOSE PROGRAMS SET IN PLACE, WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE INITIATIVES GOING RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK THAT THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT WE DEFINITELY SHOULD KEEP THOSE INITIATIVES GOING.
UH, SERGEANT, UH, AND KINDA KEEPING IT IN LINE WITH, UH, ONE OF MY, UH, COLLEAGUES SAID IN REGARDS TO STRICT STAFFING AND BUDGETING AND, AND, AND EQUIPMENT, WHAT STRATEGIES WILL YOU EMPLOY? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF THE PERSONS BEFORE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE METHODS THAT YOU EMPLOY, UH, HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED TO RECRUIT MORE, UH, MORE PERSONS TO BECOME POLICE OFFICERS.
I KNOW THERE'S A SHORTAGE, A SHORTAGE IN EVERY ASPECT OF, OF EMPLOYMENT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COUNTRY, THROUGHOUT THE STATE, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WHAT METHODS HAVE YOU EMPLOYED OR EMPLOYING TO RECRUIT MORE FINE POLICE OFFICERS TO THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT? SURE.
SO WORKING IN COLLABORATION, AGAIN WITH OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS MAYOR BROOM, UH, IT, IT'S, IT IS BEEN A JOURNEY.
UH, WE NOTICED THAT IT'S BEEN VERY HARD IN THESE LAST FIVE TO 10 YEARS TO RECRUIT NATIONWIDE HAS BEEN A RECRUITING
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CRISIS.SO I WENT TO THOSE, UH, THOSE WEBSITES AND I DID THE RESEARCH ON BEST PRACTICES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOCUSED ON WAS, THIS IS A DIFFERENT GENERATION WE'RE DEALING WITH.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WE LOOK AT A 30 YEAR CAREER, OR 10 YEARS IN FRONT OF US WHEN WE PLAN AHEAD, NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY TODAY, BUT THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY THEY'RE GONNA MAKE NOW.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING AND RETENTION.
NOT JUST CAN WE HIRE THEM, BUT CAN WE KEEP THEM BECAUSE IT'S A COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY NOWADAYS.
SO LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, AND I'VE NEVER WORKED IN BUDGET, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MONEY, UH, CONTINUING TO FOCUS A WELL PROPOSED ANNUAL BUDGET EACH YEAR WITH RECRUITING AND RETENTION BEING ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES AS WELL AS POLICE OFFICER SALARIES.
I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT AVENUES THAT WE CAN FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN RECRUIT BETTER POLICE OFFICERS.
IT DEFINITELY IS SHOWN IN THE DATA THAT THE MORE POLICE OFFICERS WE CAN RECRUIT AND THAT WE CAN PUT ON THE STREETS TO SERVE THESE COMMUNITIES AND POLICE THESE COMMUNITIES AND KEEP 'EM SAFE, CRIME DOES LOWER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
MR. AHMED, WHAT DOES YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK LIKE? RANK THE TOP FIVE PRIORITIES IN YOUR PROCESS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THEM? I BELIEVE THAT MY FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS, THE FIRST THING WOULD BE TO GO IN AND, UH, AND LOOK AT THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT AND WHERE WE ARE.
IT WOULD, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD LOOK AT GOING TO SEE HOW MUCH MONEY'S IN THE BUDGET.
I WOULD GO AND VISIT EVERY SINGLE PRECINCT.
SO I CAN ASK MY OFFICERS, BECAUSE AGAIN, I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, I, I WORK FOR THESE GUYS AND I, INSTEAD OF SITTING A PILE LOOKING DOWN LOW, I NEED TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT ON THE GROUND WITH THESE GENTLEMEN.
UH, THAT IS A WAY THAT WE CAN CONTINUE BUILDING MORALE, WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING IF WE HAVE HAPPY OFFICERS AND WE HAVE VERY PRODUCTIVE OFFICERS, AS WELL AS VERY PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY LEADERS.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE, THE FIRST AND FOREMOST THING IS TO FIND OUT HOW I CAN BE A BETTER LEADER TO THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THE UNIFORM.
SECOND THING WOULD BE THE AUDIT DEPARTMENT.
LOOK AT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, CONTINUE THESE INITIATIVES AND THESE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THINGS LIKE THE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL.
THAT WAS A VERY, VERY, UH, GREAT THING THAT I THINK THE CHIEF DID.
I'VE SAT IN ON A MULTITUDE OF THOSE MEETINGS AND JUST LISTENING TO WHAT THE CITY HAS TO SAY AND THEIR THOUGHTS.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT US THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS, HOW WE CAN BETTER OURSELVES AS AN ORGANIZATION, EVEN IF IT TAKES TO CHANGE A FEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND STEAL A FEW INITIATIVES.
SO IT'S GONNA BE TO AUDIT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
I CAN'T SAY THAT I'VE MADE A 100% PREPARATION BECAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN A CHIEF OF POLICE, BUT WHAT I CAN DO IS I CAN STAND AT MY HIGHEST LEVEL OF INTEGRITY AND REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE WHO I WORK FOR, AND FIND OUT THE BEST METHODS THAT I CAN POSSIBLY DO IN MY FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS, AS WELL AS WHAT MY MAYOR EXPECTS ME TO BE AS A LEADER.
UM, MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
UM, I'M WITH TOGETHER BATON ROUGE, AND ONE OF OUR IMPORTANT, UM, UH, POLICIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, ADVOCATE FOR IS, IS, UH, UH, ADOPTING A FORM OF CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
I'M IN WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT, UH, AND THEN HOW YOU MIGHT INCORPORATE CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT INTO YOUR ADMINISTRATION.
SO AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL WITH A CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT, I THINK IS, UH, A VERY GOOD THING.
AGAIN, WE USE THAT TERM, BRIDGING THE GAP, RIGHT? UH, ONE CITY, ONE MISSION IS A, IS A VERY IMPORTANT SLOGAN WE'VE BEEN USING IN RECRUITING, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES WE ONLY LOOK AT SCRATCHING THE SURFACE ON THOSE TWO TOP, THOSE SUBJECT TOPIC MATTERS.
SO HAVING THE CIVILIANS OKAY, AND WHO WE WORK FOR, WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS, OF COURSE, WE WEAR MANY OTHER HATS, BUT I DO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD INSTILL INITIATIVES LIKE THAT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE OTHER INITIATIVES.
I BELIEVE BEFORE THE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL, THERE WAS THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS WHERE IT BEGAN, AND I'VE SAT IN ON A FEW OF THOSE MEETINGS AS WELL.
SO, TO LISTEN TO SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, OUR FAITH-BASED LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, AGAIN, GIVES US AN INSIGHT THROUGH THEIR LENS OF HOW THEY VIEW US AND HOW WE CAN BE BETTER COMMUNITY SERVANTS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND I WOULD DEFINITELY LOVE TO SEE THAT PARTNERSHIP IN THE FUTURE IF IT'S NOT ALREADY BEGAN WITH THE INITIATIVE OF THE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL.
SIR, WITHOUT DISCUSSING ANY DETAILS REGARDING THE BRAVE CAVE AND RELATED ACCUSATIONS, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THIS TYPE OF ALLEGED ACTIVITY WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN? AND IN THAT, I, IN YOUR ANSWER PUT, WHAT CHECKS AND BALANCES ARE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT YOU WILL INSTITUTE TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS? UH, GOOD, GOOD QUESTION.
SO DEFINITELY WHATEVER WE HAVE GOING ON CURRENTLY IN OUR INVESTIGATIONS, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE REMAIN TRANSPARENT TO THE CITY.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
WE ALSO NEED TO SEEK OUR LEGAL ADVICE
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AS WELL, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, SO THAT WE MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT VIOLATING ANYBODY'S CIVIL RIGHTS.WE LOOK AT POLICY AND PROCEDURE WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE LOOK AT STANDARD OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES, WHICH ARE SUBDIVIDED INTO MUL, THE MULTIPLE DIVISIONS.
WE DO HAVE THESE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, THESE STANDARD OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES AS WELL AS CIVIL RIGHTS, IS WHAT KEEPS US IN LINE AS POLICE OFFICERS.
AND IF WE FOLLOW THESE PARTICULAR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THOSE HICCUPS.
I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO AN ANNUAL AUDIT OF OURSELVES.
THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, HOW WE CAN BE A BETTER US, A BETTER DEPARTMENT EVERY YEAR AND BETTER THAN LAST YEAR.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, EVEN AS A HUMAN BEING.
SO I THINK WITH THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, NOBODY'S PERFECT MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN, AND THOSE LIABILITIES WILL COME BACK ON US AS LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AGAIN, UH, AS MS. CALDWELL SAID, TO KEEP THE CITIZENS INVOLVED IN THIS AS WELL.
AND IF WE CAN PUT IN PLACE A FEW MORE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, I'LL ADD TO WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE SO WE CAN HAVE THESE CHECKS AND BALANCES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REDUCE THESE LIABILITIES.
WE ARE ABLE TO HOLD THESE OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE OF ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T COME BEFORE US AND SAY THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE GIVEN THEM POLICY AND PROCEDURE.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO THAT IN THE, IN THE TRAINING ACADEMY.
THEY KNOW WHAT, WHERE THEY, WHAT THEY WILL VIOLATE, AND IF THEY VIOLATE THIS, THAT THEY HAVE TO HOLD ACCOUNTABILITY, WHICH IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I THINK ACCOUNTABILITY AND, UH, AND LOOKING AT THESE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND CONTINUING TO GO IN AND AUDIT THEM, AND TO REDACT OR ADD ADDITIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITIZENS OF BATON ROUGE, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND IF WE WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THESE MISTAKES ARE REDUCED, UH, TO A GREAT, GREAT MINIMUM IN THE FUTURE.
THAT IS ONE OF MY MAJOR GOALS IF I MAKE CHIEF OF POLICE, SIR.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, APPOINTED OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE FOR A MOMENT, IF YOU WILL, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE STUDENTS FROM EPISCOPAL SCHOOL OF BATON ROUGE AND THEIR TEACHER, DR.
UH, THESE ARE, UM, MEMBERS OF A CLASS CALLED SERVICE LEARNING AND COMMUNITY IMPACT.
AND, UH, THEY ARE HERE OUT IN THE CLASSROOM OF THE WORLD.
AND SO I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.
THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING IT, UH, MR. AHMED.
UH, AS YOU WELL KNOW, UM, OURS IS A MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY WITH A GROWING POPULATION OF REFUGEES FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD.
UM, CAN YOU ADDRESS HOW YOU HANDLE THIS NOW? WHAT, WHAT YOUR POSITION IS IN, IN DEALING WITH WHAT I SUPPOSE WOULD BE A LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, UH, ISSUE? SURE.
UM, I'LL GO BACK TO WHEN I WAS IN THE RECRUITING OFFICE, UH, AS THE DIRECTOR THERE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE, UH, GOALS AND INITIATIVES THAT I PUT IN PLACE AND FOLLOWING THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND BEST PRACTICES.
SO WE LOOK AT THE CITY THAT WE LIVE IN, AND IT'S, IT HAS A, A, A VERY GREAT ARRAY OF DEMOGRAPHICS IN IT, WHICH IS A WONDERFUL THING.
THEY CALL US A MELTING POT FOR A REASON HERE.
BUT WHAT I WANNA SAY IS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OUT FRONT AND THE CITIZENS, WHEN WE MAKE CONTACT TECHNICALLY AS HUMAN BEINGS, PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE A REFLECTION OF THEMSELVES WHEN SPEAKING WITH A LEADER IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO ONE OF MY MAIN INITIATIVES WAS HOW CAN I MAKE THIS DEPARTMENT A REFLECTION OF THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE? OUR HISPANIC POPULATION IS GROWING, OUR ASIAN POPULATION IS GROWING, OUR FEMALES ARE STARTING TO TAKE LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREERS AS AN INTEREST, WHICH WE WERE LOVING THAT.
SO WE WANTED TO KNOW HOW CAN WE PUT THESE ADDITIONAL RECRUITING TACTICS AND STRATEGIES IN PLACE TO SEEK OUT YOUNG WOMEN INVOLVED, I'M SORRY THAT THAT IS INTERESTED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE, WE LOOKED AT THE SPANISH POPULATION, UH, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN INCREASE THAT.
AND WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS I'VE SEEN, AND WE'VE HIRED MORE YOUNG LADIES, AND WE'VE HIRED MORE HISPANIC OFFICERS THAN I'VE SEEN IN THE, IN MY 20 YEARS, JUST IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
WE'LL CONTINUE REACHING OUT THOSE INITIATIVES.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND OTHER LOCAL EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHERE WE'RE GOING INTO THE JUNIOR HIGHS AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS TO RECRUIT THEM AT AN EARLY AGE, BECAUSE WE CALL IT A PIPELINE PROGRAM.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT BRINGING THEM IN AT AGES 14 TO 18 AS, UH, POLICE EXPLORERS THAT WAY.
WE DO VARIOUS THINGS WITH THEM.
WE LOOK AT THESE CHILDREN WHO DON'T HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO COME OUT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY MAY BE POVERTY STRICKEN, AND WE SPEND TIME WITH THEM.
THOSE ARE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS. WHEN THEY TURN 18 AND THEY GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, WE INTRODUCE THEM TO THE CADET PROGRAM, WHERE, WHERE WE PAY THEM A FULL-TIME SALARY, AND WE WORK AROUND THE COLLEGE SCHEDULE AS WE INSTILL IN THEM.
WE WISH THEY WOULD GO TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR A LOCAL COLLEGE HERE AND GET AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.
SO THIS PIPELINE PROGRAM, THEY TURNED 21 IS, IS AN INCENTIVE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO KEEP A MULTI, UH, DEMOGRAPHICALLY BUILT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A REFLECTION OF THE CITY.
AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN VERY PRODUCTIVE THUS FAR, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.
UM, MY QUESTION COMES FROM STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES, AND IN LIGHT OF, UM, WHAT THE NEWS IS REPORTING AS A, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED HOMICIDE THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT DV DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HAS BEEN ON THE RISE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
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AND AS CHIEF OF POLICE, DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW IDEAS OR INITIATIVES THAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN INITIATE TO HELP REDUCE THOSE NUMBERS? YES, MA'AM.I, IT IS DEFINITELY OUR GOAL TO REDUCE ANYTHING DEALING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
THAT HAS BEEN A SITUATION AS FAR AS I CAN THINK BACK AS A CHILD.
UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE DO, WE PARTNERSHIP WITH ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS IS THE BUTTERFLY SOCIETY, AND WE ASK THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY AS WE ATTEND THESE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, TO GO AND TALK TO THESE YOUNG WOMEN, ENCOURAGE THESE YOUNG WOMEN, INSTILL IN THEM WHAT TO LOOK FOR, AND THE SIGNS TO LOOK FOR IN A MAN THAT MAY PUT THEM IN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION.
SO IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS, AND WE CAN GET THESE WOMEN THE HELP THAT THEY NEED, I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, AGAIN, I'LL USE THAT SCRATCH TO SERVICE TERM, TO NOT, AND NOT LOOKING AT, IS WHAT ABOUT THE YOUTH THAT'S AROUND THIS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHEN IT'S HAPPENING? THE YOUNG MEN THAT'S SEEING THIS AT SOME POINT, IT'S IMPLICITLY INSTILLED IN THAT YOUNG MAN'S HEAD THAT THIS IS OKAY TO TREAT SOMEONE LIKE THIS.
OR A YOUNG LADY WHO SEES HER MOTHER MENTALLY OR PHYSICALLY ABUSE HER FATHER.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COULD GO BOTH WAYS.
SO I THINK PEER SUPPORT GROUPS, AGAIN, CONNECTING WITH THE FAITH BASED LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITIES AND KEEPING THESE FAMILIES INVOLVED, IT STARTS IN THE HOME.
IT STARTS WITH THE POWER OF PRAYER.
AND I'M SORRY, I MAY HAVE BRING THAT BEFORE THE COUNCIL, BUT I'M A BELIEVER IN GOD, AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN THE HOME.
I THINK THAT KEEPING THESE CHILDREN ABREAST, HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE, SPENDING TIME EVERY DAY WITH YOUR CHILDREN AND AS A FAMILY, IS GOING TO BE SOME INITIATIVES THAT WE SHOULD LOOK INTO IN COLLABORATION, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALREADY INITIATIVES WE HAVE IN PLACE.
I THINK THAT THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT IT, THE MORE THAT WE INFLUENCE PEOPLE TO COME FORTH ABOUT IT, THE MORE ASSISTANCE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE AND MAKE IT OUR UTMOST RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE, UH, UH, HAVING THESE WOMEN AND THESE CHILDREN AND THESE MEN PUT IN PLACES WHERE THEY RECEIVE ASSISTANCE.
SO THIS QUESTION ISN'T FROM ANY OF THE CATEGORIES, BUT IT'S A FOLLOW UP TO, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER MEMBERS.
I THINK IT WAS MR. GIBSON'S QUESTION WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT DOING AN ANNUAL AUDIT AND THINKING ABOUT, YOU TOUCHED ON TRANSPARENCY.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS AWARE OF THOSE AUDITS FINDINGS? WOULD YOU RELEASE THE AUDIT TO THE PUBLIC? WOULD YOU RELEASE INVESTIGATIONS TO THE PUBLIC? I KNOW ONE THING THAT THE ADVOCATE REPORTED ON WAS THAT THE NARCOTICS DIVISION INVESTIGATION STILL HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AFTER TWO YEARS.
AND SO I'M WONDERING WHAT YOUR APPROACH TO AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THAT AND THE GENERAL AUDIT WOULD BE.
SO GOING BACK TO ONE OF THE THINGS I BELIEVE MS. MS JENNIFER CALWELL SAID WAS, UH, THE INITIATIVES THAT SHE'S TRYING TO INSTILL IS BRINGING THE CITIZENS IN.
AND I THINK BUILDING A, A BLUEPRINT TO WHAT WE PARTNER WITH A CIVILIAN STAFF OR ORGANIZATION, AND WE BRING THEM IN TO WORK WITH US IN BEING TRANSPARENT.
WHEN WE SAY AUDIT, WE, WE'LL LOOK AT HOW WE CAN MAKE OURSELVES BETTER.
EVERY YEAR WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR FUNDING, WE LOOK AT ALL WE SPENDING OUR MONEY IN THE PROPER PLACES, WHICH IS THE CITIZENS TAX DOLLARS.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THEIR TAX DOLLARS IS GOING, HOW IT'S BEING USED WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO HOW IT'S BEING USED TO GIVE BACK IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.
SO BUILDING A BLUEPRINT WITHOUT WOULD HAVE DOING THAT YET, I THINK IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO BUILD A BOARD.
OR, OR, OR A PARTICULAR INITIATIVE WHERE CIVILIANS AND POLICE OFFICERS, AS WELL AS PEOPLE FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, SIT TOGETHER WITH OUR ACCOUNTING DIVISIONS AND WE AUDIT PARTICULAR FUNDING.
WE AUDIT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
WE AUDIT SOME OF THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE INCIDENTS THAT WE MAY HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH IN THE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP DOING THAT.
AS LONG AS WE SIT AT A TABLE TOGETHER, I THINK WE'RE GONNA MAKE SOME VERY, VERY, VERY GOOD MOVES IN THIS CITY, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED MORE SO ABOUT WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
PEOPLE FEAR WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
SO IF YOU ARE MADE AWARE THAT THERE'S TROUBLE AND YOU'RE MADE AWARE THAT THERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ALL WORK AS LEADERS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE STEADY MAKING THESE BUILDING BLOCKS TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE, THAT'S MY GOAL, IS TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN IN COLLABORATION WITH SOMEONE FROM THE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COUNCIL OR BOARD OF CITIZENS THAT ARE LEADERS AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS IN THIS CITY.
THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE MY GOAL.
PLAN, UH, START, DO YOU SUPPORT HAVING TWO LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIONS, RESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE BAT ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT? CAN YOU ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN, SIR? DO YOU SUPPORT HAVING TWO LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIONS REPRESENT, REPRESENTING THE MEMBERS OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT? I WOULD SUPPORT THOSE UNIONS IN THE EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THE POLICE OFFICERS.
I THINK THESE UNIONS WERE PUT IN PLACE LONG BEFORE I WAS BORN.
UH, I BELONGED TO BOTH OF THOSE UNIONS.
AND WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS THAT WE BUILD
[00:25:01]
ON THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE UNIONS.WE STAY TRANSPARENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND LISTEN TO THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND WHAT THEIR GOALS MAY BE TO MAKE US A BETTER AGENCY.
BUT I THINK AT SOME POINT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AGAIN AS A PEOPLE, INVOLVE THOSE CITIZENS, GET THEIR OPINIONS ON WHAT THEY SEE THROUGH THE UNION'S LENS, WHAT THEY SEE THROUGH THE POLICE OFFICER'S LENS, AS WELL AS THE CITIZEN LENS.
AT SOME POINT, I BELIEVE WE CAN FIND THAT HAPPY MEDIUM.
IT WAS ONCE TOLD TO ME BY A WISE MAN, TWO THINGS ALWAYS BE MYSELF IF BEING MYSELF GOT ME THIS FAR, AND WHY DO I NEED TO CHANGE NOW? RIGHT.
SO AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, IT IS DEFINITELY MY GOAL TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE PEOPLE OF MY EXPECTATIONS IN HOPES THAT THEY'LL FOLLOW MY LEADERSHIP IN HOPES THAT I CAN INFLUENCE THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THIS UNIFORM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE YOUNGER GENERATION OF MEN AND WOMEN IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THAT UNION PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND HOW WE THINK ABOUT THINGS IN THIS JOB, HOW WE WAKE UP EVERY MORNING WANTING TO GET UP AND PUT THIS BADGE BACK ON.
SO IF WE CAN COME TOGETHER AGAIN WITH THESE TWO UNIONS ABREAST, AND WE CAN BUILD A COMPANIONSHIP AND A COLLABORATION WHERE WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, THAT IS THE GOAL AND THAT IS THE STRATEGY.
AND I DO FEEL POSITIVE ABOUT THAT BEING A POSITIVE EFFORT IN THE FUTURE.
MR. ARMER, DESCRIBE A SITUATION WHERE YOU MADE A DECISION THAT WAS MET WITH A NEGATIVE OUTCOME.
HOW DID YOU HANDLE THE FEEDBACK FROM YOUR SUPERVISOR? I'VE BEEN PUT IN MANY SITUATIONS WHERE I THOUGHT I DID THE RIGHT THING.
UH, AND SOMETIMES AS AN INDIVIDUAL, WE MAY THINK THAT DOING THE RIGHT THING MORALLY, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE.
I CAN'T REMEMBER A PARTICULAR SITUATION IN WHICH I'VE PUT IN A, I'VE BEEN PUT IN THAT PREDICAMENT.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING MORALLY, BUT IT WASN'T WHAT MY SUPERVISOR TOLD ME TO DO.
AND IN THAT SITUATION, I HAD TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY BECAUSE I DIDN'T FOLLOW HIS LEADERSHIP.
SO I COULD NOT BE MAD AT THAT SUPERVISOR FOR HOLDING ME ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE HE, HE TOLD ME NOT TO DO IT FOR A REASON.
BUT MORALLY I THOUGHT THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
SO IT COULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT, IT COULD HAVE BEEN WRONG, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DIDN'T FOLLOW MY ORDERS.
UM, SO BEING THE CHIEF OF POLICE IS SIMILAR TO BEING ACEO OF A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION.
UH, YOU OVERSEE HUNDREDS OF STAFF, YOU WOULD OVERSEE A BUDGET OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND MANAGE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF, OR, OR OF THOUSANDS OF PHYSICAL RESOURCES.
SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND, UM, UH, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED THAT MAKES YOU QUALIFIED TO SERVE AT, AT THIS LEVEL, AT THIS TIME, I'VE NEVER BEEN ACEO OF A COMPANY, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
BUT IN MY BACKGROUND AND UNDERSTANDING AND HIRING AND RECRUITING THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF POLICY AND PROCEDURES, AND I'VE OVER LED A LOT OF THE HIRING PROCESS KNOWING I WAS BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY PARTICULAR RULES AND GUIDELINES PUT IN PLACE.
SO THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR ERROR.
BUT IF I HAD TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE AS ME BEING A LEADER, A CHIEF OF POLICE, OR ACEO OF A COMPANY, I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE SO ABOUT BUILDING THE PROPER TEAM OF PEOPLE AROUND ME.
IF I'M ONLY, IF I'M THE ONLY SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM THAN I'M IN THE WRONG ROOM.
AND I THINK SURROUNDING MYSELF AROUND PEOPLE WHO HAVE BETTER IDEAS AND BRIGHTER IDEAS THAN ME IS WHAT IT TAKES AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GREAT LEADER, BECAUSE I WAS WILLING TO LISTEN.
SO YES, MA'AM, AT SOME POINT, I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE IN THAT FIELD, BUT PLACING MYSELF AROUND THE PROPER ADMINISTRATION AND NOT BEING THE SMARTEST MAN IN THE ROOM WOULD BE MY GOAL IN LEARNING HOW TO LEAD FROM THE GROUND, NOT FROM THE TOP.
UH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
UH, MR. AHMED, UH, I KNOW THAT THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS AND MONEY INTO TECHNOLOGY, A REALTIME CRIME CENTER AND SO FORTH.
AS YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE AS A POSSIBLE POLICE CHIEF.
UH, HOW WOULD YOU UTILIZE THE MOST RECENT CURRENT TECHNICAL ADVANCES? I THINK UTILIZING THESE MOST RECENT AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IS, UH, IS A GREAT THING.
ANYTHING THAT WE CAN USE TO ADVANTAGE IN ORDER TO LOOK INTO A CRIME, OKAY.
OR TO PREDICT THAT A CRIME MAY HAPPEN, THAT MIGHT SOUND LIKE THAT'S SOME FUTURISTIC MOVIES, BUT THERE'S TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE BEING CREATED.
AND IF I'M EVER ALLOWED TO GO TO SOME OF THESE TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED FAIRES AND LOOK AT THE MOST TECHNOLOGY, IF IT'S IN OUR BUDGET TO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THAT WITHIN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE WILL LOOK INTO IT WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITIZENS, AS LONG AS IT, IS IT A BETTERMENT FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
AND IF IT IS IN A REDUCTION OF CRIME WHEN IT COMES TO GUN VIOLENCE, DRUG ABUSE, DRUG VIOLENCE, MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO RESEARCH THE BEST PRACTICES ON THE MOST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PILLAR OF THE 21ST CENTURY POLICING, UM, TENANTS?
[00:30:02]
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE COMMUNITY POLICEMEN.UH, HOW YOU BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
AGAIN, I CAME HERE 20 YEARS AGO WHEN POLICING WAS VERY DIFFERENT.
WE LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND SAD TO SAY IN 2016, DURING THE OUT IN STERLING INCIDENT THAT CHANGED POLICING ACROSS THE NATION AS WE KNOW IT TODAY, PROBABLY ACROSS THE WORLD, OUR LEADERS HAVE HAD TO LOOK AT RECALIBRATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE HURT THAT WAS GOING ON IN THESE COMMUNITY BECAUSE HOW SOMETIMES THEY MAY HAVE FELT OPPRESSED OR THEY SAW US IN A DIFFERENT LENS THAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE THEY SAW US, AND WE WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN THAT YET.
WE SAT OUT FRONT AND WE START ASKING THESE PEOPLE.
SO, FORMING THESE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, GOING OUT, TOUCHING THE YOUTH, WALKING FROM DOOR TO DOOR IN THESE COMMUNITIES AND ASKING THEM, HOW CAN WE BE AN ASSISTANCE IN CLEANING UP YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR PROVIDING SOME KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, OR SOME KIND OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE? AND IF WE CAN'T DO IT, WHO CAN WE REACH OUT TO AS A LEADER IN THAT COMMUNITY TO GET THAT DONE? SO I DO THINK THAT COMMUNITY POLICING AND HOW WE BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IS WHERE WE NEED TO CHANGE LAW ENFORCEMENT NATIONWIDE AND AROUND THE WORLD.
WE WORK FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, AND AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, AGAIN, I WORK FOR THE CITIZENS OF BATON ROUGE.
SO IF THEY CAN INSTILL IN ME WHAT IT IS BEST FOR ME TO INSTILL IN MY OFFICERS, THAT IS THE BEST ROUTE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE.
BECAUSE I THINK IF THE PEOPLE ARE HAPPY, IF THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE HAPPY, AND AGAIN, WE'VE BUILT THAT BOARD OF TRANSPARENCY, IT FALLS BACK INTO COMMUNITY POLICING.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, CONTINUING TO BUILD THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND TO CONTINUE TO BE TRANSPARENT AND TO STAY OUT IN THESE SCHOOLS WHERE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE AMONGST THESE YOUTH.
THE INFLUENCE STARTS FROM THE BOTTOM UP, JUST AS IT DOES IN THE HOME.
BUT AS LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY, AS POLICE OFFICERS, WE DON'T JUST WEAR BADGE.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO BE A FATHER, WE HAVE TO BE A MOTHER.
AND AS THAT OFFICER, YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SIGNED UP TO PLAY THOSE MANY ROLES BECAUSE IT'S HOW YOU INFLUENCE.
NOT EVERYBODY DESERVES TO GO TO JAIL.
NOT EVERYBODY DESERVES A TRAFFIC TICKET.
I SHOULD TIME ON THAT QUESTION.
YOU NOW HAVE TWO MINUTES TO MAKE A CLOSING STATEMENT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY AND FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BE ON THIS JOURNEY AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
AGAIN, I, I REALLY FEEL LIKE IT WAS A CALLING.
I PRAYED ON THAT BEFORE I EVEN PUT THAT APPLICATION IN, BECAUSE I DO KNOW IT'S A TOUGH JOB.
AND I FELT LIKE IF I WAS PUT OUT IN FRONT OF THIS CITY, IT WOULD BE A CALLING AND AN EXPECTATION OF ME BY MY EYE OF GOD IN ORDER TO DO THAT JOB.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE MANY MISTAKES.
BUT I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE GO THROUGH THESE ERAS OF ADVERSITY AND WHEN WE FACE CHALLENGES, THOSE ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS TO GREATNESS.
THERE'S NO SUCCESS WITHOUT FAILURE.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WAS IMPORTANT, WHAT YOU SAID, MS. CALWELL, ABOUT US BUILDING A CITIZEN BOARD AND KEEPING THAT COMMUNITY INVOLVED.
SO ME BEING MYSELF, IT'S GOTTEN ME THIS FAR.
I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO BE MYSELF IF I'M SELECTED AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
AND IF I'M NOT SELECTED AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, I'M GONNA STILL CONTINUE BEING A POSITIVE LEADER AND A POSITIVE INFLUENCE IN THIS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THIS, AGAIN, IS THE ONLY HOME I'VE HAD, AND I DON'T PLAN ON LEAVING.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE.
THIS HAS BEEN QUITE A JOURNEY AND A PLEASURE TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
UP NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM WILLIAM CLARITA CLAR CLAR.
LET ME WRITE THAT PRONUNCIATION ON MY PAPER.
I READY TO BE DRINKING ALL 'EM COKES, MAN.
IN THAT CASE, BRING ME ONE TOO.
I'M LAMONT COLE, CHAIRMAN OF THE POLICE CHIEF REVIEW COMMITTEE.
THE WAY THE INTERVIEW PROCESS IS GOING TO WORK, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE AN OPEN STATEMENT.
EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER CAN ASK UP TO TWO QUESTIONS.
WE MAY NOT ASK TWO, BUT WE CAN ASK UP TO TWO QUESTIONS.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO MAKE A CLOSING REMARK.
WOULD Y'ALL LIKE THAT NOW OR AFTER? UH, WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER? NOW WOULD BE FINE.
[00:35:09]
THANK YOU.OR ACTUALLY GOOD EVENING COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO ALL WHO ARE PRESENT EITHER IN PERSON OR ARE WATCHING US LIVE FROM HOME.
I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH A BIBLE VERSE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT, JEREMIAH 29 11, FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD.
PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT HARM YOU.
PLANS TO GIVE YOU A HOPE AND A FUTURE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT MOST PEOPLE WANT WHEN IT COMES TO LIVING LIFE.
THE HOPE TO NOT BE HARMED, TO HAVE DREAMS AND A FUTURE.
AS POLICE OFFICERS, WE ENTER INTO THIS PROFESSION KNOWING WE WILL NEVER BECOME WEALTHY, BUT HAVE THE HOPE THAT WE CAN SOMEHOW MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
MANY YEARS AGO, I ANSWERED THE CALL FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
I NEVER REALIZED OR DREAMED THAT MORE THAN 30 YEARS LATER, I WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND BEFORE A COMMUNITY AND ASK TO BE ABLE TO LEAD SO MANY INCREDIBLE SELFLESS MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I'M A PROUD LONG-TERM, 30 YEAR VETERAN OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I MOVED TO BATON ROUGE IN 1977 WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD.
AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ABOUT EIGHT YEARS LIVING IN DENI SPRINGS, THIS HAS BEEN MY HOME.
I LIVE IN EAST BATON ROUGE, PAY TAXES IN EAST BATON ROUGE.
I RAISE MY FAMILY IN EAST BATON ROUGE.
I'M BLESSED TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT SAY, I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THEY PAY ME TO COME TO WORK.
UH, I'VE WORKED MANY PLACES IN THE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE CITY THAT'S GIVEN ME A COMPLETE PERSPECTIVE ON OPERATIONS FOR THE CITY POLICE, STARTING AS A PATROLMAN IN THE GUS YOUNG AREA, BEING ACCEPTED INTO THE CANINE DIVISION, THEN NARCOTICS, THEN THE HIGHWAY INTERDICTION UNIT, AND BEING PROMOTED TO SUPERVISOR WHERE I BEGAN MY TENURE OF SUPERVISING, MANAGING AND COMMANDING OFFICERS OF THE UNIFORM PATROL DIVISION, HIGHWAY INTERDICTION BACK TO CANINE, BACK TO UNIFORM, AND NOW IN ADMINISTRATION.
A LITTLE BIT OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ME IS THAT I MET MY WIFE 25 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH AT A CANINE DEMONSTRATION AT HER MOTHER'S SCHOOL.
SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE DOG.
AND IF THE DOG COULD HAVE DRIVEN, I THINK I WOULD'VE BEEN LEFT OUT
BUT SINCE HE COULDN'T, UH, OVER TIME I ESTIMATE THAT I PERSONALLY SUPERVISED OVER 200 INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS ON A ONE-TO-ONE LEVEL CHIEF PAUL HAD THE CONFIDENCE TO ALLOW ME TO BE NAMED AS THE FIRST COMMANDER OVER THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, THEN TO BE NAMED AS THE ASSISTANT UNIFORM PATROL COMMANDER, THEN TO THE UNIFORM PATROL COMMANDER.
AND MOST RECENTLY, I'VE TAKEN ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPUTY CHIEF OVER UNIFORM PATROL ON A DAILY BASIS.
I OVERSEE ABOUT 350 OFFICERS AND OVERSEE THE $40 MILLION BUDGET.
I KNOW I'M RUNNING SHORT ON TIME.
I'M GIVING YOU A LIST SO YOU CAN MAKE MAKE A CLOSING STATEMENT.
WE CAN GET TO ANSWER A QUESTION, SIR.
COMMANDER, I, I SAY YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF LEADERSHIP BILL WITHIN BRPD OVER YOUR CAREER.
IF YOU COULD REORGANIZE ONE DEPARTMENT OR SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, IF YOU WERE CHIEF, WHAT DEPARTMENTS WOULD THOSE BE AND WHY? REORGANIZATION, UH, IN MY OPINION, WOULD REQUIRE A NEED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF AREAS THAT DEFINITELY NEED SOME, SOME LOOKING AT SOME IMPROVEMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT WE COULD LOOK TO IMPROVE HOW WE HANDLE OUR EXTRA DUTY.
I THINK THAT COULD BE AN AREA THAT WE CHECK INTO TO SEE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH EVERYTHING.
UM, EVERY CHIEF THAT'S COME BEFORE ME, AND THAT'S BEEN NINE, HAS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, MOVED BUREAUS OR DIVISIONS FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE IN JUST MOVING A DIVISION FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A LEGITIMATE REASON.
SO, UH, I WOULD HAVE NO PLANS TO JUST DISRUPT EVERYTHING.
SO IF I COULD JUST FOLLOW UP JUST VERY BRIEFLY.
SO DO YOU, DO YOU SEE A NEED FOR ANY REORGANIZATION? UH, NO.
[00:40:03]
HOW YOU DOING MR. CLA? GOOD, SIR.THIS TIME WE, SO MY QUESTION IS FROM CATEGORY EIGHT, IT'S DATA TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND GIVEN YOUR LEADERSHIP THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER, I WAS CURIOUS OF WHAT ARE ANY NASCENT PRACTICES OR TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU BELIEVE BRPD COULD USE TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION OF PROTECTING AND SERVING THE PUBLIC? BUT WITH THAT, UH, DO ANY OF THOSE PRACTICES PRESENT PRIVACY OR CONCERNS OF PERSONAL RIGHTS? AND HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS? WELL, AS FAR AS TECHNOLOGY GOES, WE'RE INTO A LOT OF DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES THAT ASSIST US DAILY.
THE CRIME CENTER, UH, HAS PARTNERED WITH, UH, WITH, UH, ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSIST IN GETTING CAMERAS PUT UP THAT HAVE ALREADY SHOWN A DIFFERENCE IN COMBATING CRIME CAUGHT CRIMES AND PROGRESS.
UM, LPR TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS ASSISTED US TO MAKE SURE IF THEY'RE WANTED, PEOPLE WANTED VEHICLES THAT, UH, THAT THOSE ARE ADDRESSED.
AS FAR AS ANY PRIVACY CONCERNS, UM, WE MAKE VERY SURE THAT ANY OF OUR CAMERAS THAT WE HAVE UP DO NOT FACE INTO A PRIVATE AREA.
UH, SO ANYWHERE THAT A PERSON CAN GO, UH, IS WHERE A CAMERA COULD BE POINTED.
SO WE'RE VERY, VERY CONSCIOUS OF THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS, UH, WE HAVE A, WHAT'S CALLED THE CONNECT BLUE PROGRAM WITH THE DEPARTMENT, WHERE WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE AND HELP THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY CAN SIGN UP TO SAY THEY HAVE CAMERAS, BUT WE SPECIFICALLY STATE THAT WE DO NOT WANT PRIVATE CAMERAS, ONLY THE PUBLIC FACING.
SO I DON'T SEE ANY PRIVACY ISSUES THERE.
AND THEN JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP, WHAT IS LPR TECHNOLOGY LICENSE PLATE READER? THANK YOU.
A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS HAPPEN.
MR. CLARA, I'M COMING FROM, MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM THE PERSONAL APPROACH AND LEADERSHIP.
UH, THIS AGENCY HAS A HISTORY OF POLICY CHALLENGES RESULTING IN THOUSANDS OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS BEING PAID OUT IN LAWSUIT SETTLEMENTS IF SELECTED FOR THIS POSITION, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO BRING ALL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES INTO IMMEDIATE COMPLIANCE WITH CURRENT LAW? I'D SAY THAT, UH, IF WE ARE OUTTA COMPLIANCE, THAT THOSE ARE, ARE ALREADY LOOKED AT.
WE HAVE A CONSISTENT, UH, REVIEW OF ALL POLICIES.
BUT, UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE IS I WOULD LIKE TO RE-IMPLEMENT, UH, SOMETHING WE HAD YEARS AGO.
IT WAS CALLED THE STAFF INSPECTION DIVISION, WHERE THEY WOULD GO THROUGH AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT ALL OF THE DIVISIONS, MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DIVISIONS WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT WAS IN POLICY, AND THAT ALL THE RECORDS NEEDED TO BE KEPT.
THEY WERE, WERE TAKING CARE OF THAT.
AND, UH, I'M NOT SURE, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE, BUT AT SOME POINT WE DID GET AWAY FROM IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT RE-IMPLEMENTED, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO BRING IN SOME CIVILIAN ASSISTANCE ON THAT.
THAT WAY THEY CAN KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS AND GIVE INPUT.
AND AGAIN, YOU WOULD LIKE TO RE-IMPLEMENT.
WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN? IT'S, IT'S A DIVISION THAT WE USED TO HAVE IN PLACE.
IT WAS CALLED THE STAFF INSPECTION DIVISION OR SOMETHING THEREOF.
AND THEY WERE TAXED WITH GOING TO EACH SPECIFIC DIVISION TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DIVISION WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH POLICY.
KIND OF LIKE OVERSIGHT FOR EACH SPECIFIC DIVISION.
I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THAT BACK.
HOW YOU KNOW MR. CTA? GOOD, SIR.
DID I PRONOUNCE IT CORRECT? CTA I'LL ANSWER TO PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING.
CHIEF OF WHATEVER THAT ALREADY CHIEF WOULD BE FINE.
UH, SO, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE BEEN, UH, YOU, YOU'VE BEEN UP UNDER EIGHT CHIEFS.
I THINK CHIEF PAUL MIGHT BE NUMBER NINE.
SINCE THE 1960S, THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN IN A CONSENT DECREE.
ONLY RECENTLY WAS IT SETTLED? WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T GO BACK UNDER A FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE? YEAH, IT WAS IF FOR 38 YEARS, IT WAS UNDER, AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IN 2020 IS WHEN WE WERE REMOVED FROM IT.
UM, AND THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY REGARDING HIRING PRACTICES.
AND OBVIOUSLY CONSENT DECREES CAN COME BASED UPON WHAT A A, A FEDERAL JUDGE OR, OR THE FEDS WOULD, WOULD LOOK TO WANT TO HAVE OVERSIGHT FOR.
UM, AND I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT WE TALK ABOUT REGARDING POLICY OVERSIGHT.
AND A LOT OF THAT MIGHT COME WITH THE TRANSPARENCY PIECE, WHERE YOU'RE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I THINK THAT, OH, UH, THE CONSENT DECREE WOULD COME INTO PLAY IS IF THEY FIND WRONGDOING.
AND YOU DID REALLY NOTHING TO KIND OF RECTIFY THE PROBLEM.
AGAIN, SPECIFIC, I THINK IT WAS DEALING WITH THE, UH, HIRING,
[00:45:01]
PROMOTION, RETENTION DISCIPLINE.ALL OF THOSE, THE HIRING IS WHAT STUCK OUT TO ME, SIR.
SO, SO WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE HIRING PROCESS, DURING THE RE RETENTION OF A GOOD, UH, OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, A DIVERSE, UH, DEPARTMENT, A RETENTION DISCIPLINE? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES I WOULD GET COMPLAINTS AS THE NAACP STATE, UH, NAACP BRANCH PRESIDENT THAT, UH, THE DISCIPLINE WAS, UM, UNEVEN.
YOU KNOW, BLACK OFFICERS WERE DISCIPLINED, HARSHER TO OPPOSED TO THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS.
AND SO THOSE WERE THE PARTS OF THE THINGS THAT THE CONSENT DECRE STATE HAS TO BE, UH, CLEANED UP.
AND SO WHAT DO YOU, UH, PROPOSE TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T GO BACKWARDS AS FAR AS HIRING PRACTICES? WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HIRING, UH, ALONG THE SAME LINES AS OUR DEMOGRAPHIC WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD REFLECT WHAT OUR CITY LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING WITH DISCIPLINE.
UM, AND, AND I MIGHT BE STEPPING OFF INTO ANOTHER AREA, BUT, UH, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD LOOK TO, UH, CHANGE DISCIPLINE IN HOW WE DO IT.
WE SHOULD ACTUALLY, UH, HAVE HALF OF OUR DISCIPLINE REVIEW BOARD BE CIVILIANS AND THE OTHER HALF BE OFFICERS, BUT THEY REPRESENT THE THREE MAJOR GROUPS AS FAR AS FOP, UNION AND MAGNOLIA HAVE ONE FROM EACH OF THOSE WITH THE CIVILIANS.
THEY CAN REVIEW THE CASES AFTER THEY'RE INVESTIGATED, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THE CHIEF HAS TO HAVE THE ULTIMATE SAY SO BECAUSE HE'S THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY.
WHAT DOES THE FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK LIKE AND RANK THE TOP FIVE PRIORITIES IN YOUR PROCESS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THEM? AND, AND IN WHAT I GAVE Y'ALL IS I DO HAVE A LISTING OF THE FIRST 100 DAYS.
I'VE LOOKED AT 'EM TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AND THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I HAVE TO MEET WITH MY BOSS.
I HAVE TO MEET WITH MAYOR BROOM.
UH, WE HAVE TO, UH, BE ON THE SAME PAGE AS TO WHAT THE OBJECTIVE IS AND WHAT SHE WOULD LIKE.
I ALSO HAVE TO MEET WITH MY OFFICERS.
I HAVE TO MEET WITH THE SENIOR STAFF.
I HAVE TO MEET WITH THE METRO COUNCIL, AND I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP FROM THE BEGINNING MOVING FORWARD.
UH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW AS OF LATE THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH, UH, WITH THE CHIEF AND, AND, AND SO FORTH.
UH, I GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT I MEET WITH OFFICERS DIRECTLY IN THEIR HOME AS FAR AS THEIR DISTRICTS, BASE THEM, LOOK AT THEM, ANSWER THE HARD QUESTIONS, UH, DISPEL ANY RUMORS.
GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT MOVING FORWARD THERE'S A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT I WOULD EXPECT AND WHAT THEY WOULD EXPECT FROM ME.
UM, THERE HAS TO BE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT YOU HAVE TO BE PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY FACE-TO-FACE.
AND ON A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL IS WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GET THE BEST RESULTS.
BUT, UH, AS FAR AS, UH, IF IT NEEDS TO BE WITH, UH, A LARGER GROUP, THAT WAY YOU CAN GET THE MESSAGE OUT, THEN, THEN THAT'S FINE AS WELL.
BUT I SAID I HAVE, I HAVE SEVERAL REALLY GOOD IDEAS.
IT'S JUST, THAT'S KIND OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
AND YOU SAID FIVE, WHAT WERE THE FIVE OTHER ONES? WHAT WERE THE TOP FIVE PRIORITIES? TOP FIVE PRIORITIES.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF TOUCHED ON THE MAJORITY OF THEM.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH MAKING SURE YOU START BUILDING TRUST BACK WITH THE COMMUNITY, WHICH THAT DEALS WITH THE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION.
YOU HAVE TO BUILD TRUST BACK WITH OFFICERS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE START.
AND THEN THAT ALSO IN ITSELF WILL HELP TO START BUILDING MORALE BACK.
AND THAT REALLY KIND OF IS WHERE MY NEXT QUESTION WAS, UH, LEADING WAS ABOUT MORALE.
UM, WE'VE HAD STORIES OF SOME BAD APPLES, UH, UH, IN THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I'M INTERESTED IN HOW YOU WOULD PROMOTE MORALE WHILE ALSO HOLDING BAD APPLES ACCOUNTABLE.
WELL, I'LL KIND OF GO BACKWARDS.
HOLDING BAD APPLES ACCOUNTABLE, THAT'S EASY BECAUSE IF THEY'RE SHOWN TO BE INCORRECT IN WHAT THEY'VE DONE, THEN THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO ATONE FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL, BE DEALT WITH, EITHER IF IT'S AS MINOR AS A, UH, AS, AS A CORRECTION OF A VERBAL NATURE OR RETRAINING.
IF IT DEALS WITH SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS DISCIPLINE.
AND THAT CAN GO ALL THE WAY UP TO SEPARATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT, UH, UP TO ARREST.
SO, UM, AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT NOBODY DISLIKES A BAD COP OR THAN A GOOD COP.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE WE ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY PUSHING, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS ABOVE BOARD AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOMEBODY COME BEHIND US AND TAKE OUR FEET OUT FROM UNDERNEATH US.
AS FAR AS MORALE GOES, I CAN TELL YOU THAT ANYTIME IN THE PAST 30 YEARS OF MY CAREER WHEN THERE'S BEEN THE ANTICIPATION OF A CHIEF LEAVING
[00:50:01]
AND LEADING UP TO THAT, A LOT OF TIMES MORALE GETS A LITTLE LOW.PEOPLE ARE ANTICIPATING THE WORST.
SO ONCE A CHIEF IS NAMED, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY WOULD COME FROM OR WHO IT MIGHT BE THAT Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, CHOOSE, UH, MORALE WILL START TO IMPROVE.
AND THE BEST FEEDBACK I'VE EVER GOTTEN IS SITTING IN FRONT OF THOSE GUYS AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE THEY SAY THAT THEY JUST FEEL LIKE THEY'RE LEFT IN THE DARK.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE START.
WITHOUT DISCUSSING ANY DETAILS REGARDING THE BRAVE CAVE AND RELATED ACQUISITION, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THIS TYPE OF ALLEGED ACTIVITY WOULD NOT OCCUR? SPECIFIC CHECKS AND BALANCES.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I THINK MOST OF THESE INVOLVE PLAIN CLOTHES, NARCOTICS, STREET CRIMES SO FAR.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO ENSURE THAT THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN? WELL, ANYTIME WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN IN, IN THAT TYPE OF A, A SERVICE WITH THE DEPARTMENT, AND IT ENDS UP BEING KIND LIKE WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW.
AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I I HAVE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE, BUT IF I HAVE ANY, OBVIOUSLY I'M, I CAN'T REALLY PUSH FORTH ON THAT.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ADDRESS THOSE SPECIFIC ISSUES BEFORE YOU CAN START TO REBUILD THAT.
IS IT TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, YOU HAVE TO START OVER FROM GROUND ZERO WITH ALL NEW PEOPLE.
UM, BUT YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES TO START AS FAR AS HOW CAN YOU ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE THAT HAVE THEIR EYES OPEN.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OVERSEEING, PEOPLE THAT DO THAT JOB, THAT CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING ON, THEY'RE FOLLOWING BEHIND.
AND THAT THOSE PROCESSES THAT PROTECT THE DEPARTMENT, THE CITIZENS AND THE OFFICERS THEMSELVES ARE BEING FOLLOWED.
YOU GOTTA HAVE THE RIGHT CHAMPIONS.
AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO GIVE CHIEF PAUL CREDIT 'CAUSE THAT'S HIS WORD, BUT I BELIEVE IN IT.
UH, MR. CLA, UH, THIS QUESTION COMES FROM, UH, OFFICER WELLNESS AND WELLBEING CATEGORY.
HOW WILL YOU ADDRESS THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT OFFICERS MAY FACE AND ENSURE THEIR HOLISTIC WELLBEING? PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY AFTER DISTRESSING INCIDENTS? WE, WE'VE MADE STRIDES, GREAT STRIDES AS OF LATE.
UM, WE HAVE A BOLSTERED, UH, PEER SUPPORT GROUP, UH, THAT IS VERY PROACTIVE.
UH, I'VE MADE SURE THAT I WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEM.
I, I HAPPEN TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE I CAN ACTUALLY ASSIST THEM IN THE EVENT.
I, IT'S BEEN TOLD TO ME THAT AN OFFICER IS GOING THROUGH A CRISIS.
UH, WE CAN HELP FACILITATE SOME TIME OFF FOR THEM IF THEY NEED COUNSELING, UH, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES BEFORE IT GETS TO THE BREAKING POINT, YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ADDRESS THEM DIRECTLY AND SAY, HEY, WE SEE SOMETHING'S GOING ON.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KIND OF SCALE BACK A LITTLE BIT AND TRY TO GET YOU SOME HELP.
UH, AND, AND THAT OBVIOUSLY PROTECTS THEM, BUT IT PROTECTS THE INTEGRITY OF THE SQUAD, THE DEPARTMENT, AND THE CITIZENS AS WELL, AND THEIR SAFETY.
SO WE, UH, WE'VE DONE GREAT THINGS.
WE CAN ALSO LOOK TO ASSIST WITH, UH, GETTING SOME LICENSED PROFESSIONALS TO COME IN AND ACTUALLY BE AVAILABLE, WHICH WE HAVE THEM NOW.
WE CAN SEND PEOPLE FOR ASSISTANCE.
BUT, UH, WE CAN PROBABLY PARTNER WITH, UH, AN ORGANIZATION OR A GROUP THAT MAYBE WE COULD KIND OF CALL OURS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS OUT ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING? UH, AS FAR AS TO MY KNOWLEDGE, UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WE CAN SEND OFFICERS TO IF WE FORESEE THERE'S AN ISSUE, UH, THAT YEAH, THEY WOULD DEAL WITH DIRECT.
BUT AS FAR AS AN OFFICER WANTS TO SEEK COUNSELING ON HIS OWN, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE ON HIM.
WE, SOME, WE WILL WORK WITH THEM ON THAT.
AND IT'S ALL THROUGH HEALTH AND SAFETY AND A LOT OF THAT BECAUSE OF THE REGULATIONS AND HIPAA, I MEAN, I'VE, I'VE ASKED QUESTIONS AND WHEN I GET TOO CLOSE, I'M LIKE, UH, I CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT IT.
SO, UH, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ON SOMETHING THAT I DON'T A HUNDRED PERCENT KNOW ABOUT, BUT I KNOW THAT WE ARE MAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS THOSE PROBLEMS AND GOING AS FAR AS WE CAN WITH IT TO HELP THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR DOCUMENT BECAUSE IT'S MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO FIND QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, MY QUESTION, I'VE NEVER ASKED THIS TO A CANDIDATE, UH, BECAUSE YOU'VE MADE IT HARD.
WHAT ARE YOUR STANDARDS OF HOLDING BAD ACTING OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE BY WHILE SUPPORTING PROMO PROMOTING THE MORALE AND PRIDE WITHIN THE RANKS? UM, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA? IF WE ARE UPFRONT AND WE'RE HONEST ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, A LOT OF TIMES THAT ALLEVIATES THOSE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP WITH THE OFFICERS THAT ARE NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED.
AS FAR AS THE HOLDING OF ACCOUNTABILITY,
[00:55:01]
I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.LIKE I SAID A MINUTE AGO, IF, IF WE GOT A BAD APPLE, THEN WE ADDRESS THE BAD APPLE.
AND IT DEPENDS UPON THE SEVERITY AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM.
IT COULD BE TRAINING, COULD BE, UH, DISCIPLINE.
LIKE I SAID, IT COULD BE SUSPENSION, IT COULD BE ADMIN LEAVE IT.
IT JUST DEPENDS UPON THE SEVERITY.
BUT THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT THINGS IS THAT IF WE ARE OPEN ABOUT IT, WE'RE HONEST WITH THE OFFICERS AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BECAUSE SOME OF THAT'S INVESTIGATIONS THAT GO ON, UH, AND WE'RE FAIR.
YOU, I MEAN, YOU GOTTA BE FAIR AND CONSISTENT WITH THIS ONE.
THE SAME AS WITH THIS ONE, IT HAS TO BE THE SAME.
SO HOW I TREAT THIS ONE, THAT'S HOW I'M GONNA TREAT THAT ONE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT, IT JUST KIND OF, JUST BEING CONSISTENT WITH IT.
AND I, I DIDN'T SAY IT A WHILE AGO AND I APOLOGIZE I, FOR BREAKING IN ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL WANTED TO DISCUSS IN ANY OF MY RECORDS.
I DID STATE THAT I WAS VERY OPEN TO THAT.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING AS FAR AS IN MY INTERNAL AFFAIRS JACKET, UH, ANYTHING Y'ALL READ, PLEASE ASK AND I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO ANSWER.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
SO ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU, MR. CLARA, WITH, YOU'VE WORKED IN A WHOLE MESS, UH, DIVISIONS, UNIFORM PATROL, CRIME CENTER, CANINE, AND GIVEN YOUR BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE, THIS QUESTION'S FROM CATEGORY 11, POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR CURRENT BRPD CANDIDATES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE TIME YOUR TIME AT BRPD AND THESE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, UH, HAVE YOU OR THE DIVISIONS YOU'VE BEEN IN RESPONDED TO DIFFICULTIES AND SCANDALS RELATED TO OTHER DIVISIONS.
SO I KNOW THAT THE K NINE DIVISION CHANGED ITS JUVENILE POLICY.
WE'VE HAD THE STREET CRIMES UNIT, THE NARCOTICS DIVISION.
DID YOU ADOPT, SUGGEST, OR IMPLEMENT ANY NEW POLICIES AND WHAT'S BEEN THEIR RESULT? I HAVE NOT PERSONALLY, UH, ADOPTED OR, OR SUGGESTED ANY CHANGES.
IF I, IF MY INPUT WAS REQUESTED, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN GLAD TO GIVE IT.
UM, AND AT THE LEVEL I'M AT NOW, I'VE BEEN WHERE I'M AT MAYBE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS, WHICH IS THE EXECUTIVE, UH, LEVEL OF, OF ADMINISTRATION.
UM, WE DO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS THAT OCCUR, HOW DID THEY COME ABOUT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP RECTIFY IT? UM, SO IF YOU'RE ASKING IF I'VE HAD ANY DIRECT CONTACT WITH MAKING THOSE CHANGES, MY ANSWER WOULD BE UP TO THIS POINT, NO.
UM, BUT I HAVE HAD INPUT AND PROBLEMS THAT HAVE COME UP AND HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
SO JUST FOLLOWING UP ON THAT AND HOWEVER YOU CAN EXPLAIN, COULD YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT KIND OF INPUT LOOKS LIKE OR WHAT THAT PROCESS IS? WELL, SURE.
UM, ANYTIME WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM AND, AND SAY AN OFFICER COMES IN FOR DISCIPLINE AND UH, WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH HIM AS TO WHAT HAPPENED, WE LET HIM TELL HIS SIDE.
UH, IF WE FIND WHERE SOMETHING WASN'T VERY CLEAR OR SPECIFIC IN POLICY, THEN THOSE CHANGES HAVE TO BE MADE TO ADDRESS THOSE.
SO, UM, AND RECENTLY WE DID HAVE, AND, AND YOU, YOU ASKED NOW AND THE WAY YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION, WE HAD TO WHERE WE HAD TO ALTER THE WORDING IN SOME OF THE POLICIES TO KIND OF, I GUESS, CLOSE A GAP THAT WAY.
THERE WAS NO MISCOMMUNICATION.
UH, AND I, IT MAY HAVE HAD TO DO WITH EXTRA DUTY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK OUT ON THAT ONE.
BUT YES, SUGGESTIONS TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS WITHIN THOSE.
UM, YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD CHECK OUT EXTRA DUTY IS BEING HANDLED.
ONCE YOU CHECK OUT AND YOU FIND SOME THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE UP TO PAR, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THAT MOVING FORWARD AND WOULD THAT BE A PART OF YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS TO CHECK INTO THAT? IT WILL BE PART, UH, OF THE FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE IS A, A COMPANY NOW THAT KIND OF HELPS WITH THAT ASPECT.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY, WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH AT LEAST ONE, UH, TO WHERE THEY CAN COME IN AND HELP MANAGE THE EXTRA DUTY PORTION OF WHAT WE DO.
UH, IT TAKES THE RESPONSIBILITY AND IT'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND THERE'S A LOT OF EXTRA DUTY THAT COMES THROUGH.
UM, THERE'S TECHNOLOGY NOW THAT CAN HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO OVERLAP AS FAR AS SCHEDULES FOR THE WORKING OFFICERS.
UH, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A A, A CHECK AND BALANCE.
AND LIKE I SAID, THE, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT APPS NOW FOR EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO APPS FOR ANYTHING AND THIS IS NO DIFFERENT.
THIS WOULD BASICALLY KEEP TRACK OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE OFFICERS, WHAT THEY WORK, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR SCHEDULE.
YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE TAKING OFF THAT IT'S
[01:00:01]
THE PROPER TYPE OF LEAD, THAT TYPE OF THING.UM, AND, AND LOOK, EXTRA DUTY SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE DEPENDS ON WHO'S BEEN IN THERE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE.
UH, AND WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOCUMENTING IT.
I JUST THINK THAT WE CAN STEP FORWARD AND LOOK AT TECHNOLOGY TO ASSIST US TO MONITOR THAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
I HAVE NO, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
I DO HAVE ONE OTHER KEEPS DOING THAT.
UH, I DO HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION AND THAT IS, UM, I KNOW THAT WE ARE MANY OFFICERS SHORT.
SO, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OF HOW YOU MIGHT ADDRESS RE RECRUITMENT, UM, OR RETENTION? ANY UNIQUE IDEAS? RECRUITMENT, UH, THERE IS AN IN PROGRESS PIECE GOING ON IN, IN, I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT.
WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD GUY AND AGAIN, WE HAVE A CHAMPION IN PLACE THAT'S BEEN HELPING WITH THAT.
UM, HE MIGHT NEED SOME HELP BECAUSE HE'S A VERY BUSY GUY.
UM, WE'RE ALREADY DOING SOME OF THE RIGHT THINGS.
WE'RE GOING TO THE RIGHT PLACES.
WE'RE ASKING, UH, FOR HELP FROM THE RIGHT PLACES TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET QUALITY AS MUCH AS QUANTITY.
SO, UM, WE HAVE SOMEBODY REALLY GOOD DOING THAT.
OBVIOUSLY PAY, UH, FOR OFFICERS, ANYBODY THAT'S COMING HERE INITIALLY, THEY LOOK AT THE PAY.
WHAT DOES IT PAY TO COME TO STAY HERE? ON THE RETENTION SIDE THOUGH, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING MORE THAN PAY BECAUSE AFTER A WHILE IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
THEY HAVE TO FEEL AS THOUGH THEY'RE BEING TREATED FAIRLY.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE A VOICE IN WHAT GOES ON AND THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY FEEL WANTED AS FAR AS THEIR JOB GOES.
SO, UH, THAT'S KIND OF PART OF THE RETENTION PIECE.
WE ALSO HAVE LOOKED AT FINANCIAL INCENTIVES ON THE RETENTION SIDE AS WELL TO HELP BOOST WITH EDUCATION PAY.
UM, WE'RE KIND OF PULLING OUT ALL STOPS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, BUT I THINK, I THINK WE'RE ON A GOOD PATH.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS? YES SIR.
YEAH, WE SEE, UM, CLOSE YOUR REMARKS.
YOU GOT TWO MINUTES? TWO MINUTES.
AS I BEGAN MY OPENING REMARKS WITH A BIBLE QUOTE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT, I WILL BEGIN MY CLOSING REMARKS WITH A QUOTE FROM ROCKY BALBOA.
IT AIN'T ABOUT HOW HARD YOU HIT, IT'S ABOUT HOW HARD YOU CAN GET HIT AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
HOW MUCH YOU CAN TAKE AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
WE'VE BEEN HIT PRETTY HARD LATELY AS A DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T SEE ANYBODY NOT GETTING UP AND MOVING FORWARD.
THE SAME AS A FELLOW CANDIDATE WHO HAS ALREADY INTERVIEWED WITH Y'ALL.
EVERYTHING INVOLVING THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE CHIEF'S OFFICE THAT I'M CURRENTLY DOING, PARTICIPATE IN AND HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF IS MY CURRENT JOB.
MY LEARNING CURVE IN HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING WILL BE VERY MINIMAL.
EXCUSE ME, THIS IS NOT A BEEN THERE, DONE THAT SCENARIO.
THIS IS A, I AM HERE AND I'M DOING IT SITUATION.
I HAVE A DEEP FAITH IN GOD KEEPS ME GROUNDED.
A STRONG MORAL COMPASS THAT POINTS NORTH.
AND I AM SEASONED IN MY DECISION MAKING.
Y'ALL NOTICE I DIDN'T SAY I WAS OLDER.
I WILL BE FAIR, FIRM, NON-BIASED AND AVAILABLE IN MY TENURE AS CHIEF.
IF YOU DEMAND EXCELLENCE, BUT YOU ACCEPT MEDIOCRITY, MEDIOCRITY BECOMES THE STANDARD.
BATON ROUGE DOES NOT DESERVE A MEDIOCRE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY SHOULD DEMAND AN EXCELLENT, I ASK YOU CONS.
I ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER ME TO BE THE CHIEF THAT DELIVERS EXCELLENCE.
COMMITTEE BREAK OR WE WANNA MOVE TO THE THIRD.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM ALVIN DAVIS.
I CAN I PASS IT DOWN? THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE THAT JUST CAME OUT.
[01:05:03]
YEAH,I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE POLICE CHIEF REVIEW COMMITTEE.
AND THE WAY THIS INTERVIEW IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT AND THEN EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER WILL CAN ASK UP TO TWO QUESTIONS FROM A LIST OF CATEGORIES.
UH, WE MAY NOT ASK TWO, BUT WE CAN ASK UP TO TWO.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE ROUNDS OF QUESTIONS, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO MAKE A CLOSING REMARK.
SO YOU LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY TO BEGIN.
AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTE OPEN STATEMENT.
I'D LIKE TO FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU GUYS FOR EVEN GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE TO BE THE CHIEF OF POLICE IN BATON ROUGE.
UH, I'M FROM BATON ROUGE, BUT I LIVE IN TENNESSEE NOW.
AND THE MILITARY AND THE OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENT KIND OF TOOK ME AWAY WHEN I WAS 18.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED THAT THIS EVEN LANDED IN FRONT OF ME LIKE IT DID.
I GUESS GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS, BUT UM, I SEEM LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE JUST STARTED FALLING INTO PLACE FOR ME.
SO I JUST HAVE A FEEL THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO CONNECT THE POLICE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE JUST HAVE THIS BIG DI DISCONNECT RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S WHY BEFORE I RETIRED FROM MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I WAS A LIEUTENANT THERE FOR 22 YEARS, THEN I WAS A POLICE IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA FOUR YEARS BEFORE THAT.
THEN I RETIRED FROM THE MILITARY AFTER 20 YEARS I WAS A MILITARY POLICE.
SO I'VE KIND OF BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE AND DID A LOT OF STUFF.
BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO, THE BIGGEST THING IS CONNECT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, GAIN THAT TRUST AND DO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO PUT BATON ROUGE BACK ON THE MAP TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGER, BETTER CITIES THAT IT USED TO BE AND GET BACK TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
I'LL BE OPENING THIS STATEMENT.
AS YOU MENTIONED, I SEE YOU HAVE CIVILIAN AND MILITARY EXPERIENCE AND GIVEN THAT YOU'VE SEEN THE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEADERSHIP, UH, SKILLS AND SETS, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE A POLICE CHIEF IN BATON ROUGE SHOULD HAVE? AND GIVEN THAT TRAIT, CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU'VE EXHIBITED THAT TRAIT IN YOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR MILITARY EXPERIENCE? I FEEL LIKE ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS YOU NEED TO DO, FIRST OF ALL, IN ORDER TO GET THE CITY WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE, YOU GONNA HAVE TO CONNECT TO THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY'RE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
YOU CAN'T JUST GO IN AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
YOU HAVE TO INVOLVE THE CITIZENS IN IT.
AND THE WAY I USED TO DO THAT WHEN I HAD OFFICERS WENT OUT, AT THE TIME I HAD ABOUT 30 OFFICERS WORKING FOR ME.
WE DID COMMUNITY ENFORCEMENT, BUT I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I USED TO GO OUT, ONCE I GOT EVERYBODY OUT PATROLLING, I USED TO GO OUT AND MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY MYSELF, GET OUT ON FOOT, TALK TO THE COMMUNITY.
YOU JUST CAN'T ALWAYS MEET EVERYBODY IN A NEGATIVE SITUATION.
KINDA LIKE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
EVERYBODY LOVES TO SEE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT POLICE SHOW UP.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU GETTING IN THE BACKSEAT.
SO YOU HAVE TO MEET AND CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY IN A DIFFERENT STANDARD.
SO YOU GOT TO HAVE THOSE DAYS AND I TELL 'EM, GET OUT AND DO SOME FOOT PATROL.
YOU KNOW, THEY DID THAT WAY, WAY BACK IN THE DAY.
BUT I THINK CONNECTING TO THE COMMUNITY, BEING HONEST WITH 'EM, BEING OPEN WITH 'EM ONCE THEY BUY IN, IT'S EASY.
LIKE I SAID, IT TAKES A VILLAGE SO WE, WE CAN'T DO IT OURSELVES.
THE CITIZENS GONNA HAVE TO HELP US WITH THAT AS WELL.
BUT I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.
HOW YOU DOING MR. DAVIS? MR. DAVIS, MAKE SURE YOU, THE, THE GREEN LIGHT IS ON ON YOUR MIC.
THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU OUTSIDE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MIC AT THE BASE.
THERE SHOULD BE A GREEN LIGHT ON AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE SPEAKING INTO IT.
HOW YOU DOING MR. DAVIS? FINE.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING AND THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN ALL THE WAY FROM TENNESSEE.
SO KIND OF LIKE MR. GREEN'S QUESTION, GIVEN YOUR CIVILIAN AND MILITARY EXPERIENCE, THIS QUESTION'S FROM CATEGORY 12 POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR NON VRBD CANDIDATES.
UH, I'M CURIOUS HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PREVIOUS DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING MILITARY POLICE, PROVIDED YOU WITH INSIDER INFORMATION, WHETHER THAT'S STRUCTURE, PROCEDURES, COLLABORATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES, UH, THAT CAN INFORM YOUR LEADERSHIP IF SELECTED AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE IN BATON ROUGE.
AND ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC POLICIES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED? YES SIR.
BUT SOME OF THE POLICIES THAT I LEARNED FROM MEMPHIS, MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM NORFOLK POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN IT'S LIKE TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS.
[01:10:01]
ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT.SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU, YOU, I THINK THAT ONCE WE START TALKING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH HAVING A COMMUNITY BOARD THAT'S PART OF OUR SELECTION OR THAT'S PART OF THE WHOLE SOLUTIONS TO DIFF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID WAS CALLED PACE POLICE ASSISTED COMMUNITY ENFORCEMENT AND THAT WAS IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.
AND THAT WAS WHERE WE WENT OUT, GOT WITH THE COMMUNITY, WE TOOK INSIGHT AND WE WOULD BRING IT TO CITY COUNCIL AND WE WOULD ADDRESS IT.
AND IF PEOPLE WAS OKAY WITH GIVING US THEIR NAMES, WE'LL PUT THAT OUT THERE, MAKE CALLS BACK TO THEM AND EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT DIFFERENT THINGS BASED ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY SEE THE PROBLEM BEING.
SO THAT TO ME IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT.
THIS IS COMING FROM PERSONAL APPROACH AND LEADERSHIP AND THIS QUESTION WAS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED BY, UH, A CANDIDATE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER DURING THE TRANSITION OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP? WHAT IS IMPORTANT? WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER? YES MA'AM.
DURING THE TRANSITION IN THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO BE CONSISTENT AND BE HONEST WITH THE OTHER CHIEF THAT'S RETIRING OR GOING OUT, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PUT IT.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A TURNOVER, PROPER TURNOVER FROM THEM IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
ESPECIALLY FOR GUYS LIKE MYSELF OR FEMALES THAT'S COMING FROM OUTTA STATE BECAUSE DEPARTMENTS RUN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO YOU'RE GONNA DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE A HANDS-ON APPROACH AND HAVE A CHIEF THAT'S LEAVING THAT'S GONNA BE HONEST TO SAY WE NEED TO EXHIBIT, YOU KNOW, USE EXHIBIT X, Y, AND Z IN ORDER FOR YOU TO HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION OR THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE THAT'S STILL THERE, THAT'S NOT MOVING ON.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONNECT TO THEM AND TRY TO GET INSIGHT ON WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR THAT DEPARTMENT OF WHICH WAY YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO.
SOME THINGS ARE GONNA BE THE RIGHT WAY, SOME ARE GONNA BE THE WRONG WAY.
AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE IF THAT WASN'T THE CASE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY LOOKING FOR A CHIEF OF POLICE.
SO THAT'S HOW I KIND OF LOOK AT THAT.
UH, MR. DAVIS, HOW YOU DOING THERE? HONOR YOU SIR? UH, HOW HAS, UH, THIS IS COMING FROM UH, POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR NONE, UH, CANDIDATES.
HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PREVIOUS DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY PROVIDED YOU WITH INSIGHT OR INFORMATION SUCH AS STRUCTURE, PROCEDURES, COLLABORATION, ET CETERA, THAT CAN FORM YOUR LEADERSHIP IF SELECTED AS THE NEW CHIEF OF POLICE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE AT YOUR OLD DEPARTMENT THAT YOU CAN BRING DOWN HERE AND UTILIZE? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I STARTED DOING, UM, I WAS AT ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PRECINCTS IN THE CITY WHEN I WAS THERE IN UH, MEMPHIS.
I KNOW IT MAY SOUND KIND OF DIFFERENT, BUT WE STARTED DOING SIMPLE THINGS LIKE CAR SHOWS AND GOING OUT WITH THE KIDS AND WE DO THIS THING CALLED TRUNK OR TREAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DID IT LAST NIGHT AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, BUT I WAS ON MY WAY HERE 'CAUSE I HAD TO DO THAT SIX HOUR DRIVE.
BUT WE WOULD DO TRUNK OR TREAT EVERY YEAR WITH THE KIDS.
WE WOULD DO THE PARADES WITH THE KIDS.
AND IT WAS JUST AMAZING HOW MY CHIEF WOULD COME TO ME AND SAY, IT'S, IT'S FUNNY HOW YOUR PRECINCT BOUGHT TOTALLY INTO WHAT YOU WERE DOING AND WE HAVING PROBLEMS AT OTHER PRECINCTS.
NEXT THING I KNOW I GOT MOVED BECAUSE WHAT I DID TO WORK OVER THERE, THEY WANTED TO IMPLEMENT IT IN DIFFERENT PARTS.
YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T BE TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW I END UP WITH RECRUITING AND SAY WE HAD A RECRUITING SITUATION, SO I JUST FEEL LIKE YOU JUST HAVE TO BE HANDS ON, GO OUT THERE AND YOU CAN TALK IT, BUT YOU GOT TO WALK IT.
SO THAT'S ME AND I JUST OUT GO OUT AND DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THAT WAS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THINGS AND NOT THE CHIEF I HAVE NOW, WHICH WAS CHIEF DAVIS.
WE HAD CHIEF, UM, ARMSTRONG BEFORE THAT, TONY ARMSTRONG.
AND SOME OF YOU GUYS PROBABLY SEEN HIM BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY MEMPHIS MADE THE FIRST 48 FAMOUS AND WE KNOW WHY, WHY THAT HAPPENED.
BUT YOU WOULD SEE TONY ARMSTRONG OUT THERE AND I BECAME REAL CLOSE TO HIM AND I WOULD GO OUT WITH HIM TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY AND HE WAS JUST THAT APPROACHABLE PERSON.
AND YOU JUST GOT TO GET YOUR OFFICERS TO BUY IN YOUR EXECS THAT'S WITH YOU TO BUY IN.
AND ONCE YOU GET THEM THERE, THEN IT, IT MAKES IT A BETTER DEAL FOR EVERYBODY TO WORK OUT AND GET THE COMMUNITY WITH US.
MR. DAVIS, WHAT DOES YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK LIKE AND CAN YOU RANK THE TOP FIVE PRIORITIES OF YOUR PROCESS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THEM? FIRST 100 DAYS WOULD BE TRY TO GET, WELL, ONCE I TALK TO THE ASSISTANT, WELL THE CHIEF IS CURRENTLY HERE AND I TRY TO FIGURE OUT ALL MY PAPERWORK AND WHAT I NEED TO DO THE UNION.
AND ONCE I GET THAT KIND OF FIGURED OUT ON THE FIRST, WELL
[01:15:01]
THAT'D BE PART OF THE FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS.I THINK YOU NEED TO GO OUT AND ADDRESS EACH PRECINCT.
YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO TAKE THE TIME AND GO WHEN THE GUYS ARE DOING ROLL CALL AND GO OUT AND TALK TO THEM TO, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCE YOURSELF, LET THEM KNOW WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU FROM.
YOU FIGURE OUT DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN INCREASE.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, RECRUITING.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE AN ISSUE HERE WITH RECRUITING, SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF TRYING TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING FOR RECRUITING AND, AND GET MORE PEOPLE TO COME IN OR RETAINING MORE OFFICERS AS WELL BEFORE PEOPLE START LEAVING THE CITY.
AND JUST BEING HONEST WITH, UM, YOUR STAFF OR THE PEOPLE THAT'S COMING UNDER YOU OR THE PEOPLE THAT'S GONNA ASSIST YOU TO HELP YOU GROW BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO IT BY YOURSELF.
SO THE MAIN THING WILL BE TRYING TO WORK WITH EVERYONE, GET EVERYONE TO BUY IN WITH YOU, ASSIST YOU, AND THEN YOU JUST TELL 'EM WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE, WHAT YOUR RULES AND REGULATIONS OF POLICY THAT YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD IMPLEMENT AND GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET THE CITY ON ITS WAY TO BEING A BETTER CITY.
AFTERNOON, GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD EVENING.
I'M INTERESTED IN, I'M INTERESTED IN CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT, UH, CURRENT TRENDS WITH CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AND HOW YOU WOULD INCORPORATE THAT IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION.
I GUESS IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT I SPOKE ABOUT A LITTLE WHILE AGO, BUT YES MA'AM.
UH, WE STARTED THIS THING, IT WAS MYSELF AND ANOTHER PATROL OFFICER THAT WORKED FOR ME ACTUALLY.
AND IT WAS CALLED BRIDGE THE GAP.
SO WHAT WE DID, WE WOULD GO TO THE CHURCHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND HAVE EVENTS AT THE CHURCH AND INVITE PEOPLE OUT.
WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICERS, WE WOULD TRY TO GET A LOT OF PEOPLE TOGETHER TO CONTRIBUTE AND GET THE MONEY TOGETHER FOR THAT.
SO I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, THEY'RE GONNA ALWAYS FEEL AS IF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE, UH, THE CITIZENS ACADEMY, IT'S NOT THE SAME THING, BUT YOU GOT TO GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHAT THEY THINK SHOULD HAPPEN.
OR EVEN WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT HAVE DISCIPLINARY ISSUES THAT COME UP.
I THINK IT'S A LOT BETTER OR MORE BROAD WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE ON THE OUTSIDE VERSUS EVERYBODY ON THE INSIDE DOING THE SAME THING.
SO IT'S CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT I THINK IS A PERFECT IDEA.
I'VE TRIED IT, IT WORKED AND I JUST FEEL LIKE IT WORKS GREAT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T USE A COMMUNITY TO HELP YOU WITH IT, MOST POLICE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL FOCUS KIND OF LIKE THIS.
WE GOT THAT BLIND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T SEE THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT, WE JUST SEE THIS.
BUT WHEN THE CIVILIANS ON OUTSIDE LOOKING IN THIS THING'S THERE GONNA SEE THAT YOU, YOU'RE JUST NOT GONNA SEE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA NOTICE IT.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE CIVILIANS ON THE BOARD WITH YOU, IT'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS THAT YOU'LL MISS THAT YOU HAD NEVER HAD NO IDEA.
THAT'S A GREAT IDEA THAT THEY COULD BRING TO THE TABLE.
SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT WHATSOEVER.
WITHOUT DISCUSSING ANY DETAILS REGARDING THE BRAVE CAVE AND RELATED ACQUISITIONS, WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THIS TYPE OF ALLEGED ACTIVITY WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN GIVEN SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITY, THINGS THAT YOU WOULD DO.
AND EARLIER YOU, YOU ALLUDED TO MEMPHIS AND THE 48 HOURS.
UH, THAT EPISODE, UH, SO THO THOSE TYPE OF, UH, INCIDENTS, I, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU IMPLEMENT TO ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THOSE? WELL, ONE I COULD SPEAK ON THAT'S REAL FAMILIAR, WHICH WAS KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS TYRE NICHOLS AND YOU KNOW, WE, THE FIVE OFFICERS THAT JUST GOT ARRESTED, ACTUALLY TWO OF THEM I I KNEW PERSONALLY AND WE HAD THAT SITUATION HAPPEN.
SO THE CHIEF DID A GOOD JOB WHEN IT CAME TO OPENING UP TO THE PUBLIC AND THE VIDEOS BECAME AVAILABLE LIKE THIS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T RELEASE THESE VIDEOS, IT, IT ALWAYS APPEAR THAT YOU'RE HIDING SOMETHING.
SO THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT STOPPED US FROM DEALING WITH A RIOT, BURNING THE CITY DOWN.
SO WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THOSE INCIDENTS THAT THE CITIZEN SEE, YOU THINK THAT THE POLICE ARE DOING THINGS TO HIDE OR COVER FOR EACH OTHER, YOU HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND BE BLATANTLY HONEST WITH 'EM, GOOD OR BAD.
AND YOU JUST GOT TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
SO THE QUICKER YOU COULD PUT IT OUT THERE, I THINK THE BETTER OFF YOU ARE BEFORE YOU END UP WITH A RIOT AND YOU END UP BURNING DOWN YOUR WHOLE CITY.
AND A LOT OF TIMES SOMETIMES WHEN IT'S THINGS COME UP THAT THE CITIZENS DON'T SEE, YOU KNOW, THEY ONLY GET A PART OF IT WHERE IF IT GO THE OTHER WAY AROUND, WHAT ALSO WAS TOTALLY JUSTIFIED IN DOING SOMETHING, BUT WHEN YOU DON'T RELEASE THAT VIDEO AND ONCE THE FIRE START BURNING IT JUST ESCALATE AND ESCALATE.
SO I JUST FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN AND HONEST AND UNLESS THE INVESTIGATION IS REALLY ONE OF THOSE THINGS, YOU JUST CAN'T RELEASE IT THAT SOON.
[01:20:01]
YOU, YOU NEED TO GO OUT DEFINITELY THE UH, CHIEF AND MAKE A STATEMENT.UH, DON'T HIDE ANYTHING AND JUST RELEASE WHATEVER YOU CAN RELEASE WITHOUT MESSING WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE INVESTIGATION.
UH, MR. DAVIS, THIS IS UNDER THE, UM, CATEGORY OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND YOU'VE ALREADY PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON ON THIS.
BUT IT'S UH, UH, A LITTLE DIFFERENT TACK HERE.
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.
AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA? YES SIR.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH BRIDGE THE GAP.
UH, WHEN WE WENT TO THE CHURCHES AND CONNECTED, IT WAS ON A SATURDAY.
WE WERE DOING IT LIKE EVERY OTHER SATURDAY AND WE CONNECTED BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, IF WE BE HONEST ABOUT IT, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE INNER CITY WHEN YOUR CRIME IS HAPPENING, BUT A LOT OF IT IS POVERTY, NO JOBS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU MUST GO OUT TO TAKE THINGS, BREAK INTO THINGS TO GET WHAT YOU WANT OR NEED, WHEREAS THE JOBS ARE NOT THERE.
AND LIKE FOR ME NOW, UH, I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY KNOW I'M A OPERATIONS MANAGER AT FEDEX.
I RETIRED FROM MEMPHIS POLICE JUNE LAST YEAR AND I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL YEARS AGO AND I GOT MY MASTER'S IN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND I'M AN OPERATIONS MANAGER AT FEDEX.
SO EVEN WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY STILL CALLED ME OUT.
WE DID AN EVENT LAST WEEK AT THE CHURCH AND I JUST PUSH JOBS BECAUSE NOW I'M IN A POSITION THAT I CAN HIRE PEOPLE AND I'VE ONLY BEEN THERE A YEAR, BUT I'VE GIVEN OUT AT LEAST 50 JOBS.
SO WHEN THE POLICE GO OUT THERE AND YOU LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED AND YOU WANT TO HELP AND YOU WANT TO ASSIST, THEN YOU CAN'T JUST TALK.
YOU NEED TO CONNECT WITH ALL THESE OTHER BUSINESSES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I KNOW THEY SAY THERE'S NO JOBS OUT THERE, BUT BELIEVE ME, THEY'RE THERE.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF DO YOU WANT IT? IF YOU DON'T WANT A JOB, NOT JUST GONNA KNOCK ON THE DOOR THAT THAT'S NOT HOW THAT WORK.
BUT IN MY CASE, I GUESS IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE I WAS BLESSED WITH THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND NOW I JUST PASS OUR CARDS WHERE WE HAVE A PARADE EVENT, CHRISTMAS PARADE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT WE HAVE TO START SHOWING THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH THEIR WELLBEING THAN JUST TAKING PEOPLE TO JAIL.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO PUNISH THE PEOPLE THAT'S DOING THINGS THAT'S PUNISHABLE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU MUST ASSIST PEOPLE THAT NEED ASSISTANCE.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S NOT CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH.
WE ALL NOT PLAYING WITH THE SAME DECK OF CARDS.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND HELP PEOPLE.
AND ONCE THE COMMUNITY SEE YOU TRYING TO HELP.
AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THE CHIEF OF POLICE HIMSELF, IT COULD BE THE LIEUTENANTS, THE MAJORS, THE PATROLMEN.
BUT EVERYBODY HAS TO DO IT IN ORDER TO GET THE CIVILIANS TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE TO MAKE THE MONEY THEY NEED TO MAKE.
BECAUSE IF WE ALL MAKE DECENT MONEY, THEN THAT'LL STOP SOME OF THIS CRIME.
AND THEN WE SCHOOL EVENTS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CUTBACKS WAS DONE ON THAT AND PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM.
MM-HMM
MY QUESTION COMES FROM THE CATEGORY STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE DEPARTMENT'S GREATEST DIFFICULTY THAT IT WILL ENCOUNTER? WHAT AREA DO YOU BELIEVE SHOWS PROMISE OR HAS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL AT BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT? WELL THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS FROM WHAT I'VE CHECKED INTO IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO IS TRUST AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS THIS BIG DISCONNECT WHEN IT COMES TO TRUST.
SO WITHOUT HAVING ANY TRUST FROM THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ISSUES THAT UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO OVERCOME BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT ANY DEPARTMENT, BUT ESPECIALLY HERE IN BATON ROUGE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT INNER CITY SCOPE THAT JUST LOOK AT POLICE TO SAY THEY WORK A DIFFERENT WAY WHEN THEY AT A DIFFERENT AREA OF THE CITY AND THE FAIR TREATMENT IS NOT THERE.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEFINITELY SHOW FAIR TREATMENT.
BUT WHAT WAS THE SECOND PART? I'M SORRY? WHAT AREAS DO YOU BELIEVE SHOW PROMISE OR HAVE THE GREATEST POTENTIAL? I THINK THE OFFICERS THAT'S HERE WANT TO BE HERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THEY SHOW PROMISE THAT THE OFFICERS NOW THAT YOU, YOU'RE BRINGING IN, IT'S NOT LIKE PEOPLE THAT'S JUST LOOKING FOR JOBS ANYMORE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO TRULY WANT TO BE THE POLICE.
SO I THINK TO CONNECT WITH THEM AND GET THEM TO DO A BETTER JOB, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS THAT SHOW PROMISE BECAUSE THESE GUYS AND GIRLS' COMING IN NOW, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO WANT TO BE THE POLICE OTHER THAN JUST TO COME BEFORE A CHECK 'CAUSE IT'S NOT FOR THE MONEY.
'CAUSE NONE OF US EVER GOT RICH BEING THE POLICE.
WE PAY BILLS BUT IT'S NOT FOR THE MONEY.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S THE BIGGEST AREA THAT SHOW IS PROMISE THAT
[01:25:01]
PEOPLE HERE THAT TRULY WANT TO BE HERE.I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
MR. DAVIS, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU.
SO YOU'VE DISCUSSED A LOT ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND UH, NETWORKING AT YOUR NEW JOB, CORRECT? RIGHT.
FEDEX NOT AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE WERE GIVEN, UH, THIS IS FROM CATEGORY NINE, RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND PERSONNEL SUPPORT RELATES TO WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PLAN TO ADDRESS THE INCREASED RATE OF ATTRITION AMONGST EARLY RETIREMENT AND MID-CAREER DEPARTURES.
AND THEY HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT UH, THE DEPARTMENT HAS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WITH LOSING EXPERIENCE AND DEPARTURES OF 12 TO 15 YEAR OFFICERS.
SORRY, THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN, WE'RE OKAY.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS HAVE IS LIKE FOR RAISES FOR INSTANCE, WE ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BRING PEOPLE IN.
AND THEN ONCE YOU GET ABOUT TO THAT 15 YEAR MARK, WE DON'T DO ANYTHING FOR THE OFFICERS THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE TO RETAIN THEM.
SO MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCED OFFICERS, ONCE THEY REACH ELIGIBILITY TO RE RETIRE, THEY RUN OUT THE DOOR BECAUSE WE DON'T SHOW THEM THE SAME AMOUNT OF LOVE.
I GUESS YOU WANT TO SAY THAT WE SHOW THE PEOPLE COMING IN.
SO LIKE I SAID, I WAS A LIEUTENANT OVER RECRUITING AS WELL AND WHEN YOU BRING PEOPLE IN, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT NOW YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO RETAIN 'EM.
AND WHAT WE DID IN MEMPHIS, I'M NOT SAYING BATON ROUGE COULD DO IT, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MONEY EVEN CAME FROM IN MEMPHIS, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN MONEY JUST SHOT THROUGH THE ROOF.
BUT THAT, AND YOU GUYS GOT THE TAKE HOME CAR POLICY, SO THAT HELPS A LOT AS WELL.
SO YOU JUST HAVE TO STILL HAVE THAT ABILITY TO TRANSFER FROM ONE JOB TO ANOTHER SO THAT THINGS DON'T GROW OLD ON YOU.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GOT 15 YEARS ON TO STAY.
LIKE OCU FIRST WAS ORGANIZED CRIME UNIT AND YOU SET THIS UNIT FOR THREE YEARS OR 10 YEARS AND NOW YOU JUST BORED AND BURNT OUT.
SO I THINK IT SHOULD BE A CAP ON HOW LONG YOU BE AT CERTAIN LOCATIONS BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO ANOTHER LOCATION TO CONTINUE YOUR, CONTINUE YOUR GROWTH.
AS LONG AS YOU CONTINUE YOUR GROWTH, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE THERE.
MR. DAVIS, MY LAST QUESTION WOULD BE TRANSITIONING TO BATON ROUGE FROM ANOTHER UH, CITY.
IF YOU WERE SELECTED AS CHIEF, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LEGACY WHEN YOU RETIRE? I ALWAYS SAY LEAVE IT BETTER THAN YOU GOT IT RIGHT.
AND THAT'S BEEN MY GOAL EVERYWHERE I WENT AND UNTIL THIS DAY THEY STILL CALLING ME BACK, ASKING ME WILL I COME OUT OF RETIREMENT AND COME BACK TO MPD BECAUSE WHERE THE WAY I LEFT IT WAS NOT THE SAME WAY I GOT IT.
AND THAT'S GONNA ALWAYS BE MY LEGACY WHEN I LEAVE FEDEX.
'CAUSE I JUST GOT A PROMOTION.
I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU.
I JUST GOT A PROMOTION TO FEDEX IN A YEAR AND A HALF AND I'M THE ONLY MANAGER AT FEDEX THAT CAME OFF THE STREET.
FEDEX ONLY HIRES FROM INTERNAL HIRING.
THEY DON'T HIRE EXTERNAL AND I'M THE ONLY ONE.
AND AFTER I GOT PROMOTED, I WAS SUPPOSED TO MOVE ON THE 16TH.
NOW OF COURSE I'LL COME BACK TO BATON ROUGE 'CAUSE I HAVE A HOME RIGHT THERE IN UH, 34 50 WHITE SANDS DRIVE.
SO I, I GOT A HOME HERE ANYWAY, BUT I JUST ALWAYS SAY WHEREVER YOU GO, YOU GOT TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE NEXT PERSON.
YOU COULD NEVER THINK IT'S ABOUT YOU.
SO YOU GOT TO LEAVE IT BETTER THAN YOU GOT IT.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE MY LEGACY WHEREVER I GO FIRST.
MR. DAVIS, I WANNA APOLOGIZE FOR MY PHONE ISSUES.
THAT WAS RUDE AND I I JUST APOLOGIZE.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION HAS TO, MY SECOND QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, UM, 21ST CENTURY POLICING.
AND I'M CURIOUS WHICH PILLAR YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT? THE BIGGEST THING, LIKE I SAY, HONESTY.
UM, IT'S DIFFERENT NOW BECAUSE SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST HELPS AT THE SAME TIME THAT THAT HURTS US TOO BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT BACK IN THE DAY.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST PRETTY MUCH WORD OF MOUTH OF WHAT YOU SEE ON THE NEWS.
BUT NOW WITH SOCIAL MEDIA OUT THERE AND PHONES EVERYWHERE 'CAUSE EVERYTHING COULD BE RECORDED, TAPED OR WHATEVER, IT'S KIND OF LIKE POLICING THE POLICE AND LIKE THE BODY CAMS. SO THAT'S PART OF THAT POLICING AS WELL.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU MUST HAVE THE BODY CAMS, YOU MUST HAVE 'EM ON AND THIS WAY YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE.
SO THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING THAT I SEE AS FAR AS 21ST CENTURY POLICING.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE I SHOULD SAY.
AND IT HELPS BECAUSE IT CAN GET YOU OUT OF SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID THAT YOU'VE DONE, BUT IT COULD HURT YOU.
[01:30:01]
YOURSELF.IT'S KIND OF LIKE I USED TO TELL MY EMPLOYEES, IF YOU GET FIRED, I DIDN'T FIRE YOU, YOU FIRED YOU.
I JUST DID THE PAPERWORK, I HAD TO DO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE, BUT I DIDN'T FIRE YOU, YOU DID IT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW I LOOK AT THAT
UH, THE CHIEF OF POLICE IS THE, IS THE CEO OF A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATION, WHICH OVERSEES HUNDREDS OF STAFF AND MILLIONS OF, UH, TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT MANAGE THOUSANDS OF PHYSICAL RESOURCES.
WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND MAKES YOU QUALIFIED TO SERVE AT THIS LEVEL? PLEASE PROVIDE PACIFICS FOR A JOB.
I WORK FOR NOW IS A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY AND I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR, I HAVE 80 EMPLOYEES DIRECTLY WITH ME, BUT THE WHOLE HUB COMES TO ME FOR LIKE FORKLIFT CLASSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO FINANCIAL WAS FUNNY YOU ASKED THAT I WAS JUST DOING PAYROLL ABOUT FOUR HOURS AGO, SPENDING SOME OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT FEDEX MAKES.
SO I, I DEAL WITH MONEY EVERY DAY AND I HAVE TO MAINTAIN A BUDGET, WHICH I, MATH IS MY THING WHEN IT COMES TO NUMBERS.
AND THAT'S WHY A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ME TO DO THEIR, UH, PAPERWORK WHEN IT'S TIME TO ORDER PARTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
'CAUSE WE SPENDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A MONTH AND I'VE DONE IT.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH IT.
AND I JUST LIKE NUMBERS ANYWAY.
SO IT MAKES IT EASY TO ME BECAUSE ANYTIME I CAN BALANCE IT OUT AT THE END, IT MAKES ME FEEL THAT MUCH BETTER THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO IT.
BUT THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE FROM BEING WITH FEDEX.
UH, MR. DAVIS, THIS IS FROM THE RECRUITMENT RETENTION AND PERSONNEL SUPPORT CATEGORY.
HOW DO YOU AIM TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COM DEPARTMENT'S COMPOSITION MIRRORS THAT OF THE BATON ROUGE AND ITS DIVERSE COMMUNITY? BATON ROUGE, I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHAT IS IT, 53% BLACK.
I THINK IT'S LIKE 35 WHITE, THEN THE REST HISPANIC OR A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS.
SO WHEN WE GO OUT AND DO RECRUITING, WE HAVE TO START OFF AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE IF YOU GUYS HAVE ONE OR NOT TO WHERE YOU GO OUT AND RECRUIT.
UM, IS THAT THE ONE WITH POLICE COMMUNITY ENFORCEMENT AS WELL? YES.
SO WE WOULD GO OUT TO THE SCHOOLS AND WE START A PROGRAM WHERE WE GET KIDS STRAIGHT OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE THEY EVEN GO OFF TO COLLEGE.
AND WE START A PROGRAM WHERE THEY ONLY WORK LIKE PARADES, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THEY DON'T HAVE GUNS, BUT THEY JUST GOT THE LITTLE WHITE CARS WITH THE LITTLE YELLOW LIGHTS.
SO WE GO OUT AND RECRUIT LIKE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU GET YOUR INNER CITY KIDS INVOLVED WHEN YOU START DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND YOU ALSO USE YOUR RESOURCES, LIKE YOU HAVE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS JUST TO START PASSING OUT PAMPHLETS AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GET SOME DIVERSITY INTO THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO SEE US AS SOMETHING OTHER THAN A ROBOT AND OTHER THAN JUST THE POLICE.
AND THAT'S BEEN ONE OF MY BIGGEST THINGS THAT I ENJOY WHEN PEOPLE MEET ME.
I NEVER TELL 'EM THE POLICE, BUT YEARS GO BY.
I MEAN TIME GO BY FOR, FOR REAL.
THEY, THEY FIND OUT LATER ON LIKE, I HAD NO IDEA YOU AS A POLICE.
AND I'M LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE THEY GOT THAT STIGMA HOW WE SUPPOSED TO BE.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE YOU COULD TELL JUST BY THE WAY I SPEAK, I'M JUST NOT THE AVERAGE POLICE.
I'VE NEVER BEEN, I NEVER WILL BE.
I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO I'M GONNA ALWAYS BE DIFFERENT, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THINGS.
I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU WAS GIVING ME.
IF I GET THE JOB, I PROMISE FROM THE PERSON YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, IF NOT 34 50 WHITE SAND DRIVE, I'LL STILL BE AVAILABLE BECAUSE I PLAN ON MOVING BACK HOME BECAUSE I'M, I'M VESTED AT FEDEX AND THIS IS A PASSION FOR ME.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO DO BECAUSE I GET A RETIREMENT FROM MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I GET A NAVY CHECK 'CAUSE I RETIRED FROM THE NAVY.
I'M VESTED AT FEDEX, SO I'M DUMPING MY CHECK.
SO I'M, MONEY DOESN'T PHASE ME AT ALL.
BACK WHEN I WAS 20, YEAH, 56, I DIDN'T FIGURE IT OUT.
FINALLY, HE HELPED ME FIGURE IT OUT, BUT I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM THAT PERSON THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AND I WILL MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE GUARANTEED.
AND WHENEVER I STAY HERE OR LEAVE HERE, I WILL LEAVE IT BETTER THAN I GOT IT.
NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM VARDEN GUILLORY.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A SEVEN MINUTE BREAK, SO MS. CAROW AND FIGURE OUT THE CONTROLS ON OUR PHONE,
[01:35:01]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER.WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH OUR INTERVIEWS.
I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE POLICE CHIEF REVIEW COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
THE WAY THIS WE'RE GOING TO CONDUCT THIS INTERVIEW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT, AND THEN EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER CAN ASK UP TO TWO QUESTIONS.
WE MAY NOT ASK TWO, BUT WE CAN ASK UP TO TWO QUESTIONS FROM A LIST OF CATEGORIES THAT WERE PRE-SELECTED.
PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW IS BEGINNING, UH, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION, AND THEN AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF QUESTIONS, YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO MAKE A CLOSING STATEMENT.
SO LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY TO BEGIN.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME IN YOUR PRESENCE.
IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR ME TO MAKE IT HERE THIS FAR.
UM, MY NAME IS FARDEN GUILLORY, V-A-R-D-E-N.
I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO BE A POLICE OFFICER SINCE THE AGE OF 13.
BECAUSE OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND FAMILY FRIENDS, I STARTED LEARNING ABOUT POLICE WORK AT THAT AGE.
WASN'T EVEN OLD ENOUGH TO BE A POLICE OFFICER YET.
WHEN I REACHED 18, FROM 18 TO 20 YEARS OLD, I DID RIDE-ALONGS AND I LEARNED FROM THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS OF NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT WORKED OUT THERE.
UH, I WANTED AN INTRODUCTION TO POLICE WORK.
I ALSO INTERVIEWED ALL OF THE RETIRED OFFICERS IN MY, IN MY CITY THAT I KNEW FROM WHEN I WAS GROWING UP AND CURRENT OFFICERS.
I DECIDED TO JOIN AS A RESERVE OFFICER AND VOLUNTEERED FOR SPORTING EVENTS.
I DID THAT FOR ONE YEAR AND THEN, UH, WENT THROUGH THE PROCEDURE AND BECAME A FULL-TIME OFFICER.
I RETIRED ON MY 26TH YEAR AT AGE 47.
DURING MY CAREER, I SERVED IN PATROL AS A PATROL OFFICER, SERGEANT DETECTIVES, K NINE.
I'M WELL-ROUNDED, UM, LIEUTENANT IN PATROL FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND THEN DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE AT MY AGENCY.
MY HOMETOWN IS EUNICE, LOUISIANA.
I WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN DEPUTY CHIEF IN THE HISTORY OF MY CITY.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE BACKGROUND OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES, BUT I'VE PERSONALLY WORKED IN MANY CITIES, UM, NEW ORLEANS, BATON ROUGE, ALEXANDRIA, EVERYWHERE DURING MY CAREER.
I PERSONALLY WORKED UNDERCOVER AT A FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, I WAS SUPERVISED BY THE FBI WHILE WORKING UNDERCOVER IN OTHER CITIES.
I'VE WORKED NARCOTICS IN SEVERAL CITIES.
UM, I'VE HANDLED MULTIMILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS DURING MY CAREER.
PAYROLL, SUPERVISED THE JAIL WAS OVER FLEET OPERATIONS AND, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UP TO 50 VEHICLES IN MOTORCYCLES, UH, AND PURCHASING AND PURCHASE ORDERS.
BUT MY MAIN THING WHILE SERVING AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE WAS, WAS, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS LIKE PURCHASING, UH, FLEET VEHICLES, SUPERVISED AND EVERYONE.
I'VE ALSO SERVED AS A DETECTIVE.
I SEE ISSUES IN THE MEDIA WHERE PEOPLE ARE BASICALLY, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY FUMING ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED WITH BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE'LL START WITH THE QUESTIONS NOW.
UH, IF YOU WERE CHIEF OF POLICE OF IN BATON ROUGE, WHAT COMMUNITY-BASED OUTREACH WOULD YOU INSTALL AND CARRY OUT WITHIN THE CITY? I WOULD LIKE TO GET INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK FROM YOUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, FROM CHURCHES, UM, FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
UM, I'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN FUNCTIONS, UH, ATTEND THESE FUNCTIONS, ATTEND THESE MEETINGS, GET TO KNOW EVERYBODY.
UM, I THINK A CHIEF HAS TO GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
[01:40:01]
YOU CAN'T SIT IN THE OFFICE AND DICTATE WHAT GOES ON ON THE STREETS UNLESS YOU ARE A PART OF IT.UM, I'M THE TYPE OF PERSON WHERE I LIKE TO POP UP AT ACCIDENTS, POP UP AT CALLS, CHECK ON THE OFFICERS, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, SPEAK TO THE VICTIMS, SEE WHERE I CAN HELP THEM TO MAKE IT A BETTER DAY FOR THEM.
SO MY QUESTION'S GONNA BE FROM CATEGORY ONE, PERSONAL APPROACH AND LEADERSHIP.
YOU TALKED ABOUT MANAGING BUDGETS IN YOUR OPENING AND ON YOUR RESUME.
YOU DISCUSSED HOW YOU MANAGE THE $2 MILLION BUDGET FOR TRAINING PURCHASES, PAYROLL AND FLEET VEHICLES.
AND SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS PRESENTED TO US WAS THAT THE POSITION OF CHIEF OF POLICE IS LIKE BEING ACEO OF A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATION THAT OVERSEES HUNDREDS OF STAFF AND MILLIONS IN TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
UH, IT ALSO MANAGES PHYSICAL RESOURCES.
WHAT IN YOUR BACKGROUND MAKES YOU QUALIFIED TO SERVE AT THIS LEVEL? UH, AND COULD YOU GIVE SPECIFIC DETAILS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW YOU MIGHT BE READY OR WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO DEAL WITH THAT DISPARITY? 'CAUSE I THINK BATON ROUGE'S BUDGET IS ABOUT 103 MILLION.
UH, I'VE BEEN READING, I'VE CONSTANTLY EDUCATING MYSELF SINCE MY RETIREMENT UPDATE WITH LAWS AND PRACTICES TO HELP THE PUBLIC.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A, A, A CULTURE CHANGE THAT'S NEEDED IN POLICE WORK.
YOU CAN'T CONTINUE TO TREAT THE PUBLIC OR GO AT THE PUBLIC WITH THE OLD TACTICS OF THE OLD DAYS.
YOU GOT NEW THINGS THAT YOU CAN LEARN AND INSTITUTE, UH, WITH YOUR PEOPLE.
BUT, UM, I'M, I'M FULLY CAPABLE REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT.
I WANNA RUN THE DEPARTMENT EFFICIENTLY WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT'S, THAT'S PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY.
I MEAN, UH, I DON'T WANNA WASTE ANY OF THE PUBLIC MONEY.
IF MORE IS NEEDED IN OTHER AREAS AND LESS NEEDED IN, IN CERTAIN CATEGORIES, I'M WILLING TO WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND, AND RECTIFY THAT.
BUT REGARDLESS, I KNOW THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO BE OPERATED WITHIN THE BUDGET GIVEN.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PILLAR OF 21ST CENTURY POLICING FOR OUR AGENCY AND WHY? MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN RELATED TO YOUR QUESTION IS THE CITIZENS OF BATON ROUGE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO TRUST THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, BECAUSE OF CERTAIN EVENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE PREVIOUSLY, THEY HAVE LOST TRUST.
AND THAT TRUST IS A MAIN CONCERN FOR ME.
YOU CAN'T GET INFORMATION ON YOUR CRIMES IF THE PEOPLE DON'T TRUST YOU.
IF THEY DON'T TRUST GIVING YOU INFORMATION, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RUNNING IN THE ROADBLOCKS.
YOU HAVE TO EARN TRUST WITH THE PUBLIC AND ALSO THE OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE THE JOB IS DONE BY THE BOOK.
AND, UH, WE JUST NEED TO REACH OUT TO THESE PEOPLE.
HEY, UH, MR. GUILLORY, HOW YOU DOING THERE? HOW YOU SAY? YOU COME FROM EUNICE? YES, SIR.
I KNOW SOME GOOD PEOPLE FROM EUNICE, I
SO WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THING OR EXPERIENCE, UH, THAT YOU'VE DONE THAT MAKES YOU THE MOST QUALIFIED FOR THIS JOB? SINCE THE AGE OF 13, WHEN I STARTED HAVING AN INTEREST IN POLICE WORK THAT MAKES 40 YEARS, I'VE BEEN INTERVIEWING PEOPLE, TAKING NOTES, AND TO THIS DAY, I RETIRED SEVEN YEARS AGO.
I'M, I'M 54 YEARS OLD NOW TO THIS DAY.
EVERY TIME THERE'S A A MASS SHOOTING, I REVIEW THE CASE AND READ IT.
UM, ANYTIME THAT THERE'S CRIMES IN CERTAIN AREAS, I READ ABOUT IT TO, TO GAIN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW CAN THIS BE PREVENTED OR WHAT CAN BE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO SOLVE THIS IN A FASTER MANNER.
I NEVER STOPPED, EVEN THOUGH I RETIRED.
I'M, I'M, I'M CONSTANTLY UPDATING MYSELF.
I FOLLOW THE PRESS CONFERENCES IN BATON ROUGE.
UM, I FOLLOW THE CRIME REPORTS IN THE MEDIA, BUT I DON'T ACTUALLY TAKE THE MEDIAS, UH, INFORMATION.
I JUST BRIEF MYSELF AND THEN I START DIGGING ON MY OWN, GET MY STATS.
IT'S, IT, IT IS JUST, IT'S JUST A SECOND NATURE FOR ME TO JUST LOOK INTO CERTAIN EVENTS TO TRY TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE BETTER.
[01:45:05]
MR. GUILLORY, WHAT DOES YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK LIKE? RANK THE TOP FIVE PRIORITIES IN YOUR PROCESS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THEM? MY FIRST 100 DAYS, I WANNA REVIEW, UH, THE DIFFERENT, UH, SECTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT.I WANT TO LEARN TO MEET ALL THE CITY LEADERS, INTRODUCE MYSELF TO THEM.
UM, THE NUMBER ONE THING WITH THE, UH, NEGATIVE FEEDBACK FROM BATON ROUGE RIGHT NOW, UH, I'M GONNA TELL YOU FROM MY HEART, YOU CAN'T GIVE ANYBODY THE, THE, UH, THE AMMO TO COME BACK TOWARDS YOU.
IF WE REVIEW OUR POLICIES, TAKE A STEP BACK, HAVE SOME MEETINGS, JUST GO AHEAD AND TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT I'LL TOLERATE, WHAT I WON'T TOLERATE, THINGS WILL GO SMOOTH.
BUT MY, MY FIVE THINGS WOULD BE TRUST.
THAT'S, THAT'S IN ALL OF MY NOTES.
TRUST, WORKING ON CRIMES, WORKING WITH RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND CITY OFFICIALS AND WORKING WITHIN THE BUDGET.
UM, EVERY DEPARTMENT IS SHORT.
WE NEED TO RECRUIT SOME PEOPLE SO THAT WAY WE NOT WORKING THE REMAINING PEOPLE SO HARD, BUT I, I BELIEVE IN PUTTING MANPOWER WHERE IT'S NEEDED.
UM, I'M WITH A GROUP CALLED TOGETHER BATON ROUGE, AND ONE OF OUR IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT WE'D LIKE TO BRING UP IS CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW, UM, UH, ARE YOU, WHAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH ABOUT CURRENT PRACTICES WITH CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AND HOW YOU MIGHT INCORPORATE THAT IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION? I THINK THE OVERSIGHT, UH, TYPE COMMITTEE WOULD BE VERY USEFUL.
I COULD ATTEND THE MEETINGS, GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE, SEE WHAT'S NEEDED, WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION THAT THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IS GAINING AND SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME.
THAT WAY I KNOW WHERE TO WORK ON CERTAIN THINGS TO BASICALLY GET THINGS WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE PUBLIC.
LIKE I SAID, MY MAIN THING IS BATON ROUGE NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO TRUST THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, UM, IT'S NOT TOO FAR OUT OF REACH, BUT WE JUST GOTTA CHANGE THE WAY WE OPERATING.
BUT THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WOULD BE VERY USEFUL FOR ME TO GAIN INFORMATION.
WHAT WOULD YOU DESCRIBE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY FOR THE POSITION OF POLICE CHIEF IN BATON ROUGE? I THINK THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY IS LEADERSHIP.
IF, UM, IF YOU STAND ON POLICY AND LAW AND YOU DON'T STRAY FROM IT, EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT FINE.
YOU HAVE THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, EVERYTHING SHOULD WORK OUT.
WE JUST HAVE TO TIGHTEN UP, GO OVER POLICIES.
IF I'M, IF I'M SELECTED, GO OVER POLICIES IN THE FIRST 30 DAYS, SEE WHERE WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES AND TWEAK THINGS.
BUT I WANT THE OFFICERS TO BE HIGHLY TRAINED.
AND, UH, THAT'S BASICALLY DRAWING THE LINE.
IF YOU STEP AWAY FROM YOUR TRAINING AND, UH, YOU NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE, UH, WE JUST, UH, NEED TO WORK ON THINGS TOGETHER.
BUT IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S, IT, IT'LL, IT, I CAN MAKE IT WORK.
I'M READY TO BE A LEADER AND, UM, WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
UH, MR. GUILLORY, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT SEEING NEWS INCIDENTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING TRUST.
THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS OFFICER MORALE AND THOSE INCIDENTS HAVE CAUSED SOME FLAGGING MORALE IN THE RANKS.
SO COULD YOU ADDRESS HOW YOU WOULD HANDLE THAT? WE NEED TO BUILD UP THE OFFICERS, LET 'EM KNOW THAT THEY'RE APPRECIATED.
WHEN AN OFFICER DOES A GOOD THING, THEY NEED TO BE PATTED ON THE BACK.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE APPRECIATE, APPRECIATED AND THEY DID A FINE JOB WHEN THEY DO.
SO I WANT THEM TO STRIVE FOR SUCCESS.
I WANT THEM TO STRIVE FOR SAFETY, BUT MOST OF ALL, WE GOTTA FOLLOW POLICY AND OFFICERS NEED TO KEEP EACH OTHER IN LINE.
HEY, YOU'RE LOSING YOUR TEMPER WITH THIS PERSON.
YOU GO STAY STEP OVER THERE TO HAVE A BREATHER
[01:50:01]
OR WHATEVER.WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND, UH, MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
UM, BATON ROUGE HAS MANY, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT WORK IN THE CITY.
UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT COORDINATION AMONGST THEM.
HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO IMPROVE COORDINATION AND COOPERATION BETWEEN BRPD AND OTHER LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO REDUCE CRIME AND PROMOTE SAFETY? WHAT CAN BE DONE THAT IS NOT ALREADY BEING DONE? AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN IN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THAT AREA? UM, WE NEED TO SHARE INFORMATION, ATTEND MEETINGS TOGETHER, TRAIN TOGETHER.
UH, I'VE WORKED WITH, UH, MULTIPLE AGENCIES ON INVESTIGATIONS AND TRAINED FROM, UH, FROM TEXAS TO FLORIDA.
I'M ALSO A GRADUATE OF, UM, THE INSTITUTE OF POLICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT FROM JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
UH, I'VE ATTENDED TRAININGS IN TEXAS.
WE, UH, ONCE YOU WORK TOGETHER MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE AGENCIES AND GET TO INTERACT AND MAYBE HAVE MEETINGS AND GET TOGETHER THAT WAY YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT MY AGENCY CAN'T PROVIDE AND VICE VERSA.
UH, I'VE SEEN TASK FORCE CREATED WHERE THERE'S MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES WITHIN THE PARISH FORM A TEAM AND WORK ON THINGS TOGETHER.
BUT WE NEED TO JUST SOLVE THE CRIME.
UH, ONE AGENCY MAY HAVE INFORMATION THAT THE OTHER ONE DOESN'T AND WE COULD SHARE THAT INFORMATION, MAKE IT BETTER.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, MR. CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION THERE.
A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IS THERE A SESSION? SECOND? IS THAT PUT HMM.
ON THE BASIS OF, ON, ON THE BASIS OF, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I SHOULD DELVE INTO THIS.
CONSIDERING THE CANDIDATE, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHY ARE WE GOING IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS CONCERNS ABOUT CHARACTER? YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AS WE DISCUSSED BEFORE, TO DEAL WITH THE CHARACTER COMPETENCE, MENTAL OR PHYSICAL AVAILABILITIES OF ANY CANDIDATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU HAVE TO GIVE A BASIS, A MOTION HAS TO BE MADE, A SECOND HAS TO BE MADE.
AND THEN THE COUNCILMAN, UH, COLE, OR COMMITTEE CHAIR COLE CAN DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY OBJECTION AND THERE'S NO OBJECTION.
IF THERE IS AN OBJECTION, THEN THEY NEED TO VOTE AND IT ONLY GOES IN BY MAJORITY.
SO HE JUST STATED HE WANTED TO DISCUSS CHARACTER OF, OF THE CANDIDATE AND, UM, THERE'S BEEN A PROPER MOTION.
SO WE GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU'LL HUSTLE IN.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE POLICE CHIEF REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE WHERE WE STOP WITH MR. DRAKE.
WAIT, RESERVE, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION.
LET ME GET MY BEARINGS AGAIN REAL QUICK.
WE'LL GO TO MS. VICTORIA, THEN COME BACK TO YOU.
ALRIGHT, MR. CONAGHAN, I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
MR. GUILLORY, WOULD YOU NOT BEING A NATIVE OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, IF YOU WERE SELECTED AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, WHAT WOULD YOUR LEGACY LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR TENURE AS CHIEF? WHAT WOULD YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO LOOK LIKE? I WOULD LIKE MY, I'D LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED AS A FAIR PERSON THAT OPERATED BY THE BOOK, BY THE RULES, BY THE LAWS, BUT A FAIR PERSON.
UM, I WANT THE PEOPLE TO REMEMBER ME.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PD FOR SUPPORTING THEM WHEN THEY DID THEIR JOBS BY THE BOOK.
AND I WANT THE PEOPLE TO KNOW AND, AND REMEMBER ME AS BEING SOMEONE THAT BUILT THE TRUST BETWEEN THE CITIZENS AND THE PD.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ALSO ABOUT, UM, SINCE YOU ARE NOT COMING OUT OF BATON ROUGE, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC POLICIES, UM, UH, RELATED TO ACCOUNTABILITY OR, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU EXPERIENCED IN YOUR CAREER THAT YOU THINK YOU WOULD BRING HERE? OR ANY PROCEDURES OR POLICIES THAT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL THAT YOU WOULD TRY TO MAYBE ELIMINATE FROM
[01:55:01]
UH, IF AN OFFICER DOES THINK THAT HE'S TREATED UNFAIRLY, HE DOES HAVE HIS APPEALS PROCESSED BEFORE THE, THE LOCAL CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.
AND, UM, I'VE SAT IN SOME OF THOSE HEARINGS, UH, WHILE MY COWORKERS OR OTHER PEOPLE PRESENTED THEIR CASES, I'VE ATTENDED THEM.
UH, I'VE ACTUALLY TURNED OVER SOME DECISIONS.
UH, I'VE HELPED OTHER OFFICERS WITH THEIR PAPERWORK, BASICALLY.
UH, IT'S LIKE A CHECK AND BALANCE SYSTEM THE WAY CIVIL SERVICE OPERATES WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR DISCIPLINE.
AND I THINK THE, THE REGULATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE COULD WORK OUT WITH EVERYTHING.
UH, MR. GALL, DO YOU THINK THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE REORGANIZED? I WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THAT.
I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION, BUT WE MAY HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY.
I KNOW THAT THEY'RE REALLY SHORT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE, THEY'RE SHORT RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE SHORT STAFFED, BUT MAYBE A REORGANIZATION, UM, WOULD HELP IN SOME AREAS LIKE PATROL.
BUT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE NEEDED IN THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS TO WORK ON THESE, THESE CRIMES.
CLOSING STATEMENTS, MR. LITTER.
I FEEL THAT I'M THE MAN TO LEAD THE, THE DEPARTMENT INTO THE NEXT ERA, A NEW ERA FOR BATON ROUGE.
I WANT THE CITIZENS AND THE OFFICIALS TO BE PROUD OF MY LEADERSHIP IN BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I FEEL THAT, UH, ALL OF THE, THE SELF EXPERIENCES THAT I'VE GONE THROUGH HAVE MADE ME A, A PERSON THAT HAS WELL-ROUNDED INFORMATION ON ALL ASPECTS, REGARDLESS OF THE DIVISION.
BUT I THINK I CAN MAKE IT WORK IF I'M SELECTED, I'M READY TO START IN ONE WEEK, IF, IF, IF THAT'S THE, IF THAT'S HAPPENS THAT WAY.
BUT, UM, I THINK I'M READY FOR IT.
WE JUST NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I'M, I'M WILLING TO TAKE IT ON AND WE NEED TO COMPLETE THE INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE ONGOING AT THIS TIME AND WORK TOWARDS BRIGHTER DAYS WITH BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HEAR FROM OUR FINAL CANDIDATE FOR THE EVENING, MR. TIMOTHY HENDERSON.
I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE POLICE CHIEF REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UH, THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO CONDUCT THIS INTERVIEW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT.
UH, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL ASK A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
UH, EACH MEMBER MAY NOT ASK TWO QUESTIONS, BUT WE CAN ASK UP TO TWO.
YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO RESPOND TO EACH QUESTION AND THEN TWO MINUTES TO MAKE A CLOSING STATEMENT.
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY TO BEGIN.
FIRST, I WANNA SAY THAT I'M BOTH HONORED AND HUMBLED TO BE IN Y'ALL'S PRESENCE TODAY, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW FOR THIS.
AND I COMMEND Y'ALL FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS COMMITTEE AND ALLOWING US TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN FRONT OF YOU.
I WANNA KIND OF INTRODUCE MYSELF AS A PERSON AND THEN I'LL GO THROUGH MY LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE REAL, REAL QUICK.
I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO MY WIFE, LORI FOR 33 YEARS.
I HAVE FIVE GRANDKIDS, LITTLE TYLER, MATT, TJ, AND THEN BABY CHARLIE, WHO'S OUR GRANDDAUGHTER IN HEAVEN.
AND THAT'S WHO I'M MET AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
I'M A GRANDFATHER, A FATHER, AND I'M A HUSBAND AS A POLICE OFFICER.
I BECAME A POLICE OFFICER IN 1990 FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON.
I JUST NEEDED A JOB, HONESTLY.
[02:00:01]
I STARTED WORKING AT THE PARISH PRISON.THEN I BECAME REALLY INTRIGUED WITH THE CONCEPT OF DOING THIS POLICE WORK.
I WENT TO LSU POLICE FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS, AND THEN I WENT TO THE CITY POLICE IN BATON ROUGE WHERE I RETIRED AS A LIEUTENANT AT JUST ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 25 YEARS AFTER THAT, I WAS IN RETIREMENT FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
AND THEN I TOOK THE JOB AS CHIEF OF POLICE IN KILLIAN.
AND CURRENTLY I'M RETIRED AGAIN AND I OWN A PRIVATE INVESTIGATIVE BUSINESS AND A CONSULTING FIRM.
I SEE ON YOUR RESUME YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN 21ST CENTURY POLICING.
AND COULD YOU TELL US WHICH IS THE HARDEST ONE TO IMPLEMENT THAT YOU'VE COME ACROSS AND WHY? I THINK IT'S BOTH HARD AND EASY.
SO I'M GONNA TELL YOU COMMUNITY POLICING, BECAUSE WE AS OFFICERS HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE ARE POLICING.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES AND NEEDS OF A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND IT COULD BE A SUB, A SUB-SEGMENT OF THE CITY, AND THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAN MAYBE THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY.
SO COMMUNITY POLICING, IN MY OPINION, IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO OPEN UP TO US, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO OPEN UP TO THEM AND LET THEM SEE THAT WE'RE HUMAN, HAVE OPEN DIALOGUE WITH 'EM, AND THAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF, YOU KNOW, COMING TO A MUTUAL AGREEMENT.
THAT WAY WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT WE NEED AS FAR AS, UM, SOLVING CRIME AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY, I ALWAYS SAY WE HAVE FEW EYES, YOU HAVE MANY, IF THE COMMUNITY'S NOT INVOLVED, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A FUNCTIONING POLICE DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN ALL ASPECTS.
SO THIS IS FROM, UH, CATEGORY 11, POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR CURRENT BRPD CANDIDATES, WHICH THAT SEEMS TO BE THE MOST RECENT ONE, BUT, SO GIVEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS HERE ON YOUR RESUME, UNIFORM PATROL INTELLIGENCE, GUN CRIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER, VIOLENT CRIME UNIT, BURGLARY, ALL THESE DIFFERENT AREAS, UH, HOW DID YOU OR YOUR DIVISION RESPOND TO THE VARIOUS DIFFICULTIES AND SCANDALS THAT AROSE IN BRPD DURING THAT TIME? I KNOW STREET CRIMES WAS AFTER, BUT NARCOTICS WAS DURING THAT TIME.
AND DID YOU IMPLEMENT, AMEND, PROPOSE ANY POLICIES TO TRY TO MAKE SURE YOUR UNIT FUNCTIONED EFFECTIVELY? WELL, OUR UNIT WAS BOTH COMMITTED TO THE TASK AT HAND, AND WE ALWAYS HAD SOMEONE ABOVE US THAT WE ANSWERED TO.
SO WE WERE PRETTY CLEAR AS TO WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WHY WE WERE DOING IT AND HOW WE WERE DOING IT.
SO WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TO IMPLEMENT ANY ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS, UH, IN MY OPINION.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE PLEASED ON OUR CHARACTER AND WE PLEASED, UM, TO MEET THE NEEDS AND CHALLENGES OF, OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE HAD DIVISION COMMANDERS ABOVE US THAT HAD OVERSIGHT.
SO I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE A REAL NEED, UM, FOR US TO REALLY IMPLEMENT ANYTHING BECAUSE WE WEREN'T IN THE SITUATIONS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
HOW WILL YOU DEVISE COMMUNITY OUTREACH STRATEGIES, UM, THAT ALIGN WITH BATON ROUGE'S UNIQUE COMMUNITY FABRIC? AND FOR THE RECORD, I AM COMING.
MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, CATEGORY.
COULD YOU PLEASE READ THE FIRST PORTION OF THAT AGAIN? ABSOLUTELY.
HOW WILL YOU DEVISE COMMUNITY OUTREACH STRATEGIES THAT ALIGN WITH BATON ROUGE'S UNIQUE COMMUNITY FABRIC? ALRIGHT, SO IN THE OUTREACH CONCEPT, WE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE OF THE AREAS THAT WE ARE PATROLLING.
AND WE NEED TO DEVISE PLANS THAT FIT THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THIS AREA OR, OR THIS AREA COMPARED TO JUST AN OVERALL VIEW OF THE WHOLE CITY.
BECAUSE THE WHOLE CITY DOESN'T EXPERIENCE THE SAME AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE, THE SAME AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, DISPROPORTIONATE, UM, FINANCIAL SITUATIONS.
YOU KNOW, HOW YOU, SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPOVERISHED THERE, THERE ARE MORE IMPOVERISHED AREA THAN OTHERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE YOUTH OF TODAY DON'T LIVE BY THE CONCEPT THAT VIOLENCE IS RESPECTED.
WE NEED YOU TO RESPECT EDUCATION.
WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THE MINDSET OF, OF OUR YOUTH RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND I WOULD FOCUS A LOT OF ATTENTION ON THAT.
BUT YOU, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A PANEL, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE COMMUNITY, UH, LEADERS TELL US WHAT WHAT IS NEEDED IN ORDER FOR US TO COME UP WITH A, YOU KNOW, A GOOD STRATEGY.
[02:05:01]
IS GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK FORMING COMMITTEES AND JUST TALKING TO PEOPLE AND SEE WHAT'S WORKING.IF IT'S NOT WORKING, THEN MOVE ON.
IF IT'S NOT WORKING, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE NEXT STRATEGY.
NOT EVERYTHING WORKS, UNFORTUNATELY.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THING OR EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'VE DONE PREVIOUSLY THAT MAKES YOU THE, THE MOST QUALIFIED FOR THIS PARTICULAR JOB? I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS I CARE, UM, MORE THAN ANYTHING.
AND, AND I PROBABLY HAVE CARED TOO MUCH OVER THE YEARS.
UM, WHEN I LEFT PRPD WHEN I RETIRED, I HAD A LITTLE OVER 3000 HOURS OF LEAVE BUILT UP.
UM, BECAUSE I DIDN'T TAKE OFF A LOT.
I FELT AN OBLIGATION TO THE CITY, TO MY SQUAD, AND TO THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK MY COMPASSION FOR THE COMMUNITY, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT IN A COMMUNITY POLICING CONCEPT, BUT POLICING YOUR COMMUNITIES, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACES, SEXIST, CREEDS.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE MY ANSWER.
WHAT DOES YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS LOOK LIKE? RANK THE TOP FIVE PRIORITIES IN YOUR PROCESS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THEM? UM, SO MY FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE, THE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW.
AND WHEN I WAS CHIEF AND KILLIAN, THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT I LOOKED AT.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT RESOURCES WE HAVE.
WE NEED TO KNOW HOW EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE EVERYTHING IS THAT WE, THAT WE'RE DOING.
NEXT I'M GONNA ADDRESS THE, THE VIOLENCE.
UM, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE HAS HAD A DECREASE IN VIOLENCE AND, AND IT'S, IT'S NOTICEABLE.
AND ME AS A FORMER INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVE, I, I UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO I CAN SEE THE TRENDS, UH, COMING DOWN.
AND SO SOME SOMETHING'S WORKING RIGHT NOW THAT HADN'T WORKED IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD INCREASE TRAINING IN MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS, INCLUDING PURSUITS, INCLUDING, UH, DEESCALATION, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET THE GROUND RUNNING IF YOU, THE CHIEF AND I ALREADY HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT, SO I DON'T HAVE TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO.
I JUST KIND OF HAVE TO BE BRIEFED ON CERTAIN THINGS.
SO WITHIN THAT FIRST A HUNDRED DAYS, THE MOST IMMEDIATE THING I'M GONNA DO IS STRATA, UM, DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO GET US THROUGH OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, WELL, WE ARE IN NOVEMBER NOW, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY, YOU KNOW, WHICH TYPICALLY ARE SOME OF THE MOST VIOLENT TIMES AS FAR AS HOMICIDES, DOMESTIC ABUSE, AND ARMED ROBBERY TYPE STUFF.
SO WE HAVE TO DEVISE A PLAN IMMEDIATELY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE SITUATIONS.
UM, I'M A MEMBER OF TOGETHER BATON ROUGE, AND ONE OF THE, UH, ISSUES THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US IS DEVELOPING CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
UH, SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AND HOW YOU MIGHT, UH, INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO SIT UP HERE AND TELL YOU THAT I KNOW A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT I DON'T.
BUT THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE IS FOR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT IS THAT AS LONG AS IT'S NOT DICTATING POLICY AND IT'S JUST OVERSIGHT, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT.
THE CLOAK AND DAGGER DAYS ARE OVER.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE OPEN.
PEOPLE USE THE WORD TRANSPARENT.
IT'S OVERUTILIZED AND, AND, UH, IT'S OVERUSED AND UNDERUTILIZED.
THE WORD TRANSPARENT TRANSPARENCY DOESN'T MEAN A LOT TO PEOPLE ANYMORE.
SO WE WANT YOU, OR A COMMITTEE LIKE THIS TO COME IN AND HELP US WHEN WE DO OUR POLICY REVIEW.
'CAUSE WE'LL REVIEW EVERY POLICY WHEN I BECOME CHIEF, AND WE'LL SHOW YOU AS A CIVILIAN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHY WE'RE DOING IT.
SO I BELIEVE THAT THERE, THERE HAS TO BE A, A PLACE FOR THAT OVERSIGHT.
IT JUST CAN'T BE IN A SITUATION WHERE Y'ALL ARE DOLING OUT DISCIPLINE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO REVIEW THE DISCIPLINARY PROCESS, BUT IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND CIVIL SERVICE, IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE POLICE OFFICER BILL OF RIGHTS, THEN IT'S KIND OF HARD TO INCLUDE YOU IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHY WE'RE DOING IT.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A GUARANTEE.
I'LL GIVE YOU THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
MY DOOR WILL NEVER BE CLOSED TO ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
WHAT WOULD YOU DESCRIBE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY IN THE POLICE CHIEF IN BATON ROUGE? I THINK THE WORD CONSISTENCY, BUT I'LL HAVE TO SAY FAIRNESS ALSO.
YOU HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT AS A CHIEF.
[02:10:01]
MEN AND WOMEN OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPECT YOU.AND WHENEVER YOU'RE DOLING OUT DISCIPLINE, FOR INSTANCE, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DOING IT FAIR AND IMPARTIAL.
AND THAT ONE PERSON'S NOT BEING TREATED DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER.
YOU HAVE TO LET THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND YOU HAVE TO BE FAIR TO THEM.
YOU HAVE TO OPEN YOUR HEART AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE ISSUES THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY ARE DEALING WITH AND, AND SOME NEGATIVE THINGS IN THE NEWS RIGHT NOW.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE MY ANSWER, YOU KNOW, UH, THE FAIRNESS, UM, PART.
UH, WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? THIS IS FROM LEADERSHIP CULTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE AND WORKING WITH THE POLICE UNIONS? I UNDERSTAND THERE'S AT LEAST TWO, MAYBE, MAYBE THREE.
DO YOU SEE AVENUES FOR IMPROVING RELATIONS WHILE CONTINUING TO HOLD OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE? OKAY.
SO THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT POLICE UNIONS.
THERE'S THE FRATERNAL POLICE, THERE'S MAGNOLIA, AND THEN THERE'S THE LOCAL 2 37.
THE LOCAL 2 37 IS THE BARGAINING AGENT.
THE OTHER TWO HAVE NO, UM, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO BARGAIN ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE OFFICERS.
AND THE BODY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT VOTED ON THIS SOME YEARS AGO, PROBABLY 15 OR MORE.
UH, THE FOP TRIED TO COME IN TO BE THE BARGAINING AGENT.
SO THEY'RE REALLY THE ONLY ONES.
THE, THE LOCAL 2 37 IS REALLY THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN, UM, SIT AT THE BARGAINING TABLE, IF YOU WILL.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THE OTHER, TO THE MAGNOLIA AND THE FRATERNAL, THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE A SEGMENT OF THE PEOPLE WITHIN AN APPOINTMENT THAT DON'T, THAT MIGHT NECESSARILY WANT TO BE IN THE LOCAL 2 37, BUT THEY WANT THE SAFEGUARDS OF A UNION.
SO I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WORKING WITH THE UNION.
LABOR NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLE.
THEY NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THE WELLBEING OF THEIR OFFICERS, THAT THEY'RE TREATED FAIRLY, AND THAT WHEN IT COMES TO MONETARY ISSUES AND STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BARGAINING, BUT THEY SHOULD NEVER BE INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION OF A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I THINK SOMETIME UNIONS KIND OF MISINTERPRET THEIR ROLE.
SO I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I WAS A UNION MEMBER FOR ALMOST 25 YEARS, THE DAY I LEFT, THEY STILL OWE ME A WATCH.
SO IF THEY LISTENING, BRANDON O'NEILL, IF YOU LISTENING, I STILL NEED A WATCH
UM, SO THERE WOULDN'T, THERE'D BE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE UNION.
UH, I'VE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH 'EM.
I'VE STOOD THE PICKET LINE WITH 'EM WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GET MONEY IN 2000.
UM, IT WAS THE INFORMATIONAL PICKET BECAUSE POLICE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, DO ANYTHING MORE THAN INFORMATIONAL PICKET.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE UNION'S NECESSARY AND, AND THERE'LL BE NO PROBLEMS THERE.
MY QUESTION COMES FROM STANDARDS AND STRATEGIES.
UM, PLEASE DISCUSS WITH US ANY NEW IDEAS YOU HAVE FOR VIOLENCE REDUCTION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
VIOLENCE REDUCTION IN THE COMMUNITY STARTS WITH INTELLIGENCE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT'S WILLING TO LOOK AT THE INTELLIGENCE, WHETHER IT BE HUMAN INTELLIGENCE, UH, OR, OR WHEREVER YOU GET THE INTELLIGENCE FROM, LICENSE PLATE READERS, FROM CAMERAS.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THOSE STRATEGIES AND, AND USE WHAT YOU LEARN IN, IN THE INTELLIGENCE TO, TO MAP OUT A DIRECTION FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT.
SO MY WHOLE, YOU KNOW, IF I'M BE, IF I AM SELECTED AS CHIEF OF POLICE, MOST EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE BASED ON INTELLIGENCE DATA.
UM, SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE THE THING THAT I WOULD SAY.
WE NEED HUMAN INTELLIGENCE AND WE NEED EVERY OTHER KIND OF INTELLIGENCE.
WE MAKE A LOT OF CASES ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
UM, SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY ANSWER TO THAT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
SO I'VE JUST GOT ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU, MR. HENDERSON.
SO YOU TALKED, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO MR. COLE'S QUESTION ABOUT IMPROVING TRAINING ON THINGS LIKE PURSUITS.
BUT THAT QUESTION ABOUT PURSUITS, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY THERE.
THERE'S ALSO NEW TECHNOLOGY AND SURVEILLANCE.
AND GIVEN THAT YOU ARE A LICENSED PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, NOW, I ASSUME THAT YOU ENCOUNTER THESE TECHNOLOGIES A LOT.
SO ARE THERE ANY NASCENT PRACTICES OR TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU THINK BRPD COULD EMBRACE TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION OF PROTECTING AND SERVING? AND HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE THE NEEDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH MAYBE THE PRIVACY INTERESTS OF CITIZENS, BUT NOT ABOUT PURSUITS? ANY OF THE ABOVE? OKAY, I GUESS, WELL, SO ONE THING I WANTED TO DO WHEN I WAS CHIEF IN KILLIAN, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF BATON ROUGE HAS IT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK FOR GRANT MONEY, THERE IS A SYSTEM SET UP.
[02:15:01]
YOU CAN PUT AN ADDRESS IN, YOU CAN TYPE IT IN, AND YOU CAN DEPLOY THE DRONE.SO MY FATHER WAS KILLED IN A POLICE PURSUIT IN BATON ROUGE IN 1989, UH, JUST A FEW MONTHS BEFORE ME BECOMING A POLICE OFFICER.
SO I KNOW THE TRAGEDY INVOLVED IN POLICE PURSUITS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE POLICE PURSUITS, BUT IT HAS TO BE FOR SOMETHING EGREGIOUS.
YEARS AGO, WE CHASED EVERYBODY.
AND, AND THOSE DAYS, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD BE IN THE PAST, WE SHOULD CHASE 'EM.
ONLY IF, IF IT'S, IF WHATEVER THEY HAVE DONE LEADS US TO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE TO BE CAPTURED AS A, AS A SAFEGUARD TO THE CITIZENS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T WANT 'EM RUNNING LOOSE.
SO THAT WOULD BE ONE THING I WOULD LOOK AT THAT DRONE, BECAUSE THE DRONE CAN FOLLOW 'EM, OBVIOUSLY, AND THEY CAN GIVE US UPDATED PICTURES OF STUFF.
I DON'T KNOW ALL THE TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED IN IT, BUT THE CAMERAS, WE GONNA GO, WE, I WANT A CAMERA EVERYWHERE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S BIG POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN LONDON.
WE NOT TRYING TO INFRINGE ON ANYBODY'S RIGHT.
BUT EVERY TIME YOU STEP OUT INTO A PUBLIC ENVIRONMENT, I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AROUND, THERE'S PROBABLY 10 OR 15 CAMERAS POINTED TOWARD ME.
SO WE ARE NOT TRYING TO, TRYING TO INVADE ANY PRIVACY.
IF YOU HAVE CAMERAS AT YOUR HOUSE AND YOU WANT TO GIVE US ACCESS TO 'EM, BY ALL MEANS ONLY GIVE US ACCESS TO THE DATA THAT SHOWS A CRIME OR SOMETHING ELSE.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T CARE IF YOUR DOG WAS BARKING AND, AND, AND HAVING A GOOD TIME.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA INFRINGE ON ANYBODY'S RIGHTS.
WE ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY THAT GIVES US THIS INFORMATION GIVES IT TO US FREELY.
BUT THE CITY NEEDS TO INVEST IN MORE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE.
MR. HENDERSON, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN ON, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR ADDRESSING THE OFF-DUTY EMPLOYMENT POLICY TO ENSURE THE CITY SECURITY NEEDS ARE PRIORITIZED? WELL, EXTRA DUTY AND OVERTIME IS A PRIVILEGE.
YOUR JOB IS TO PATROL THE CITY OR WHATEVER YOUR DIVISION IS, TO, TO AFFECT A CHANGE IN CRIME.
YOU, UH, YOU, YOU TRY TO INFLUENCE CRIME.
WHEN CHIEF MURPHY PAUL, WHEN WE WERE, WHEN I WAS IN INTELLIGENCE DIVISION, HE ONCE SPOKE OF US AS BEING VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO OUR PRIMARY, PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO BE A POLICE OFFICER AND WORK WITHIN THE CONFINES OF YOUR SCOPE OF DUTY THAT SHOULD NEVER INTERFERE WITH EXTRA DUTY.
SHOULD NEVER INTERFERE WITH IT.
NOW, EXTRA DUTY IS SOMETHING THAT I RAISED MY KIDS ON.
UM, I'VE BEEN MARRIED 33 YEARS TO MY WIFE.
I WAS ABLE TO GIVE MY KIDS MORE THAN I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE 'EM.
'CAUSE BATON ROUGE WASN'T PAYING A LOT WHEN I CAME.
WE DIDN'T COME FOR THE MONEY WHEN I CAME.
WE CAME FOR THE, UH, THE JOB ITSELF.
SO RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE YOU CAN WORK 16 HOURS, SO 10 OF THAT'S GONNA BE DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR REGULAR DUTY AND THEN ANOTHER SIX.
UM, I, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT IT'S REALLY A BIG FACTOR.
I, I, I DON'T REALLY, I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE THERE, HONESTLY.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU ARE DOING YOUR JOB AND THEN YOU WORK EXTRA DUTY, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY SEE THAT THERE, THAT THERE'S A REALLY BIG ISSUE, NOT THAT I'VE SEEN OR HEARD ABOUT.
SO I REALLY PROBABLY WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T TRY TO MANAGE THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS OFFICERS ARE DOING THEIR JOB, WHAT THEY DO SECONDARILY, YOU KNOW, TO ENHANCE THEIR ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANNA STOP 'EM FROM DOING THAT.
MR. HENDERSON, UM, WE KNOW THAT POLICING IS A DIFFICULT JOB AND COMES WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, RIGHT? SO, UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OFFICER WELLNESS, WELLBEING, UM, HOW YOU MIGHT ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT OFFICERS FACE, YOU KNOW, DURING THE JOB? SO, WELL, FIRST, THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IF I WAS CHIEF OF POLICE IS I WOULD MAKE THESE DISTRICTS A LITTLE MORE FRIENDLY TO THE OFFICERS.
I WOULD HAVE A, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY ANTIQUATED, UH, ALL THE AREAS THAT, THAT SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS ARE, THEY WAS HERE WAY BEFORE ME.
SO I WOULD TRY TO MAKE AN AREA WHERE THEY CAN HAVE ROLL CALL WHERE THEY CAN GET THEIR ASSIGNMENTS, BUT ALSO JUST A COMMON AREA FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO RELAX A LITTLE BIT, UM, AND DEBRIEF.
BECAUSE UNIFORM PATROL OFFICERS SPECIFICALLY, THEY'RE, THEY ENCOUNTER EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING'S AN UNKNOWN VARIABLE TO THEM.
EVERY TIME THEY GO TO A CALL, SOMETHING UNIQUE IS
[02:20:01]
GONNA HAPPEN.AND IF THEY'RE PUT UNDER STRESSORS THAT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT READY TO DEAL WITH OR, OR THEY SEE THAT THEY CAN'T DEAL WITH IT, THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DEBRIEF.
IF WE HAVE A MAJOR INCIDENT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DEBRIEF.
UM, WHEN I FIRST CAME, BECAME A COP, YOU KNOW, YOU SUCKED IT UP, YOU DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THINGS.
AND I'M SURE SOME OF THE OLDER PEOPLE HERE KIND OF GREW UP THE SAME WAY I DID.
IF, IF YOU HAVE EMOTIONS, YOU HAVE TO LET 'EM OUT.
'CAUSE IF YOU DON'T DEAL WITH 'EM NOW, YOU'LL DEAL WITH 'EM IN 20 YEARS.
SO AT THE END OF YOUR RETIREMENT, ALL THIS WILL KIND OF MANIFEST ITSELF.
CERTAIN THINGS BOTHER PEOPLE MORE.
ONE OF MY FIRST CALLS THAT I WENT ON WHEN I WAS IN SCOTLANDVILLE, UM, IT, THERE WAS A DECEASED BABY WHO WAS ON THE TABLE.
AND FOR THE LIFE OF ME, WHEN I WALKED IN THERE, IT WAS SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TAKEN ABACK THAT THE BABY WASN'T IN A BLANKET OR ANYTHING.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND I'M, THAT'S PROBABLY 20, 27, 28 YEARS AGO, STUFF LIKE THAT STAYS WITH YOU.
I, I HAVE A GOOD WIFE AND MY WIFE HAS BEEN A GOOD SOUNDING BOARD AND SHE LETS ME, YOU KNOW, TELL HER ABOUT STUFF.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE FRIENDS.
YOU ALSO, YOU HAVE TO HAVE COUNSELORS.
YOU KNOW, BOPD HAVE CHAPLAINS, THEY HAVE PEER SUPPORT.
WE NEED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT A MACHO THING ANYMORE, THAT THEM DAYS ARE GONE.
I TELL MY KIDS, ALL OF THEM WERE COPS.
GUY GAVE US EMOTIONS FOR A REASON.
RIGHT? HE GAVE US EMOTIONS FOR A REASON.
SOMETIME YOU JUST HAVE TO CRY SOMETIME YOU HAVE TO LAUGH SOMETIME YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHATEVER THE OCCASION WOULD BE.
SO I WOULD SAY, AND I'VE TOLD PEOPLE THIS, THAT WORKED UNDER MY COMMAND.
I FANCY MYSELF A TOUGH GUY, BUT I PROMISE YOU THIS IS BOTHERING ME RIGHT NOW.
YOU JUST, WE GOTTA TAKE THE EMBARRASSMENT OUT OF THE EMBARRASSMENT COMPONENT OUT OF IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES YOU WOULD MAKE IF YOU WERE CHIEF SPECIFICALLY? WELL, FOR MORALE, I WAS A STREET COP.
MOST OF MY CAREER I WORKED IN INTELLIGENCE DIVISION, CRIME, GUN INTELLIGENCE.
BUT I ALWAYS CONSIDER MYSELF A STREET COP, EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN THESE OTHER DIVISIONS BECAUSE I BASED MY SUCCESS ON THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN I SAY STREET COP, I JUST MEAN A UNIFORM PATROL OFFICER, RIGHT? BUT I WAS COMFORTABLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND I WANT THE UNIFORM PATROL OFFICERS AND NOT WANNA BE COMFORTABLE.
BUT ONE THING I'LL ADDRESS IS THIS.
THEY'RE ALWAYS TREATED, NOT, NOT INTENTIONALLY, BUT THEY TREATED LIKE, UM, LOWER CLASS CITIZENS WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE ADVANTAGES THAT A LOT OF THE DETECTIVE DIVISIONS HAVE.
SO ONE THING I'LL DO IS PRIORITIZE THEM.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY GOT GOOD CARS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY GOT GOOD EQUIPMENT, MAKE SURE THEY GOT GOOD TRAINING.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEIR, UH, FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR THEM TO GO TO TRAIN IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA AT A CONFERENCE THAT THEY NEED.
BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT SEE EVERYTHING.
THE DETECTIVES KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING BECAUSE THEY'RE A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE, THEY'RE A BURGLARY DETECTIVE, ARMED ROBBERY DETECTIVE.
SO I THINK ONE OF MY STRATEGIES WOULD, WOULD BE TO GET THOSE GUYS AND GIRLS HAPPY.
GET 'EM TRAINED, MAKE SURE THEY'RE WELL EQUIPPED, AND TEACH 'EM HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND, AND, AND TEACH 'EM.
AND I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS, I WAS IN, ON THESE STREETS IN, IN EVERY CITY, IN EVERY, I'M SORRY, IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN BATON ROUGE.
THE COMMUNITY OVERALL LOVES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO LOVE THEM BACK IN WHICH THEY DO.
BUT WE NEED TO HAVE OPEN COMMUNICATION LINES.
AND, UH, SO THAT WOULD BE MY PRIORITY, IS TO GET THE PEOPLE OF UNIFORM PATROL HAPPY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE THE FACE OF THE, THE DIVISION, I'M SORRY, THEY'RE THE FACE OF THE APARTMENT.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT YOU SEE, YOU SEE THE SQUAD COURT CRUISING AROUND.
THEY GO TO CALLS WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY AT YOUR HOUSE OR MY HOUSE, WHATEVER.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE FACE OF THE APARTMENT.
SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WOULD FOCUS ON IN GETTING THEM, UH, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT I REFERRED TO.
MY QUESTION, UM, RELATES AGAIN TO YOUR, UH, LONGSTANDING HISTORY WORKING WITH BRPD.
THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER AS AN OFFICER AT BRPD, WERE THERE ANY POLICIES OR PROCEDURES THAT WERE MODIFIED OR ELIMINATED THAT SHOULD BE RE UM, IMPLEMENTED OR RECONSIDERED? I DON'T RECALL.
THERE WAS A REC POLICY THAT WAS REALLY, UH, AWFUL FOR, FOR YEARS.
AND, UH, I THINK THEY, THEY CHANGED THAT MAYBE IN AROUND 2005, SIX, SEVEN OR SOMEWHERE IN THAT ERA AREA.
BUT, UM, I, I THINK BATON ROUGE OVERALL KIND OF REVIEWS AND KEEPS UP WITH THEIR POLICIES AND THEY TRIED TO KEEP THINGS, UM, WITH, WITH CURRENT TRENDS.
[02:25:01]
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD'VE, I WOULD, UH, GO IN AND, AND REVISIT EVERY POLICY TO MAKE SURE, AND, AND ESPECIALLY THE PURSUIT POLICY.I, I KNOW THAT'S NOT PART OF YOUR QUESTION, BUT THE PURSUIT POLICY IS SO LONG, IT'S REALLY HARD TO FOLLOW THAT POLICY AND ACTUALLY HAVE A PURSUIT.
UM, UH, WE HAVE TO TRAIN OUR OFFICERS AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO STOP HERE, YOU HAVE TO STOP HERE.
YOU HAVE OBLIGATIONS WHEN, WHEN DRIVING.
SO THE PURSUIT POLICY IS A BIG THING FOR ME, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE I MENTIONED TO YOU THAT MY FATHER WAS, WAS KILLED.
HE WASN'T A COP, HE WAS A CIVILIAN.
AND THE, THE BAD GUY HIT HIS CAR AND KILLED HIM AND HIS FRIEND.
UM, SO WE NEED TO REVISIT THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY THAT I CAN SAY THAT CHANGED.
UM, I MEAN, THERE WAS A COUPLE LAWS THAT WERE CHANGED, LIKE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ARREST PEOPLE EVEN IF THE VICTIM DIDN'T WANT TO.
SO THEY KIND OF HELPED KIND OF, UM, GUIDE US WITH THAT.
BUT AS FAR AS POLICIES, I CAN'T REALLY THANK ANY.
YOU ARE WELCOME CLOSING STATEMENTS.
WELL, I DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE AND AS A COMMITTEE, YOU, YOU HAVE A HUGE OBLIGATION IN FRONT OF YOU TO, TO NARROW DOWN THE LIST OF CANDIDATES TO THE TOP FIVE.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU USE, UH, YOUR HEART AND YOUR INTELLECT TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.
UH, AND AND I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT Y'ALL GAVE US ALL THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT MYSELF, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THEM.
UM, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION CHANGE.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS AND LET THE NEXT CHIEF, WHOEVER IT BE, WHETHER IT BE ME OR SOMEBODY ELSE, LET THEM COME IN AND LET THEM PAVE THEIR OWN PATH AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU GIVE THEM EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'LL SAY THIS, IF I'M ELECTED CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, I, I'VE BEEN THROUGH ALL THE COMMUNITIES, UH, I WOULD TELL MY GUYS AND GIRLS TO GO OUT THERE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE FRIENDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
LIKE I SAID, Y'ALL HAVE, WE HAVE FEW EYES, YOU HAVE MANY.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR OFFICERS, UM, UTILIZE THEIR SKILLS AND RESOURCES TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
AND LET'S, LET'S TRY TO, YOU KNOW, BRING BA BATON ROUGE.
IT, IT IS NOT COMPLICATED OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION.
WE CAN TALK AND LOOK, WE MAY NEVER AGREE, BUT GUESS WHAT? WE CAN WALK AWAY FRIENDS AND SHAKE HANDS OR, OR PAT EACH OTHER OR HUG EACH OTHER.
SO, YOU KNOW, I CHALLENGE, UM, Y'ALL, I CHALLENGE THE MEN AND WOMEN, THE BATON ROUGE CITY POLICE AND I CHALLENGE THE COMMUNITY TO ALL JUST BRING EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WHO ARE AT HOME, WE HAVE NOW ENTERED THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF OUR MEETING.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE SEEKING TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE MEETING THIS EVENING? PLEASE COME DOWN.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I HAD SOME PREPARED STATEMENTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE TONIGHT, BUT SITTING HERE LISTENING, I THINK I'M GOING TO RESERVE THOSE FOR A MORE APPROPRIATE FORUM.
BUT I WILL SAY THIS IN TO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE POSED TO THE CANDIDATES AND IN THEIR ANSWERS, THERE SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING THEME.
AND IF I HAD TO NARROW IT DOWN TO TWO, I WOULD SAY HONESTY AND INTEGRITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND I BELIEVE YOU DO TOO.
I DO HAVE SOME DOCUMENTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PASS OUT TO THE COMMITTEE AND IT GOES STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF HONESTY AND INTEGRITY.
AND I BELIEVE I'D LIKE TO PASS THOSE OUT TO YOU NOW AND LET THAT BE THE END OF MY PUBLIC COMMENT.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MEETING THIS EVENING? ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS THAT CLOSES THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION OF THE MEETING? WE'LL BE BACK TOMORROW WITH FIVE MORE CANDIDATES TO INTERVIEW.
C IVY, C JOAQUIN, C KIRSCH, B STRONG, AND D WALLACE.
THE MEETING WILL BEGIN TOMORROW AT 4:00 PM SAME BAT TIME, SAME BAT LOCATION.
ACTION ITEMS. YEAH, WE NEED TO DELETE THAT ITEM.
IS THERE, IS THERE A MOTION MOVE? SO MOVED BY MR. MCCLENAN, SECONDED BY MS. VICTORIA TO DELETE ITEM FOUR.
ACTION ITEMS. WE'LL BE BACK TOMORROW.
AND ANY OBJECTIONS? NO MOTION CARRIED.
NOTHING JUST MESSING WITH YOU.
UH, UH IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I MOVE.
AND ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE MOTION TO ADJOURN? MR. PLAN? HEARING
[02:30:01]
OBJECTION.SEE YOU ALL TOMORROW AT 4:00 PM I.