CROWLEY — Police Chief Jimmy Broussard wants authorization to create a new position in his department — a deputy chief — and at least one member of the city council is opposed.
Broussard broached the subject with the council’s Public Safety Committee recently.
“There is a deputy chief position in other jurisdictions and communities throughout our area, in some as small as Mermentau and Estherwood to as large as Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans and all points in between. Eunice has a deputy chief,” Broussard said.
He explained that his idea is for an existing officer to assume some higher administrative duties and day-to-day activities. This, he said, would provide him the “availability, the freedom to be on the streets, meeting with the people, meeting with the businesses and seeing their concerns.”
“I’ve been wanting to do that for quite a long time but a lot of things have kept me at the office,” Broussard continued. “The deputy chief, again, would be able to handle some of that.”
He said he feels that some people might feel more comfortable talking to him anonymously than to an officer.
Alderman Vernon “Step” Martin appeared to accept the chief’s proposal, saying, “That’s your administration.”
But creating the post is a multi-step process, Broussard explained.
“An ordinance has to be approved first, then I would have to go to civil service for examinations. It has to be somewhat of a service rank for hire.
“The first (deputy chief) would be appointed. After that they would have to pass the test.”
Adoption of an ordinance would require the council to call a public hearing on the matter.
Only Alderman Jeff Cavell questioned the chief’s proposal.
“Adding another level of hierarchy ... I don’t see where that benefits. At what point would a deputy chief stop the shootings? Stop the drug trade?”
Cavell also pointed out that the current budget does not include a salary for this position.
“The person, if appointed this year, would operate on (his current) salary,” Broussard said. “Once budget negotiations would take place, then ...”
But Cavell was not convinced.
“You have 42 people on your staff. Fifteen are patrolmen,” he said.
“Twenty-five,” Broussard corrected.
“If any business operated like that, they’d go bankrupt — too top heavy,” Cavell shot back. “I just don’t see where that’s actually fighting crime.”
But Broussard reiterated that the deputy chief would not always be in the office. “He would be working, just like I’m not always in the office.”
“Where are you actually doing so much that you have to have someone doing stuff for you?” Cavell asked. “How many hours a day are you actually in your office? When do you start? When do you finish?”
Broussard said he is in his office nine hours a day. “I get there around 9 or 9:30 in the morning and I stay until about 6:30 in the evening,” he said, adding, “State law says I only have to work eight hours a day.”
“I know what state law requires, but you have to answer to the public about that,” Cavell replied.
Then, reading from a pre-prepared statement, Cavell said, “I personally feel that this board would not be acting in the best interest of the citizens of the great city of Crowley in fulfilling our fiscal responsibilities if we allow this sort of mal-administration within our police department to continue.
“It’s evident that there is a great need for foundational ability to bring back the morale that has been missing for some time and to allow our good officers — good officers — to execute noble policing so as to minimize the violent crime, the drug trafficking, as well as to educate our youth to the benefits of a civil society, all of which has been missing for the past two years and will definitely not be dealt with with the addition of another level of red tape within that department.
“I’m sorry, chief, but that’s how I feel about adding anything to a department that is as unstable as this one is.”
Broussard would only question Cavell’s reference to morale in the department.
“Morale has gotten better with me,” he said.
But Cavell was not to be dissuaded.
“That is the first time I have ever heard you say morale is getting better within your department,” the alderman said.
“The only thing you come up here with the same song and dance about how morale’s bad, morale’s bad.”
The two argued back and forth briefly before Rich Hughes addressed the council from the audience.
“You need four more officers on the road,” he said. “To take someone that’s on the road and move them even part-time off the road makes absolutely no sense. You need four more officers.”
Broussard again explained that his proposal would not take an officer off the road.
The council took no action on the proposal. For an ordinance to be adopted, it would have to be introduced during a full council meeting, set for a public hearing and put to a full council vote.
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