Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and soon-to-be Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul today highlighted their shared desire for change at BRPD, as the mayor ended a yearlong quest to install her own head of the department.
“We start off on a great foundation where we agree on something: That there’s room for change,” Paul said at a news conference. “I really want to include the men and women of the police department. I don’t have all the answers.”
Paul, a 23-year veteran of Louisiana State Police, has for the past five years served as head of the Bureau of Investigation, a $55 million-a-year division that handles the “organizational management” of officer-involved shootings, criminal investigations and gaming, among other things, according to his application. He graduated from Loyola University with a degree in criminal justice in 2004 and was the only one of the five finalists for the BRPD job who did not work for city police.
With the announcement, Broome ends the year on a high note after a series of personnel challenges, including a monthslong stalemate with former BRPD Chief Carl Dabadie until he retired in July. The mayor also hired a permanent chief administrative officer in October after her initial pick, Troy Bell, immediately resigned after questions were raised about whether he lied on resumé.
The hiring process for the new BRPD chief included a committee publicly interviewing candidates. Paul said it was the most transparent hiring process he’s seen.
Broome had wanted a national search for her new police chief, but that never came to pass. Still, she said she’s confident in her pick. “I’m very pleased with the pool of candidates I had to choose from,” she said. “An outside search is not a qualifier for the best candidates.”
Rinaldi Jacobs, executive director of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District, said he hopes Paul can help eradicate crime in north Baton Rouge, calling it a major component of attracting businesses.
“Crime is a part of economic development,” Jacobs said. “We’ll be very interested in the chief helping us lower crime in north Baton Rouge.”
As for Paul, his initial focus after taking office Monday will be on community policing, accountability and ethics. He plans to do a 90-day review of BRPD policies on use-of-force, the violent crimes unit and other areas. He also will begin the process of installing top deputy chiefs. The mayor earlier this year collaborated with BRPD to revise use-of-force policies at the department.
After a particularly deadly year in East Baton Rouge Parish, Paul said he’s confident 2018 will be less violent.
When asked about the impending decision from Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office on whether to charge the officers who shot Alton Sterling in July 2016, Paul said he “respects the process” and will build on the existing plans at BRPD for responding to the decision.
“I respect the Attorney General,” he said. “I will wait until the findings come out.”
In related news, Broome, who advocated for waiting until a new police chief takes over before introducing a property tax proposal to fund police pay raises, said she is still waiting on a more fleshed-out plan from councilman Matt Watson, who introduced the idea.
—Sam Karlin
