Former police chief, sheriff: Consolidation would create ‘unchecked power’

Consolidating the Baton Rouge Police Department and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office into one agency would reduce administration costs but would not effectively improve crime prevention, says former police chief and sheriff Greg Phares. “You would still need the same amount of boots on the ground,” says Phares, who served as police chief from 1991 to 2001 and interim sheriff for a year before Sid Gautreaux took office in 2008. To consolidate, Phares says, the mayor and city police would have to cede power to the sheriff’s office, since it has jurisdiction outside city limits. That would give the sheriff “unchecked power,” says Phares, who added: “Do you want to give one person that much power over something that is as important as crime and safety?” Phares says city police will fight consolidation, since its officers have a union, collective bargaining and a civil service commission, while the sheriff’s office doesn’t. Businessman and political activist Lane Grigsby recently announced he’s planning a campaign to push for consolidating the agencies. Phares says this is at least the third time he can remember discussion for consolidation being brought to the forefront. When he was police chief, Phares says, he and Sheriff Elmer Litchfield were able to put the issue aside by working together. Phares stresses that influential community leaders should work to get the current mayor, police chief and sheriff to do the same. —Adam Pearson