Despite the abrupt firing of Baton Rouge Police Chief Dewayne White by Mayor Kip Holden on Wednesday, a Metro Council initiative to look at the logistics of consolidating the Baton Rouge Police Department and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office will get under way later this month with a special committee meeting. “Regardless of who the chief is and regardless of who the sheriff is,” the committee will perform the due diligence needed to understand how a consolidation could happen, says Metro Councilman Joel Boé, who in November called for staffing the committee. Council members Tara Wicker and John Delgado join Boé on the committee. Police Sgt. Jonathan Dunnam and sheriff’s office Col. Lawrence McLeary represent the law enforcement agencies on the committee. While an exact date and time have not yet been set for the committee’s first meeting, Boé says he expects it will occur at the end of this month. The Metro Council first OK’d forming the committee in April 2011, but it never came to fruition. Boé’s call to form the committee last fall came a few weeks after businessman and political activist Lane Grigsby unveiled his “Fight, Not Fear” campaign to consolidate law enforcement, citing success in preventing crime and lowering costs among cities that have consolidated law enforcement agencies. Boé has said success in consolidating the two local agencies will largely depend on how their retirement systems would be affected. —Adam Pearson
Today’s poll question: Do you agree with Mayor Kip Holden’s decision to fire Baton Rouge Police Chief Dewayne White?
