Louisiana legislators have signed off on giving the Baton Rouge Police Department greater latitude in how it promotes officers and now the measure goes to the governor’s desk with plans to go into effect early next year.
The state Senate, by a 28-8 vote, approved House Bill 438 by Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge, with one catch: An adopted floor amendment bringing the legislation into effect on March 31, 2020. The amended bill passed House concurrence this afternoon.
Bringing forth the amendment was state Sen. Bodi White, R-Central, who told Daily Report last Thursday he was undecided on the measure, though he ultimately voted for its passage. White says he hopes his amendment gives BRPD enough time to implement training programs that would assist officers who are passed up for promotions. Acknowledging lingering police union concerns, White says he hopes the proposed law “brings better feelings between the chief and police officers.”
Bill supporters—including BRPD Chief Murphy Paul, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber—say the proposed changes widen the selection pool offered by the current BRPD promotional system, which relies almost exclusively on seniority to determine who’s promoted, regardless of qualifications. As a result, most open positions automatically go to the top senior officer in the department, who is only required to pass a civil service exam.
If signed by the governor, the new law will allow BRPD leadership to choose from among the top five most-senior officers when deciding on promotions. The bill only changes who is eligible for promotion, leaving the selection process up to the discretion of department leadership.
Darrell Basco, state president of the Fraternal Order of Police, says he understands the recently added 2020 effective date will give Paul and BRPD officers more time to develop a “good foundation for the process for how the committees and interviews are going to work.”
Still, the bill’s passage is a blow to the Fraternal Order of Police, as well as the Baton Rouge Union of Police, which have been vocal in their opposition, claiming the proposed changes could allow outside influences—ranging from gender and race bias to the “good ol’ boy network”—to creep into the currently blind selection process.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Basco says of the potential impact. “We don’t know what’s going to happen on the backside of it.”
Baton Rouge area lawmakers were divided in their support of the bill. Besides White, state senators who voted “yes” included fellow Republicans Dan Claitor of Baton Rouge, Eddie Lambert of Gonzales and Rick Ward of Port Allen, as well as Democrats Regina Barrow of Baton Rouge and Edward Price of Gonzales.
Meanwhile, two local state senators opposed the measure: Sens. Yvonne Colomb, D-Baton Rouge, and Dale Erdey, R-Livingston.
(Editor’s note: This story has been updated since its original publication to include comments from state Sen. Bodi White.)
