Police chief pool shallow, Only 3 have applied for post
by KIMBERLY VETTER - Advocate (excerpt)

With a little more than two weeks left in the application process for a new Baton Rouge police chief, only three people have applied for the city’s top law enforcement position. Mayor-President Kip Holden has said his office is conducting a national search to find a new police chief, but information about how that search is be carried out has not been released. The deadline to apply for the job — left open by former Police Chief Jeff LeDuff — is Feb. 3.

Councilman Chandler Loupe said he’s afraid there are so few applicants because of a belief that a decision has already been made on who the next police chief will be. The councilman added he’s not sure a national search is necessary, but that whatever is being done to find a new chief, it needs to be “fair and objective.”

Baton Rouge Fire and Police Municipal Civil Service Board has refused to release the names of the three applicants they’ve received so far. The board also has refused to say whether the applicants are local or from out of state. The Advocate filed a public information request Tuesday asking for the information. The newspaper had not received a response as of late Friday. Board Chairman Bryan Taylor said the board’s attorney is reviewing the request and should have a response soon. When asked about the status of the search for a new police chief, Holden said he’s “not ready to make an announcement.