Looking for a Leader
Crime was one of the big issues on the minds of people Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover’s Town Hall Meetings a few weeks ago. The next Shreveport Police Chief will face the immediate challenge to stop crimes already being committed, as well as create a sense of continued security for people in areas free of crime for now, where neighbors worry crime is going to become a problem.
The Civil Service Board meets in Shreveport Tuesday, March 20, 2007 to certify 27 people applying for Shreveport Police Chief. The list of candidates is long and diverse. One is from Florida, another from Arkansas, a third from New Orleans, but most already work for the police department. KTBS 3’s Chris Redford talked to some of the people who say they’re ready for the job.
Homicide Det. Rod Demery already knows what it means to be chief. He led the police department in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, for two years before coming to Shreveport in 1999. “I think it’s an exciting time for it,” Demery says. “I think Shreveport’s going through a transition and I want to be a part of that. The progressive ideas that come out of the new mayor and administration are pretty interesting.” Det. Sgt. Kevin Crowe says, “Felt like the time was right, if nothing else, to try.” Crowe has spent most of his 22 years on the force investigating violent crimes. He hopes to use his experience as chief to stop the violence. “[I’m] well aware of the things we do well and the things that we could do better.”
Det. Michael Carter says he feels like he’s at a point in his life where he has a lot to offer. Right now Carter is the president of the police union, and he says that gives him a lot to bring to the table as a chief. “I would like to move up and make a significant change within the Shreveport Police Department.”
Corp. Jim Taliaferro is the Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Shreveport-Caddo. He says, “You have to be within the organization in order to affect the organizational change.” Taliaferro says as chief, he’d make sure fair treatment started inside the department, to give officers inspiration to bring fair treatment to the streets. “Then we can develop our internal customer service, which transcends to an external customer service, giving better services to the public.”
All the candidates Redford talked to agreed public service is the most important part of being a police chief.
The last person to get an application in before Monday’s 5:00pm deadline is a man already in charge of leading officers in Louisiana. State Police Commander Henry Whitehorn was the 27th person to turn in an application.
Once the Civil Service Board certified the people who have applied, those people have to pass a Civil Service Exam on April 4, 2007. The results could come in up to six weeks later.
For a complete list of all the candidates, click here.
Post a comment about what you expect from the next top cop in Shreveport.