ST. LANDRY PARISH (WASHINGTON) — Voters in the Town of Washington have approved an amendment to the town's Home Rule Charter that changes how the police chief is selected, replacing an elected position with one appointed by the mayor.
The measure passed by a narrow margin, with 54% of voters supporting the change and 46% opposed.
Mayor Dwight Landreneau said the amendment is intended to help the town attract more qualified candidates for the position, particularly because the police chief will no longer be required to live within town limits.
"I think an elected chief of police is really a good way to have it in a larger town or larger areas," Landreneau said. "But in our situation in Washington, with 1,100 people, it just made it almost impossible for us to get a qualified person."
Under the amended charter, the mayor will appoint the police chief. Landreneau said the decision will not be made alone.
"It's not going to be a 'Dwight Landreneau' thing," he said. "I don't know enough to say that I'm qualified to make a final selection unless I have some help and get the right candidates in front of me."
Landreneau said he plans to seek assistance from an outside police chief before giving his recommendation to the Town Council.
"We need a people person," Landreneau said. "We need somebody that cares about the citizens, cares about safety and cares about the children in Washington. We want a caring person with good common sense who knows when it's time to issue a citation and when a warning is more appropriate."
Town leaders say the change is expected to broaden the pool of applicants and improve the town's ability to recruit an experienced police chief.
