Lafayette city officials say they're trying again in the search for a new Chief of Police.
The city has had seven police chiefs since January 2020, and the turmoil seems to have affected applications for chief. The city's administration has always conducted a "national search," but when the application opened this summer only five people applied and all are from south Louisiana. The last time applications were opened before that - in 2022 - only seven people applied, and again all were from Louisiana.
Officials on Wednesday said they are "extending the search for a new Chief of Police to broaden the recruitment process and promote the new compensation package aligning with industry standards and reflective of the responsibilities associated with serving a community of Lafayette’s size and complexity."
The newly adopted salary range is $150,000 to $170,000 for FY2024-2025. Applications must be submitted by Thursday, October 23, 2024.
“We are focused on putting someone in place for the long-term,” notes Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet. “We’ve been through quite a bit of turmoil over the last few years, our community needs a solid, fair and healthy process in selecting our next police chief.”
The Administration has collected and implemented best practices from the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and is officially under contract for continued support of the selection process.
Current applicants are asked to resubmit their applications for official purposes.
Detailed information about the position, including qualifications, can be found in the Chief of Police profile here or the formal job description here. Applicants must first meet the required steps and expectations of the Lafayette Fire and Police Civil Service Board and the Office of State Examiner before proceeding to the Review Committee and Mayoral interviews.
The Office of the Mayor-President remains dedicated to transparency throughout this process and will continue to provide updates as the search progresses.
How to Apply:
Qualified candidates are invited to submit their resume, a cover letter, and professional references to applicant@lafayettela.gov. Include “Lafayette Chief of Police” in the job interest subject line.
One of the people who applied the first time around is the current chief, Paul A. Trouard. He's the seventh chief the department has had since January 2020. He is the only one who was appointed by Boulet. When Boulet took office in January, Judith Estorge was chief, but she stepped down for personal reasons in May. All the other changes took place under former Mayor President Josh Guillory.
Estorge was appointed chief by Guillory in October 2022. She followed Monte Potier, who was appointed interim chief in October 2021 and Sgt. Wayne Griffin, who also was appointed interim chief in October 2021 but served in that job only two weeks. Griffin was appointed to replace Chief Thomas Glover, who was hired by Guillory and then fired 10 months later. Glover took over from interim chief Lt. Scott Morgan, who replaced Chief Toby Aguillard, who Guillory had asked to resign when he was sworn in back in January 2020.
