BOGALUSA, La. (WVUE) - Bogalusa Police officers turned out in force Monday night (Dec. 18) as the city council met to discuss a bill that would create a “savings and reform” board, the first step of Mayor Tyrin Truong’s floated plan to possibly dissolve or defund the force.
Tensions ran high between the 24-year-old mayor, council members and the public, with Truong and police leadership disputing the department’s budget and meetings that had or hadn’t happened.
Truong told Fox 8 the police department is too “top-heavy,” stacked with supervisors who spend more time in the office than patrolling the streets.
The police department contends that there are three or four officers on patrol any given night, and making one or two arrests involves a lot of paperwork that can be completed at the station.
“This is not a town hall meeting, it’s a council meeting,” one council member admonished the crowd.
“I think if they’re going to be subjected to this, they need to have a better shake on the composition of the board,” said former Bogalusa police officer and current resident Christopher McClellan.
The proposed board would consist of one representative from the Bogalusa Police Department, one from the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office (which Truong said would be tasked with the city’s law enforcement if BPD were to dissolve), three citizens selected by the mayor, one council member and Truong himself.
The department and its supporters said such a board composition would be stacked to favor an outcome, and that its resulting report (which would have to be submitted in 90 days), would be used as leverage to dissolve the department.
Truong said the Bogalusa Police Department is around $650,000 over budget.
“When the fiscal administrator took over the city, he stated we needed to downsize our police department,” Truong said. “But with the crime rate how it is, I don’t think we need to downsize. We should probably just try to get more bang for our buck and spend that money over at the sheriff’s office for more coverage.”
The police department claimed during the meeting that if Bogalusa PD is dissolved, the city would have to pay $6 million to the state to fund retirements.
“We’ve cut our overtime over half, compared to what we did last year,” acting assistant police chief Maj. Troy Tervalon said. “We really feel like we’ve been doing our part, as far as the budget is concerned, and we’re open to suggestions.
“We’re just not open to the possibility of dissolving the police department. The men and women at this department love the city.”
In the end, the council voted Monday to table the resolution calling for the formation of the board. They said they wanted more time to study the board and its proposed membership.
“I hold no resentment toward anyone. Like I said in the meeting, I’m an open book and I’m about the citizens of Bogalusa,” Tervalon said. “We’re here for change. We’re here to make the city better. If we have some good plans, some good ideas, we’re more than open to listen to them.”
The council is scheduled to meet again on Jan. 2.
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