Banks to retire as police chief

Police Chief Michael Banks will be retiring at the end of the year after 31 years of service, Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi announced this morning.
Banks, 54, the city’s first black police chief, will serve his last day as police chief Dec. 31. He was appointed police chief Feb. 25 following former Police Chief Travis Crouch’s death Jan. 31.
Grizzaffi gave his appreciation to Banks for taking over as police chief during tough times, he said. Banks was able to stabilize the police department during his time as chief, Grizzaffi said.
A resolution to advertise for the position of police chief will be on the Nov. 20 civil service board meeting agenda, Grizzaffi said.
The position will be advertised for 30 days in the newspaper, the mayor said. The list of former police chief candidates who took the police chief civil service test prior to Crouch’s appointment as chief in February 2013 has expired, Grizzaffi said.
Crouch had previously appointed Banks assistant chief July 26, 2013.
Banks has worked at the Morgan City Police Department since Nov. 23, 1983, he said. “I’m going to miss everything about it,” Banks said. “I’m going to miss the people that work here. I’m going to miss the people that we’ve helped.”
Banks thanked the citizens of Morgan City, the mayor and city council members for their support, he said. “After 31 years, I feel that it’s time that I step aside,” Banks said. The best opportunity for Banks to have been police chief was after former Police Chief Marc Folse retired in September 2012, he said.
After passing the police chief’s test, Banks told Grizzaffi that if he was in the mayor’s position he would want a police chief that would be with the mayor through more than one term, Banks said. “I told him that even if you appoint me chief, you need to know that I’m going to be gone before your second term,” Banks said.
Crouch ended up replacing Folse as police chief after the mayor and City Council appointed him. At that time, Banks told everyone in the department that he was there to help, he said. “We moved forward, and then the tragedy hit us,” Banks said.
Upon Crouch’s death, Banks approached the mayor and let the mayor know that he wanted the position, Banks said. Banks has been fortunate during his time as chief to have personnel to help him make good decisions, including Capt. James Blair, Assistant Chief Mark Griffin Jr., Capt. Betty Augman and Lt. Teddy Liner, he said.