Mayor: New police chief by April 28

Morgan City should have a new police chief named before the end of April, the city’s third chief in just more than two years, according to Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi.
Grizzaffi has completed interviews with six applicants for the city’s police chief position, he said. The mayor is now checking all the applicants’ references and is looking to announce his selection prior to the April 28 council meeting, he said. The choice will require city council approval at the council meeting.
This police chief selection process is Grizzaffi’s third time to appoint a police chief since he took office as mayor in January 2013. Grizzaffi is “a lot more experienced,” this time around, he said. “The interview was different from the last time when I really didn’t know anything other than a gut feeling. At least now I was able to break down the X’s and O’s and the finances of the police force,” Grizzaffi said. “Two years of experience gave me a way to look at the direction that we want to go and make sure that the next chief blends in with that philosophy.”
All applicants were required to pass the state civil service police chief’s test. Nine applicants passed the test, but only six of them chose to interview for the job, Grizzaffi said.
The six candidates are:
––Louisiana State Police Troop C Special Operations Supervisor Troy Leonard, a Morgan City native and Berwick resident.
––Morgan City Police Lt. Chad Adams, who’s in charge of the department’s road patrol.
––Former Morgan City Police Assistant Chief Glenn Blanco, who now serves as Lake End Park manager.
––Morgan City Police Lt. Teddy Liner, the department’s jail warden.
–– Morgan City Police Assistant Chief Mark Griffin Jr.
––Morgan City Police Capt. James Blair, the department’s public information officer.
The city has been without a police chief since Dec. 31, 2014, when former Police Chief Michael Banks retired after 31 years with the Morgan City Police Department.
Banks was appointed police chief Feb. 25, 2014, following former Police Chief Travis Crouch’s death Jan. 31, 2014. Crouch was named police chief Feb. 26, 2013.
Before Crouch, former Police Chief Marc Folse retired Aug. 30, 2012, after serving as chief since May 26, 2009. Folse is currently the city’s chief administrative officer. When Folse retired as police chief, Blanco led the department as assistant chief until Crouch’s appointment as police chief.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com.