Bunkie City Council approves police officer promotion

It took three meetings to do it, but Bunkie Police Chief Scott Ferguson finally gained City Council approval to promote a part-time officer to a full-time detective.

In a special meeting last Wednesday (May 15) the council unanimously approved the promotion of Tim Gilbert.

The issue was denied at the April 11 council meeting on a 3-2 vote. Mayor Bruce Coulon removed the item from the May 9 meeting agenda.

MET WITH FERGUSON

Council members Travis Armand and Brenda Sampson, who had previously opposed the promotion in the past meeting, met with Ferguson three times from May 6-13 to discuss “several matters allowing us to move forward on this reclassification” of Gilbert from part-time to full-time, the council members said in a joint statement.

The statement said the meetings with Ferguson focused on addressing their personal concerns and those of constituents. They also discussed ways to improve communication between the Police Department and City Council, and improving the way the two branches of government can “effectively and efficiently collaborate on matters of personnel.”

The two council members said those talks with Ferguson have resulted in several new policies and procedures.

One is that patrol officers will wear body cameras. Written policies and procedures for the use of body cameras will be developed in the near future, the statement noted.

To improve communication between the Police Department and City Council, the police chief will make applicants available to the council members “on the meeting date in which they are placed on the agenda for review.”

Council members will also be able to schedule a meeting with the police chief at least a week prior to the monthly meeting “to discuss/rectify any personnel issues that may be forthcoming on the agenda.”

COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

The two council members also said the procedure for citizens to file complaints against the Police Department has been clarified.

Citizens wishing to make a complaint will fill out and submit to the department a form entitled “Voluntary Statement (Not Under Arrest.” The complaint will then be reviewed and investigated.

“We are hopeful that this series of meetings and measures that have been put in place will avoid future friction between the City Council and the Police Department in regard to personnel matters,” the statement noted.