BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The International Union of Police Associations is calling on Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul to make major performance changes or step down.
In a scathing letter released Monday, May 2, the union said crime in Baton Rouge is “out of control,” citing more than 35 murders in the city since the start of the year.
Chief Paul said Monday afternoon he has no plans to step down.
“We are in some challenging times,” Paul said. “I believe the men and women here step up to the plate and we are going to continue moving forward.”
Paul said progress is being made, saying his department seized 1,500 guns last year and has made 1,100 felony arrests so far this year.
Calling Paul “completely out of his depth,” the union claims he seldom meets with his street officers and does not seek their input about how to address the violence. “Chief Paul responds to any criticism of his decisions or leadership through harsh punitive measures that are directed at anyone who questions or comments on his edicts,” the group’s letter said. “He employs internal investigations as a weapon to silence his officers.”
Many police departments across the country are experiencing staffing shortages. The union says the Baton Rouge Police Department is currently down 115 officers. The group claims Chief Paul should work to convince EBR Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and the Metro Council for pay increases to help retain and recruit officers.
“Chief Paul should be working hard instead of issuing unfair discipline and forcing officers to leave. It is far past time that Chief Murphy Paul take responsibility, address his failures, solicit and encourage input from his rank and file officers, and persuade the mayor and the Metro Council to act. If he is unwilling or unable, Chief Paul should step down and let a more qualified chief of police take the reins.”
CLICK HERE to read the full letter.
The BRPD deputy chief issued the following response to the letter on Tuesday, May 3:
“Chief Murphy Paul is aware that a letter from Sam Cabral of the International Union of Police Association, has been recently circulated. The letter mentioned crime, staffing, communication and discipline. However, the information noted by the author did not accurately represent the efforts that have and are currently being taken within the Baton Rouge Police Department. Local, State and Federal partnerships, such as Operation Red Stick, are ongoing and have shown an impact in the area of addressing violent crime in the Baton Rouge community. In a time where workforce staffing has proven to be a challenge throughout the country in numerous professions, law enforcement has not been exempt from the problem. However, the Baton Rouge Police Department, has been able to effectively recruit even during this hiring crisis. As a matter of fact, we are scheduled to graduate 20 new police officers from our Basic Training Academy next week (Monday, May 9, 2022). We have also hired approximately 15 cadets for the 89th Basic Training Academy and have an additional 20 candidates to interview for that class, which is slated to start next month on June 20, 2022. This does not include the nine law enforcement officers from other agencies seeking lateral transfers to join BRPD. If anyone is interested in being considered for employment, they still have a few more weeks to submit an application before the deadline. Communication has always been a priority since Chief Paul was appointed to represent the agency. Throughout his tenure, repeated roll call visits, virtual town hall meetings, news letters and emails have been a frequent practice to converse with the men and women of this agency. Ideas presented to the staff from the boots on the ground have led to several documented changes within the department. We cherish the input of all and have established quarterly strategic planning retreats. These retreats ensure representation from all levels, to include gender, race, seniority, different divisions, civilian employees, etc. As far as discipline, the Chief of Police has a well-documented history of fair and impartial accountability. The department has been very transparent during his term, having released data on multiple occasions outlining the discipline issued by Chief Paul. We will not allow misinformation to divide those in our agency and community, nor will we allow it to take away from the great work, effort and sacrifices made by members of the Baton Rouge Police Department. We take great pride in not only the bridges we have built within the community, but we also have established a positive working relationship with the new leadership of the Local 237 Baton Rouge Union of Police. As they were shocked to hear of the letter issued by the IUPA president, so are we. From day one, Chief Paul has been a focused and committed leader and that will not change. He will continue to lead the Baton Rouge Police Department and to serve with the members of our community to prevent crime and to promote the safety and well-being of all.”
Broome hired Paul as police chief in January 2018. Prior to that, he worked with Louisiana State Police.
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Police group issues scathing letter about BRPD Chief Murphy Paul … – WAFB
