Laura Bond, Reporter
11-20-2007
Stephen Rogers steps
into the position of Ruston police chief after being approved by the Board of
Alderman at an 11 a.m. meeting today.Before Rogers’ approval, Ruston Mayor Dan Hollingsworth nominated Maurice Hill and Timothy Parker for the position. Both were voted down by the council.
Aldermen Jim Pearce, Jedd Lewis, Levell Thurman and Elmore Mayfield voted in favor of Rogers. Alderman Marie Riggs voted against.
Rogers, of Ruston, will replace Randal Hermes, who retired as Ruston police chief after 14 years in May.
Capt. Jim Hilton has served as chief during the interim period.
Rogers has been a patrol officer for the Ruston Police Department since November 2004.
His responsibilities in that post included enforcement of traffic and criminal law, as well as investigation of traffic crashes.
Today’s action followed the aldermen’s rejection last week of Hollingsworth’s recommendation of Ruston Police Department Patrol Commander Bill Davis for the chief of police position.
Riggs and Pearce approved the nomination of Davis, and Lewis, Thurman and Mayfield voted against.
During last week’s meeting, Mayfield accused the Ruston police of participating in a multitude of unethical activities, including turning on their sirens to run red lights and pulling a gun on a man in his neighborhood who was already handcuffed.
Mayfield also accused the mayor of not making a sufficient effort to hire minorities in higher-level city positions.
“I think it’s time for Ruston to get in touch with the times,” Mayfield said. “Minorities are not only there for holding a shovel and a rake.”
Hollingsworth said he always tries to select the best person for the job with the most suitable qualifications and attributes.
“It doesn’t matter if they are black or white,” Hollingsworth said. “We’ve done everything possible to do this as color-blindly as possible. I will continue to hire the best person for the job.”
Those who assisted Hollingsworth in the interview process for the new police chief were former Louisiana Tech human resources director Don Dyson, Gayla Godfrey, who operates a human resources company in Monroe, former chief of Shreveport Police Mike Campbell and Sergeant Will Shaw with the Shreveport Police.
The nine applicants for the position included Karl Washington, of Ruston, Timothy Parker, of Ruston, Maurice Hill, of Waxahachie, Texas, April Overman, of New Orleans, Stephen Beard, of Dubach, Chris Bittick, of Ruston, Robert Peden of Ruston, Stephen Rogers, of Ruston, and Davis, of Ruston.
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