30seconds with Jeff LeDuff

It’s been four rocky years since Police Chief Jeff LeDuff took the helm of Baton Rouge’s force of 700 sworn officers.

Three officers killed in the line of duty. Multiple hurricanes. Serial killers. And recently, several officers charged with crimes ranging from assault to rape. How does the chief known for having a big heart handle it when one of his officers does something to break it?

How do you prevent the wrong people from joining the force?

We hired 35 people from an academy class a couple of weeks ago—and we started with a pool of 234. So I think our disqualifiers, our screening process and what we look for truly helps in pushing aside those people who are less desirable.

But why so many problems recently?

For the most part I can say, under my tenure, it came out of nowhere. We are in our heyday in this department. We make more money than we’ve ever made, our mayor has elevated our pay, our equipment—the tools for officer safety—is the best it’s ever been.

What’s it like confronting an officer who’s broken the law?

When … your investigators have placed handcuffs on them, there’s not a whole lot to say. It’s just one of those moments where it’s filled with emotion, it’s filled with anger, it’s filled with disappointment. You wonder to yourself, “Why, what went wrong?” And for me, I believe that I can fix everything, so I wonder, “Why didn’t he come to me first?”

How does this all affect public perception?

You feel like everybody is looking at you like you are the guy that did this, even if it’s in another community. This badge that I wear is not a sign of power to me; it’s a sign of public trust. When a person goes outside the expectations of the criminal justice profession, that individual doesn’t just tarnish his badge; he tarnishes all our badges.

How do you discourage officers from breaking the law?

We bring in different people, people from the FBI to talk about the consequences of crossing the line. I bring in people who are victims of crimes. We constantly go to administrative level classes. I participated in the National Executive Institute—30 chiefs are selected per year.

Does your department need to do more?

We don’t look the other way on this. We handle discipline quickly, appropriately, sternly. Those officers that crossed the line, we reacted to them quickly. And it’s not a reflection of all the officers who serve this community. I tell people of Baton Rouge all the time they should sleep well. We have truly dedicated men and women. My hat’s off. I wish people could see what they do on a daily basis.