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Former police chief weighs in as Killian considers shutting down police department for a year
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KILLIAN - The town of Killian may be without its police department for the next year.
After Tuesday night’s blow to the Killian Police Department, Mayor Caleb Atwell says the town must make cuts to move forward.
"If you believe you can do the right thing, you've got to try, and that's what I'm doing," Atwell said. "I have to get us off the Legislative Auditor’s noncompliance list, because we got a late audit report that is holding up funds the town was allocated last year."
Former police chief Tim Henderson says the Killian Police Department currently includes just three people: the chief and two officers.
He says the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office already handles 60 to 70% of their calls.
"It’s probably going to stress the sheriff’s department a little bit, having to funnel some of the resources there. Deputies work hard, and they’re going to be asked to extend coverage in an area they only partially cover," Henderson said.
Atwell is proposing to suspend the police department for at least a year; during that time, the sheriff’s office would take over full patrol and response duties in the area.
"I don't like that they're disbanding a police department, but I understand the dynamics of why it's occurring," Henderson said.
Atwell says the move could help redirect funding to fix the town’s long-struggling drinking water system.
"A basic function of just living in a society is to have clean, fresh water available to you," Henderson said. "If you get rid of the police department and you put the money toward the water, it's okay because you'll still have the resources to come down here and answer the calls for service."
Though he doesn’t like the potential future of the department, Henderson says he believes in the mayor’s plan.
"People don't understand there are decisions that have to be made, and the mayor is in a predicament now where he doesn't have the resources. He has the desire to make things happen, but he doesn't have the resources," Henderson said.
The proposal will be voted on at the next meeting in August. Atwell said he received positive feedback from the public Wednesday night, and he wants to keep hearing their concerns.
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