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Zathan Boutan approved as new chief of New Roads Police Department
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NEW ROADS - Zathan Boutan has been selected as the new chief of the New Roads Police Department.
The New Roads City Council approved Boutan's appointment at its meeting Tuesday night.
His appointment comes after the resignation of the previous chief, Louis Hamilton. He resigned after the arrest of New Roads police officer Quincy Lathers, who allegedly sold drugs to a confidential informant.
Following Hamilton's resignation, Assistant Chief John Chambliss resigned. Chambliss had been the subject of a WBRZ Investigative Unit report in October 2025, after he allegedly shot the Iberville Parish Assessor's son while checking on a reported disturbance.
Boutan is the city's 4th police chief since 2024.
"One of the reasons why we've gone through a few police chiefs is because if I am unsatisfied, and people are not serving correctly or not representing properly, I'm not afraid to make a change," Smith said.
Smith says he is extremely confident in his new pick for police chief.
"I am somewhat of a student of history, so I understand when Abraham Lincoln was managing the Civil War, he went through six generals before he got the grant, so it's not unprecedented that a leader would have challenges finding the right person for the challenging job," Smith said.
One member of the council voted against Boutan as the pick for chief. Kurt Kellerman says he feels the position should have been advertised. Smith stated during Tuesday's council meeting that he only interviewed two people for the position.
"The police department is in turmoil as we know," Kellerman said.
Boutan currently works for the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office and has been in law enforcement for 20 years.
"I'll be going around to meet everyone, as much as I can, but I'm here if anyone wants to sit and talk. I'll be more than willing to come out to their home and speak with them and get their opinions and thoughts on where we need to be and what we need to be doing going forward," Boutan said.
One of the first things Boutan says he wants to address is Truancy and getting the youth back involved in the community.
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