Candidate Profiles: Gonzales Police Chief - KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather & Sports

Three men, each with nearly 20 years of law enforcement experience, are in the race for police chief in Gonzales.

A lot has happened in the City of Gonzales since Chief Sherman Jackson took office four years ago. The police force took to the streets and classrooms around the city, and recently moved into a new state-of-the art facility to continue its efforts to serve and protect. Jackson believes his record speaks for itself.

"Crime is down plus 17 percent. I think in this day in time it is a major, major accomplishment. It reflects my leadership," Jackson said.

Meanwhile, former Gonzales Police Sergeant Duane Carpenter said it is time for the police department to take a detour. Carpenter believes the jobs he has held on the force have prepared him to run the department and the streets at the same time.  

"I'm going to be a working police chief. I'm going to be in uniform every day, drive a marked police car, add canines to the department to fight the war on drugs, put police officers back in schools, teach the kids and be involved in the community. You'll see me out here. You'll know where your police chief is at. I won't let the city of Gonzales down," Carpenter said.

Glynn LeBlanc, who took a break from law enforcement to go to work for his family's business, wants to combine his management and law enforcement experience. The former investigator and training instructor said he wants to work from the inside out beginning with rewriting a 26-year-old department policy manual.

"It shows leadership. This is a management job. You're leading 45 people and a $40.7 million budget and you have to have experience in handling large budgets and mass personnel and putting policy and procedures in place that everybody can follow and abide by," LeBlanc said.

On November 6, Gonzales voters will decide who will protect and serve them for the next four years.

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