Chief Deputy Rick Ware will act as marshal until a new election takes place.
The next step is for the City Council to meet and call for an election. The next regular election date is April 2nd statewide, so that will probably be the date that will be chosen.
I am also hearing that the Police Jury will put forward a proposition at that time, no details yet.
Acting Marshal Ware is a resident of Shreveport and so is not eligible to run for the office.
Lo Walker’s right hand man, Lynn Austin, has privately stated his intention to run. Austin, a former police chief, currently serves the mayor as Chief Administrative Officer of the city. Austin also served as interim police chief until the installation of current chief Shane McWilliams.His close association with the mayor will help him in the sense that he will garner some ‘establishment’ support. That same association could also hurt him due to voters who are still smarting over the way budget cuts were handled by the administration last year.
Rumors have been circulating that former Police Chief Mike Halphen may be interested, but so far Halphen has said nothing. He is also allegedly interested in running for sheriff next year, or for mayor in 2013.
Former police officer Sam Wyatt has also expressed interest in running for marshal. Wyatt wrote a couple of guest blogs for My Bossier dealing with MPERS – the police retirement system, on whose board he served.
Wyatt was with the police department for a number of years, nine of them as a detective. He currently works for Chesapeake Energy as Senior Security Officer dealing with corporate security and ethics.
He holds an Associate of Criminal Justice from Bossier Parish Community College, a Bachelor of Criminal Justice from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and a Master of Business Administration from Centenary.These qualifications, along with Wyatt’s lack of ‘good old boy’ status, could serve him well with the voters.
A couple of other names have been mentioned, but short of Mike Halphen jumping into the race, at this early stage I am looking for an Austin-Wyatt race.
UPDATE
Since I posted this, I talked to Sam Wyatt on the phone and he told me he had decided not to run. He then emailed me this statement:
"I am humbled and very honored that so many people have contacted me about running for Bossier City Marshal. Although Johnny Wyatt and I are not related I have always thought of him as family. He was a friend, a confidant, and a mentor. The loss of Johnny Wyatt for myself as well as Bossier City cannot be placed in words. I have prayed and asked for Gods guidance in whether to run or not, and I have decided not to run for the election. Rick Ware and the men and women of the Bossier City Marshal's Office are some of the finest I have ever worked with in law enforcement. I strongly suggest to the person who becomes Marshal, to keep the Marshal's Office as Johnny Wyatt has built it. I am therefore supporting Lynn Austin for Bossier City Marshal."
Of course, I can't just stop there. I do believe we will see more of Sammy Wyatt in the political arena in the next couple of years.
I want to state that I will not seek, nor will I accept, a draft to run for marshall or mayor or anything else . . at this time.
ReplyDeleteWell be wishing sam Wyatt luck in the 2013 city council election.
ReplyDeleteWyatt would be great on the city council.
ReplyDeleteI regret that Sam is not running for City Marshall, he would do great. I hope Sam the best and know he will do a good job on the city council.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Halphen will run and I think he will find out just how popular he really is!. Halphen has not real political backing from anyone and if elected would destroy Johnny Wyatt's legacy. I worked for Halphen for almost a decade so I speak from first hand experience.
Right now looks like Austin is the front runner
SLUUUUUUUURP!
ReplyDeleteAround Bossier CIty you never let a butt go unkissed, and this sounds like one of those moments, except for the part about belittling Halphen.
Anybody but Halphen!! I do mean anybody. I work with an agency close to BCPD and have heard the nightmare that those Bossier cops went through with that guy.
ReplyDelete*hiccup*
ReplyDeletenotmikehalphen, LMAO. have another drink, son.
ReplyDeleteI'm pulling for anyone besides Halphen or Austin. We need somone else in there...
ReplyDeleteThere may be another one, well qualified. With experience in Bossier City and Shreveport.
ReplyDeleteKeeping it real, Lynn Austin is very capable and will do a great job in the office if he is elected.
ReplyDeleteWyatt would be a great public servant too. It seems to me that we have a lot of good people standing up to serve the people.
Anon at 0902, that guy does not have a chance. I know who you are referring too. I have heard his named mentioned around the campfire. He does not have the backing to make it. Lets be real, you've got to have political backing to make it in Bossier, period. Like it or not thats the way it is. Whoever has the most wins, may not be right but its real.
ReplyDeleteAnon 0902, Deputy Richard left the Bossier Marshal's Office after a fall out with Johnny Wyatt, and from that day on cursed Wyatt's name. He went to the Shreveport Marshal's Office where he was arrested for Agg. Battery while arresting someone in one case, and was arrested sometime later for forgery, injuring public record, and filing false public records in another case for fixing tickets. It must be noted in both of those cases, the charges against Deputy Richard were dropped.
ReplyDeleteIf he is planning on running, he must be able to explain his behavior to the public. Those types of actions will not be tolerated in Bossier City. That is why Shreveport is the way it is.
There is way more with deputy richard - if he runs - it will all come out - he will get embarrassed and so will his supporters - I say lynn austin takes this one as he should.
ReplyDeleteLynn Austin will win, and I think that is a shame. Same good o'l boy deal. There is a couple of ex Bossier City officers that I think would be fantastic at the job who are not part of the good o'l boy network. I wont say their names, because I'm not sure they have considered running for this position. However I do know they have talked about running for something else. Wonder if this person could come forward and make a run for it?
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that Wyatt decided not to run, he would do a great job. I hope that he will run for city council at the next election.
ReplyDeleteI wish Sam Wyatt would run. He would be excellent. BCPD lost out losing him. I man with his qualifications would make an excellent chief.
ReplyDeleteLet us not forget that we lost a friend, a son, father, and grand-father. I ask that everyone please remember Johnny Wyatt, and Johnny's family in your prayers. Let us honor him and remember all that he accomplished.
ReplyDeleteI understand that people feel strongly about supporting one person or another, but there is no need for the mudslinging,
Also keep Rick Ware and the Bossier City Marshal's Office in your prayers. Rick Ware and the deputies were also family to Johnny.
Thank you.
Sammy Wyatt
Sam, the city could use someone with your education and experience!
ReplyDeleteWonder if the anonymous wso is building old Sammy's resume on this blog old Sammy himself. He's been trying to be a somebody for years.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Sam Wyatt was making contacts before the Marshal was buried. No respect for Johnny or his family! Shame on you Sam. Shows your post is bogus.
ReplyDeleteThat's the truth. I have had several Deputy Marshals tell me that they were approached by him at the church.
ReplyDeletePeople are gonna vote for a name that is recognized in Bossier City. Lets find someone that isnt so well known, and give them a chance. The problem is nobody has the guts to run against these people that are so well known.
ReplyDeleteI am not running for the election. I don't post anonymously. As far as the false allegations, they don't deserve comment. People know me better. It's a shame the people resort to this.
ReplyDeleteSammy is not running, so leave him alone. People who want him to run, asked him to run but he declined. Drop it and focus on those who are running.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 4:14, it's been said before, "Never let a butt go unkissed."
ReplyDeleteI bet it will be Austin, Halphen, and Richard. A little birdie told me that Halphen stated his intentions to run at about 10pm the night that Johnny Wyatt was killed in the crash, now thats tacky.
ReplyDelete1. Wyatt isn't running although he has been encourgaged to.
ReplyDelete2. Mike Halphen has made no public statement about his intentions. I have no idea what he has said in private conversations.
3. As far as Richard, I have no idea if he is running or not.
These are the facts so far. Anything else is conjecture.
Halpen probably privately said, "I thhhhhink (hiccup) I'm gwonna run for thitty marthshall (hiccup)"
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure the person who was soliciting support for a campaign at the funeral was Jeff Thompson for a totaly different race. Several people commented on how inappropriate it was.
ReplyDeleteNo class regardless of who or what race!
MikeH, Richard both are a joke, Wyatt was the best out of these names, Lynn like Richard has skeletons as well, whether they come out or not remains to be seen. If Richard does get in it, it will be a pig waller as the mud will surely sling all over the place.
The marshall's race might be the first real race in bossier in a while. People are fed up with all this.
ReplyDeleteJust because a person is well known and/or has been a Chief of Police does not qualify them to be the next Bossier City Marshall. It takes more than basic knowledge of the law or just wanting to wear the title of Bossier City Marshall. It takes the passion of wanting to serve the people of Bossier City and to carry on the work that Marshall Johnny Wyatt has started. I have known Johnny for many years and I know he would want the best person to carry on his life’s work and the individuals who have been mention so far are just looking for a title and are not the best qualified person to carry on Johnny’s legacy.
ReplyDeleteThe Shriners who now run city hall will definitely want one of their clowns in the office of city marshal.
ReplyDelete“Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.” Sophocles
ReplyDeleteAny other names besides the ones mentioned? Thats the problem, no one will come forward. Start mentioning some other people and lets get behind them. Maybe someone else would do it if they new they had support.
ReplyDeleteI know a Police Officer by the name of Bill Grumble who is a Deputy Chief with Bossier City and he is retiring sometime in December of this year. I know he has been with them for over 36 years and everyone that I have spoken to likes him. I have known him for many years and he is not one of those good old boy type people. He is someone who is not afraid to work hard and his character is above reproach. With that much experience and his character, he would be great as the next City Marshall. Of course, I have not talked with him yet but was thinking about asking him if he might consider running. I also know he has spoken about possibly running for City Council in the future. Does anyone know him out there and what do you think?
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:28 ask a couple of Bossier City police officers what they think about Grumble. It is my understanding that he is not exactly above reproach. I think if you speak to some of the officers that have had to work for him you might feel different.
ReplyDeleteI've known Bill Grumble for many years, and I would NEVER question his integrity. Bill Grumble is a Christian, a real Christian, and practices his beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know who you have talked too, but I have spoken to officers who actually worked for him and they all gave him kudos and liked working for him. It was very apparent that he had gotten a lot of grief and bad connotations from the previous Chief and his cronies who have tried to discredit him ever since he was promoted to Deputy Chief. Especially during the last year and during the time the Mayor was searching for a new Chief of Police, he must have been a threat. I cannot fault him for that.
ReplyDeletePlease stop the personal attacks. Sam Wyatt is a fine man. Did you know he is the most educated officer to ever work at BCPD? Bill Grumble is also a fine and honorable man who has served this city for over 30 years. Either one would be a great City Marshall
ReplyDeleteThe fact is Sam is not the most educated person that every worked at BCPD. Two or more that are there at the present time have a MBA just like Sam. Others have a Masters Degree. Get your facts right before you try and paint rest of the department as "dim-wits". Not taking anything away from Sam at all, good guy, good police officer. Just get your facts right
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank everyone for their kind comments. The Bossier City Police Department is comprised of fantastic men and women who serve the public for one simple reason as I did. Because that is what they love to do. It is not about money, or prestige, but about the love for Bossier City and its citizens. When I was on the department there were 5 with Masters Degrees, and several with Bachelors and Associates Degrees. To the best of my knowledge, and please forgive me if I am wrong, Larry Stockton, a Lieutenant with BCPD, and Buster Hendrickson, a Sergeant with BCPD, are the others with a M.B.A. Degree. Larry’s is from Centenary College also. As a matter of fact, Larry is the person who directed me to Centenary, and I will always thank him for that. Larry Stockton and Buster Hendrickson are very good people. The men and women who earn their degrees while working and raising a family, not just with the police department and fire departments, but in any career field, deserve congratulations. That takes a lot of dedication. Former Bossier City Police Chief Danny Dison was very instrumental in me returning to college. He was very supportive, and talked with me many times about furthering my education.
ReplyDeleteI see that someone asked about Bill Grumble. Bill is a very Christian man, humble, and I believe over 30 years at the PD. He is the Bossier City Deputy Chief, which is just under the Chief of Police. Bill is a fantastic person, and I am proud to call him my friend. I am not sure if he would be eligible to run as he will still be on the payroll for the City of Bossier, and Civil Service Law prohibits political involvement.
Qualifications for the elections are in February 2011. In the political arena, that is a long time from now. Until that time, we probably will not truly know who is running!
I finally got in touch with Bill Grumble, Bossier Deputy Chief and he will be retiring on December 14th, of this year. When asked if he would be interested in running for City Marshal, he advised that his main goal right now is to get to retirement. He said that he is praying for God’s will in his life and what is to be in store for his future, doors will either be opened or closed and at this time, that is his focus. He did indicate that if this was the direction the Lord leads, he would be eligible to qualify. I have encouraged him to be in specific prayer about this and hoped that he would run.
ReplyDeleteCould we get Sam Wyatt's head any bigger? Education alone does not make a good cop or a good leader, and holding administrative jobs your entire career definitely does not make you a good leader of cops. Maybe you should ask the city marshals themselves who they want as their leader. I guarantee you Sam Wyatt, Lynn Austin, and Halphen are NOT on the list.
ReplyDeleteSam, could you please back off a little bit. It is apparent you are keeping your name out there for a reason and it's for possilbe future considerations, and I understand that. Buy damn, every time this issue is starting to fade a little you want to put it out there and it gets stepped on, and then you wonder why it's getting stepped on. The answer is simple, stop puttig it out to get stepped on.
ReplyDeleteI hear it is down to Lynn Austin and Carl Richard - seems like a slam dunk now - Richard does not stand a chance.
ReplyDeleteStill four months until qualifying, I think it hasn't even begun. Might get interesting.
ReplyDeleteI would like to make two observations. One it seems the establishment has their guy ready and waiting in the wings(Lynn). Two if Grumble wanted to do it he couldnt say he was anyway. Because of the Hatch act, for him to say he was going to run while still a officer would or could get him terminated for endorsing or supporting a candidate. Imagine being fired a few months prior to your retirement because you where going to run for office against someone who is one of your bosses. Make no mistake the mayors office runs the P.D. and the civil service board I can hear them, " So sorry but the rules are the rules, YOUR FIRED!"
ReplyDeleteI don't think a non-establishment candidate can win this race, there is not enough time to prepare. Looks like Lynn wins.
I don't know, if Grumble retires in December he'll still have plenty of time to run.
ReplyDeleteHope he does.
Wow! I wonder if that was friendly fire or a real warning round, but sounds serious.
ReplyDeleteI heard Richard has now decided not to run - is that true - i have not heard anything recently until now that he realizes he cant win
ReplyDeleteGood,
ReplyDeleteI wish Lynn the best, I know
he will do a great job. I
wish he cold have been our
Police Chief. We need someone
that can stop people like
Lt. Stewart from threatening
victims like he did me, and teach Det. B.J. Sanford the same laws the rest of the U.S. uses. Thats how our crime is down 5%.
I just wanted to say that when I
ReplyDeleteasked Sgt. Woorley to question
the person that assualted me at
the Funny Bone in 2009 he refused
to. He said there is no way he
will admit to a crime a year later. My attacker quit his job, cut
off his cell phone, and left
town the same week his was to be
qustioned. If a crime is over a
year old should it be forgotten
about?
After turning in a report on being
ReplyDeleteattacked at the Funny Bone Sgt
Mcgee wrote down the oppisite of
what I said in the report.