§2481.4. Deputy chief of police; competitive appointment
A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the governing
authority may create, by ordinance, the position of deputy chief of police in accordance with
the provisions of this Section. The position shall be filled on a competitive basis from a list
of eligibles as provided for under R.S. 33:2491(D), and the right of selection, appointment,
supervision, and discharge for such position shall be vested in the chief of police, subject to
approval of the appointing authority. In addition, the governing authority shall establish the
duties and responsibilities of the deputy chief of police in the ordinance creating the position.
Such duties and responsibilities may include direct supervision over all positions in the
classified service below the rank of chief of police. The position of deputy chief of police
is not the same as the position of assistant chief of police as provided in R.S. 33:2481(A)(1).
B.(1) The deputy chief of police shall have not less than eight years of full time law
enforcement experience and shall at least hold the rank of sergeant in the classified police
service at the time of his appointment.
(2) Any person who holds the position of deputy chief of police may, while holding
such position, apply for admission to the promotional examination for the class next higher
than that from which he was appointed as deputy chief of police. However, the name and
score of any deputy chief of police shall not be certified to the appointing authority by the
civil service board as eligible for appointment to a position of the promotional class, and his
name and score shall be eligible for certification, in accordance with the maximum period
for which a name may remain on the eligibility list in accordance with the provisions of this
Part, only upon demotion to a position of the class from which he was appointed as deputy
chief of police.
(3) Eligibility for admission to the competitive test for deputy chief of police shall
be limited to members of the same department as the chief of police at the time of
appointment.
C.(1)(a) Any person who is appointed from a position in the classified police service
to serve as deputy chief of police shall not forfeit his departmental or promotional seniority
accumulated to the date of his appointment, and the person shall continue to accumulate
departmental or promotional seniority in accordance with the provisions of this Part during
the time that the person holds the position of deputy chief of police.
(b) The deputy chief of police shall serve indefinitely in the classified competitive
position and shall be evaluated three years from the date of his initial appointment by the
chief of police. Thereafter, the deputy chief of police shall be evaluated every year by the
chief of police. After each and every evaluation by the chief of police, the chief may
reconfirm the deputy chief for another one-year period or may, at his discretion, demote the
deputy chief to his former class of position. The demotion described in this Subparagraph
shall not constitute corrective or disciplinary action, and the classified employee shall not
have appeal rights in regards to such action.
(2) If any such person is demoted as the result of such evaluation, or otherwise
vacates the position on the approval of the chief of police, he shall be demoted to a position
in the class he held immediately preceding his appointment as deputy chief of police. If a
deputy chief of police is subjected to corrective or disciplinary action, he shall have the same
rights as any other employee in the municipal fire and police civil service.
Acts 2010, No. 748, §1, eff. June 29, 2010; Acts 2015, No. 240, §1, eff. Aug. 1,
2016; Acts 2015, No. 243, §1, eff. June 29, 2015; Acts 2024, No. 230, §1.
NOTE: See Acts 2010, No. 748, §§2 and 3, regarding effect and applicability
of this Section.
NOTE: Paragraph (C)(1) as amended by Acts 2015, No. 243, §1. See Acts 2015,
No. 240, §2, regarding late eff. date for identical changes.