Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie says the biggest complaint against officers is “how we talk to people,” reports the city’s Advocate. There are times “when you get used to dealing with the bad guys all the time and that flows over to the victim,” he said in a speech Wednesday. “Sometimes they're in bad moods and sometimes they're not as friendly as they need to be, but I am working on that.” The police department is looking into hiring a consultant to teach officers better communication skills.
Dabadie, who was sworn in about two months ago, described the department he inherited as “a mess.” He said officers should be willing to change tires for stranded motorists and rescue cats from trees. “We are so much more than just strictly law enforcement,” he said. “What I want to bring is higher levels of accountability on supervision and disciplinary actions taken when needed to ensure that we are producing the best possible service for this community.”