Justin Nevels announced his candidacy for Zachary Chief of Police. His official announcement follows:
Dear Zachary Citizens, I have been privileged to serve in law enforcement for 22 years. The last 14 years were served with the Zachary Police Department. Nine of those years have been spent at Zachary High School as the School Resource Officer. Working with young adults has been the most rewarding part of my career thus far. However, on Monday, July 18th, I resigned my position with the Zachary Police Department. This was not a decision made hastily, without much prayer, or without the support of my family. Civil service law required this resignation in order for me to move into the next stage of my life, and hopefully, my career. On Wednesday, July 20, 2022, I added my name as a candidate in the upcoming election to become your next Chief of Police for the City of Zachary. Most candidates seek this position after they retire. However, I have chosen to run now because I believe with my level of expertise and various administrative positions, I can bring something more to the police department. I have served in administrative positions with the Norwood Police Department (Chief of Police), Clinton Police Department (Asst. Chief of Police/Interim Chief of Police), and St. Francisville Police Department (Asst. Chief of Police). Additionally, I successfully completed training set forth by the State of Louisiana for new Chiefs of Police. I believe my time, experience, and training in these positions have groomed and prepared me for the position I seek. I vow, if elected, to be open minded and to listen to the input and suggestions of others. From the citizens we serve, the community leaders that serve with us, to the officers and staff of the department. No one person knows what is best in every situation, and I believe communication is key in having those we serve, and those who serve with us, buy-in and help move our city forward.I vow, if elected, to work closely with other city leaders, to never allow my own personal feelings, or opinions, to hinder the forward movement of the department which is in the best interest and safety of the citizens we serve.I vow, if elected, not to do what is popular, but to do what is right, legal, and fair for all involved. I will make decisions which will allow me to hold my head high and allow me to sleep with a clear conscience.I vow, if elected, to continue to move the Zachary Police Department forward in both technology and training. I will provide our officers with the tools needed to do their job and to do it proficiently. I will provide training to help officers further their career in not only the position they currently hold, but also to prepare them for positions they desire to move into, such as Detectives, Narcotics and School Resource. As funds are made available, I will bring back much needed divisions, such as K-9 to combat the ever rising drug problem that plagues our country, and Traffic to patrol our neighborhoods, to slow traffic where our children live and play, and to work accidents in order to free up our uniform patrol division. But this will not be done at the expense of safety to our citizens by depleting shifts in order to create these divisions. I will do everything possible to retain the great employees we already have and have invested so much time, money, and energy into training. I will fight to be competitive with other agencies to hire and retain quality employees. I will continue to build relationships with our youth, our citizens, and our community leaders. I will reach out to our citizens, and not wait on our citizens to reach out to us. I will invest more time, energy, and funding into our Community Policing program to help build better relations with the public we are sworn to serve but, more importantly, to protect. I will be transparent and never attempt to hide what is going on in our community, but be informative. Finally, I will remember, it’s not about me, but it’s all about the Z!During the upcoming weeks and months leading up to the election I will be walking our community in hopes of meeting each of you, however, if you would like to schedule a meeting to allow more time to discuss my plans for your police department and how it relates to our current issues, or to request a small or large yard sign, please feel free to contact me by phone call or text to 225.888.0106. Or email me at ElectNevels@icloud.com.Very truly,Justin K. NevelsCandidate to become your next Chief of Police for the City of Zachary.
