NEW ROADS — New Roads Councilman Kurt Kellerman is speaking up about the state of the New Roads Police Department and demanding change from the top down.

"There's probably perception about the police department that we have issues — it's not perception, it's reality," Kellerman said. 

The WBRZ Investigative Unit attempted to speak with both Chief Lewis Hamilton and Mayor Theron Smith about recent issues facing the department, including the arrest of Officer Quincy Lathers for selling drugs and the resignation of Assistant Chief John Chambliss. However, neither of them returned our calls.

"No way it can keep going like it's going," Kellerman said. "The citizens have no confidence in the police department."

Kellerman has been a New Roads councilman for six terms and has not been a fan of how the city selects police chiefs, which are appointed by the mayor and approved by the council. In 2024, the department went through three chiefs.

"I was a sole ‘no’ vote on all three appointments."

Kellerman tells us he's asked the mayor for a special meeting to discuss the future of the department and what changes he thinks need to be made.

"New police chief. Possibly turn it over to the sheriff's department, maybe a combination of both. I've thought in the past, if we did turn it to the sheriff's department, which has been discussed, maybe we would have a public safety officer that would be a liaison between the sheriff's department and the mayor and the council."

Sheriff Renee Thibodeaux tells us the sheriff's office and police department talked about merging a couple of years ago, but it wasn't financially feasible for new roads

However, the sheriff says he is open to having those talks again.