Alexandria Mayor and Administration Launch the Reorganized Public Safety Division

April 4, 2023

(Alexandria, Louisiana) Guided by experts, the Mayor and Administration are excited to launch the reorganized public safety
division. The changes outline new spans of control and interplay among top public safety officials. The philosophy, policies,
and organization include a commitment to use civilians as well as new internal controls, a generational increase in resources,
and a specialized focus on root-cause issues and measurements. “We have the leadership and accountability in place, we
will add the best resources and training, and now we need the most involved community anywhere—and with that
combination, we will change public safety in Alexandria. It will take time but it will happen,” said Mayor Jacques Roy.

1. Chief Ronney Howard this first week of April 2023 has assumed his new role as Director of Special Services, retiring
at the end of March 2023 from his civil service position as Chief of Police by agreement reached in the first 100
days, on March 14, 2023. Please see the outline provided by the ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND DUTY POSITIONS FOR
SAFEALEX. The directorship Chief Howard assumes includes these areas of oversight:
• the office of Gun Violence,
• the offices of Juvenile Services, Focused Deterrence, and Organized Crime, and
• an increased role as a liaison to other law enforcement for optimizing interagency and interoperability function,
most notably with creating the SAIIF program and Critical Incident Force Review & Response program.
These intelligence-led policing activities will join with community policing and the SafeAlex Chief of Neighborhoods to increase
neighborhood-led intelligence gathering, crime prevention, and neighborhood participation in the solutions to City problems.
The tracking of illegal guns, particularly in the hands of juveniles, is paramount to stem the epidemic of gun violence within the
youth community.

2. Assistant Chief Lillie Evans has assumed control of the police department while the process to appoint an interim
chief is completed. Commissioner of Public Safety Patrick VanDyke remains in his new role, as provided by the
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND DUTY POSITIONS FOR SAFEALEX.

3. Assistant Chief Jeff Tarver has performed well for the Alexandria Fire Department as interim chief. Also in the first
100 days, the selection process for a new fire chief concluded.

4. Commissioner VanDyke and the Mayor will announce the interim chief of police and a new Fire Chief of
Suppression and Prevention, imminently. With these changes, the top leadership restructure of public safety will
be complete.

Organizational Chart: SafeAlex Org Chart 4