APD Chief Ronney Howard has NOT formally submitted resignation letter, civil service board says

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - At the most recent Alexandria City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 21, Mayor Jacques Roy made the surprise announcement that there would be changes made “shortly” for the Alexandria Police Chief and Alexandria Fire Chief positions.

However, the Alexandria Fire and Police Civil Service Board told News Channel 5 that they have not received a resignation letter from current APD Chief Ronney Howard.

The mayor did not elaborate during the meeting on why there would be a change in leadership at the Alexandria Police Department. News Channel 5 tried to ask the mayor follow-up questions on who would serve as the interim chief and when it would go into effect but was told Mayor Roy was not available. The City did send an email saying that the mayor will make a “formal announcement at a later date” but did not specify when.

Current APD Chief Ronney Howard was appointed to run the department in May of 2021 by former mayor Jeff Hall after serving as the interim chief since November 2020.

Brian Cespiva, the attorney for the Civil Service Board, said that despite the mayor alluding to a change in leadership at the police department, they have yet to receive notice to begin the process of appointing a new chief.

“We have not been formally notified that there is any resignation in process,” said Cespiva. “Assuming it does happen, then that will kick the civil service system into gear. We will assume that there will be an interim chief appointed immediately to run the department.”

If the Civil Service Board does receive the resignation letter from Chief Howard in the coming days, the process will start to select a new chief. The board will contact the state examiner to create a test for the APD chief position. The candidates will have to pass the test before their names will be sent to Mayor Roy’s office, where he would have 60 days to appoint the next chief of police.

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