LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Lafayette Consolidated Mayor-President Joel Robideaux says he has no clue why former Police Chief candidate Sammy Wyatt objected to the interim chief being involved in the search.

Wyatt claims in an email the mere presence of the interim chief being part of the review board, quote — “calls into question the purpose, integrity and objectivity of the so called review board.” — unquote. “I don’t know how to comment much more, then to say I’m proud of the committee I selected and proud of the work they’ve done,” states Robideaux.

Robideaux says he’s also proud to say he believes Interim Chief Reginald Thomas would make an excellent chief even though he doesn’t have the required degree for the job.

Robideaux explains that he wouldn’t create an unethical process to get Thomas there.  “I think the public knows how highly I regard Chief Reginald Thomas and the great job that he’s done.  I think he’ll make a great chief much less a Deputy Chief; but that’s not part of the process.  He felt like it was. I can’t say if it’s his insecurities coming through or some racial bias. I really don’t know what it was for him to make those comments,” says the mayor-president.

Plus, Robideaux says the allegation that a candidate was told he had to hire Thomas for the newly created Deputy Chief spot is unfounded. “That conversation never came up unless he brought it up; and that’s not a condition on the selection process,” adds Robideaux.

Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux is the Chairman of the Council’s Police Liaison Committee. Boudreaux says he’s going to ask to have the process started over. “He does not see the chief he wants in this pool.  It doesn’t say he must appoint someone, it says he shall appoint someone,” explains Boudreaux. Robideaux says ultimately at the end he’ll have the final say on who gets the job or not.