Mayor responds to no-confidence vote
In Louisiana, a public feud between the Monroe Police Union and Chief Quentin Holmes boiled over when Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo said the department was riddled with discipline problems, racism and back-biting while digging in with his support for the police chief. Mayo and Holmes were responding to the union’s Monday vote of no confidence in the chief as its leader. The mayor also blamed City Council Chairman Ray Armstrong for perpetuating a negative image of the city, calling him “the biggest threat to moving the city forward. Mayo held up three sheets of paper containing the names of 59 officers who had been disciplined by Holmes, almost one-third of the 190-person force. “And they want me to fire Chief Holmes?” Mayo said. “I don’t think so. There does need to be some other firings and I’m going to investigate that. If you think politics are going to let this man get railroaded you’ve got another thing coming.”