By james art 
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPRUD) — Candidates running for Baton Rouge police officer are sharing their plans and goals if elected.
The two candidates running for Baton Rouge police officer are Terika Williams and K. Denise Marcel.
Current Officer Williams has been on the job since 2019 and is breaking barriers by being the first female city police officer in the agency’s history. She is seeking re-election this election season.
“When I decided to run for this position in 2018, it was because I had a passion for law enforcement. I had a passion for my community and being able to help my community grow,” Williams said.
Opposing Williams is Louisiana state representative S. Denise Marcel.
“I want to go to the constable’s office and make the constable’s office the best it can be,” Marcel said.
Williams said during her tenure she made many needed improvements and upgrades that have helped the agency.
“I was able to invest in new equipment like Tasers, laptops, guns, brand new units, just everything that the officers needed, even getting an 11 percent pay raise for the officers,” she said.
If elected to the position, Marcel said she plans to bring her experience serving on the city council and as a state representative to bring more funding to the office.
“I’m on the Appropriations Committee right now, so that’s the money committee,” Marcel said. “I’ve had those connections and I certainly know where the money is for a lot of the law enforcement issues,” Marcel said.
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In terms of knowledge and experience for the position, both said they were qualified.
“I started my career at the sheriff’s office,” Williams said. “I started with courtroom security communications. I worked in the parish jail. I have also attended the 162nd Basic Training Academy. So I have the training, I have the knowledge, and I have the experience because I’ve worked in the constable’s office.
“I went to work for Major Brown and criminal processing and me and the sheriff’s office left, we went back into law enforcement and then I was called back by him to work at the constable’s office,” Marcel said. “So for me it’s a complete turn of events. I’ve made policies, I’ve been a lawyer, I’ve done a lot of things as a representative of the state council, and now I’m just going to go back to where I started.”
Early voting runs from Friday, October 18 to Tuesday, October 29. Election day is Tuesday, November 5.
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