TALK ON THE STREET
September 23, 2015
Cut Off man’s work ethic, dedication the foundation for his success
September 23, 2015
Thibodaux has a new top cop in town after the City Council confirmed Bryan Zeringue’s appointment as police chief.
The council voted unanimously to confirm Zeringue during its meeting last week. Zeringue said his first week on the job has been a learning experience.
“The week was great. I was kind of getting familiar with everything, up to speed with the entire department,” he said.
Zeringue, a Thibodaux native, has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience. He began his career with the Thibodaux PD in 1980, serving six years before moving onto the state police in 1986. He worked there until 2003, before spending another four years with the state troopers from 2007-2011.
Thibodaux Mayor Tommy Eschete said Zeringue offered a multitude of skills for the job.
“It wasn’t just one thing with him. It’s his experience, his leadership abilities and his familiarity with Thibodaux and a vast array of law enforcement,” Eschete said.
On Zeringue’s first day at his new job on Sept. 16, he held a meeting with his command staff, which has been enthusiastic.
“The command staff is outstanding, we have a great staff. We had a meeting that morning, and they were happy and ready to go,” he said.
Zeringue is replacing Scott Silverii, who retired from the position on Aug. 28. Silverii has known Zeringue since childhood, and the two worked together in law enforcement in the early nineties. Silverii said his replacement’s dedication to Thibodaux will play a major role in his tenure.
“He’s a man who loves the city, loves the citizens and loves serving the public. Those factors are critical to maintaining a level of performance demanded by the mayor,” Silverii said.
Zeringue echoed this sentiment when asked what part of his new job excited him the most.
“I’m ready to get back to working with the community, to get police and the community working together to improve safety,” he said.
The former chief feels that Zeringue’s most daunting task will be striking a balance between maintaining standards while leaving his own imprint on the force.
“The biggest challenge is to balance the level of service the public has come to expect with an opportunity to implement an individual vision for leaving the TPD in the new chief’s own style,” he said.
The new top cop said that he has no plans for drastic changes yet. He is still gathering information on how the department works.
“I’m still fresh, taking in everything. My big thing is, ‘Don’t recreate the wheel.’ We’ll see what’s working, then go from there,” Zeringue said.
For now, the head of police has been encouraged by the warm reception he’s received on social media since his confirmation. He is ready to be work for the place he’s known his whole life. “I was born and raised here. It’s an honor and a privilege to get the chance to serve the city in this capacity,” Zeringue said.
ZERINGUE
