The month of August begins with a changing of the guard in both Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety.
Saturday marks Colonel Frank Besson's first full day on the job as the superintendent of Louisiana State Police. On Friday, the agency held a change of command ceremony marking the end of Colonel Robert Hodges's tenure and the start of Colonel Besson's.
Besson will lead an agency of which he has been part for the last 27 years. Most recently, Besson served as chief of staff and deputy superintendent.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Burns will serve as Besson's right-hand man. The 25-year LSP veteran is taking the roles of chief of staff and deputy superintendent.
The State Fire Marshal's Office also has new leadership.
Former Scott fire chief Chad Sonnier succeeds Bryan Adams as Louisiana State Fire Marshal. Sonnier served 23 years as the head of the Scott Fire Department. He comes to the State Fire Marshal's Office from the Lafayette Parish Office of Homeland Security, where he has served as director for the last two years.
Adams is taking a promotion in Governor Jeff Landry's administration. He will now serve as Principal Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. In that post, Adams will oversee the daily operations of the Fire Marshal's Office and several other agencies, including the Office of Motor Vehicles, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, and the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
