Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux has confirmed Toby Jean Aguillard will serve as the Lafayette Police Department's new chief.

At a City Hall press conference this afternoon, Robideaux named Aguillard as his choice for Lafayette's chief.

“I am pleased to introduce Toby Aguillard as the Chief of Police," Robideaux said. "Toby brings a strong and diverse set of law enforcement and legal expertise to the position, as well as his impressive educational credentials. In addition to 18 years of law enforcement experience, Aguillard has a decade of combined experience as an Assistant District Attorney and an Assistant Attorney General. “Lafayette’s Police Department will benefit from Toby’s leadership and his depth and breadth of experience across the criminal justice system.”

Aguillard, 46, currently serves as director of the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office's Internet Crimes Against Children Division. He previously served for the Cameron and Wast Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Offices.   He also served as assistant district attorney in Cameron Parish and assistant attorney general and special agent at the Louisiana Department of Justice.

Aguillard was one of three finalists who Robideaux chose for the position. Joey Sturm, of the UL Lafayette Police Department; and  Philip Vaughn Burris, of the Lafayette Police Department, were the other finalists.

Aguillard assumes the position of Chief that was filled in February by Interim Chief of Police Reginald Thomas. On Nov. 1, Thomas was provisionally appointed to Deputy Chief. The LPD Police Chief position was vacated on Jan. 31 when longtime Police Chief Jim Craft was appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards to serve as executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement.

More From Hot 107.9