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State Police Commission approves temporary trooper curator to develop museum at training academy
Summary
The State Police Commission approved a temporary WAE trooper position to serve as historian and museum curator for the Louisiana State Police (LSP) Training Academy; the role is described as a bridge to a potential future permanent civil‑service role and will support the agency’s 90th anniversary activities.
The State Police Commission on a voice vote approved a request from the Louisiana State Police to establish a WAE (With‑Arrest‑Eligibility) trooper historian and museum curator position to develop and maintain a Louisiana State Police Museum at the agency’s Training Academy in Baton Rouge.
The commission’s approval, moved and seconded during the meeting, allows LSP to hire a retired trooper as a temporary, sworn curator to catalog, document, display and safeguard historical items and records for the museum from Jan. 9, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2025.
The museum proposal was presented by a representative speaking on behalf of Colonel Robert Hodge, Louisiana State Police Superintendent. The representative said the position would “allow Louisiana State Police to develop and maintain a Louisiana State Police Museum at the Training Academy in Baton Rouge to properly catalog, document, display, maintain decades of historical items.” He added that a sworn incumbent “can access restricted areas and documents that civilians cannot,” and that the curator would safeguard historical firearms and sensitive equipment and document significant events on video and in photographs.
Commissioners asked whether the WAE classification, typically used to temporarily fill gaps while the agency hires active troopers, was the correct category. One commissioner observed the proposal combined several skill sets — trooper experience, historian training and museum curation — and asked what training and external relationships would support the incumbent. The representative said LSP’s operations development section had already consulted other state law‑enforcement agencies and museum examples and that, if the position continues long term, the agency would pursue a civil‑service recruitment process to convert it to a permanent role. “We think in the future, maybe we could grow it to a permanent position,” the representative said.
The presentation stressed short‑term goals tied to upcoming agency milestones, including the department’s 90th anniversary in July 2026. The representative described starting “small” within existing budget parameters, cataloging existing displays at the academy and expanding stewardship over time.
The commission moved and seconded the request; a voice vote approved it. The transcript records an affirmative vote (“Aye”) with no numerical roll call tally provided.
The commission’s action authorizes LSP to proceed with the temporary hire and the museum development steps described by the agency representative; further steps mentioned in the discussion — legislative funding for a permanent position and a civil‑service conversion process — remain subject to future approvals.
