Get To Know Your Candidate: John Polk

PEARL RIVER, La. — As the race for Pearl River Police Chief continues, The Rabbit Hole sat down with candidate John Polk for an extended conversation about his career, his plans for the department, the controversies surrounding his candidacy, and the documents he says help tell his side of the story.

Polk currently serves with the Pearl River Police Department. The department’s public roster lists him as a Detective Sergeant, while his campaign materials describe experience in patrol, supervision, criminal investigations, field training, fire service and emergency medical services. Polk’s campaign says he began his public service career in 2005 and has spent more than two decades working in public safety.

Polk told The Rabbit Hole that he has lived in Pearl River since 2006 and believes the department has made progress, but still has significant room to improve.

“I love Pearl River,” Polk said. “I think we can improve, and I want to see the PRPD grow and do better.”

More Officers Focused On The Town

One of Polk’s clearest priorities is staffing.

He questioned whether a small department like Pearl River should dedicate officers primarily to traffic enforcement when patrol coverage inside town can already become thin. Polk said he would prefer to put more personnel into patrol and use part time officers where necessary to improve coverage.

His view is that the town itself should remain the department’s primary responsibility, while the Louisiana State Police and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office are better positioned to handle much of the interstate enforcement.

Polk also emphasized the importance of having officers who understand several parts of police work instead of spending an entire career in only one assignment. He said that was one reason he spent time working investigations.

Polk said a future chief should understand patrol, investigations, administration and supervision because staffing shortages sometimes require people to step outside their normal assignments.

Transparency And Public Trust

A major theme throughout the interview was transparency.

Polk acknowledged that the Pearl River Police Department has struggled with public perception and said residents often hear about the department when something goes wrong but rarely see what officers are doing successfully.

He believes the department should make greater use of Facebook and other forms of public communication, including showing residents what officers are doing behind the scenes, explaining department programs and making information easier to find.

Polk also proposed regular community meetings similar to town halls, where residents could speak directly with the chief and command staff, ask questions and raise concerns.

“You can tell anybody anything, but until they see it for themselves, it takes time to win somebody over,” Polk said.

He said rebuilding trust would not happen through one speech or campaign promise and that officers would have to earn it through their conduct.

Youth Programs And Community Policing

Polk said another priority would be increasing the department’s interaction with children and teenagers.

He talked about programs such as DARE, Explorer style programs and partnerships with churches and community organizations, particularly during the summer when young people have fewer structured activities.

Polk said officers should know the children in the community and children should become comfortable interacting with police before those interactions occur during an emergency or criminal investigation.

His campaign platform similarly emphasizes stronger community partnerships, expanded training, crime prevention and greater communication between the department and residents.

Technology And Spending

Polk also believes the department could save money by bringing some technology services in house.

During the interview, he discussed computer servers, telephone systems and other technology currently handled by outside vendors. Polk said some of that work could potentially be performed internally by employees with the necessary technical knowledge.

He also discussed emergency fuel supplies. Polk said he would like the department to maintain a larger fuel reserve that could keep police vehicles operating after hurricanes or other emergencies when gas stations are closed or experiencing long lines.

For Polk, those ideas are part of a larger argument that a small department has to examine where its money is going and determine whether existing resources can be used more efficiently.

Addressing The Controversies

Polk also agreed to discuss controversies that have circulated publicly during the campaign.

One involves body camera footage from an April 2025 traffic stop. Reporting by WLOX says the footage showed Polk arriving at the scene in plain clothes and in a personal vehicle. A separate controversy later developed over how a recording of that footage was accessed and distributed. Former Pearl River officer Mike Alquist was arrested in August 2026 and accused of improperly accessing or recording the footage. Polk told The Rabbit Hole that he had no involvement in that investigation and said he learned about Alquist’s arrest afterward.

Polk also addressed workplace complaints and allegations that have circulated online.

He acknowledged that he had previously been written up following a workplace joke that another officer considered inappropriate. Polk said the remark was not directed at a specific person and disputed broader interpretations of what occurred.

Polk also brought a substantial packet of records to the interview, including documents associated with complaints filed through the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Some of the documents concern complaints against the Pearl River Police Department rather than findings against Polk personally. One dismissal and notice of rights document shown during the interview states that, following an investigation, the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights was unable to conclude that the information obtained established a violation of the applicable statutes.

That distinction matters. Such a determination does not establish that every allegation ever made about Polk was false, but it also does not support portraying the complaint itself as a proven violation.

Polk said he believes some complaints and social media allegations have been used to damage him politically. Those claims remain disputed, and The Rabbit Hole is not making a determination about the motives of the people involved.

Why He Wants The Job

Despite much of the campaign conversation surrounding controversy, Polk repeatedly returned to his argument that his reason for running is straightforward.

He believes Pearl River can improve its patrol coverage, communication, technology, youth outreach and relationship with residents without abandoning everything the department currently does.

Polk said he wants residents who distrust the department to judge him by how he performs the job rather than simply asking them to change their minds.

His position throughout the interview was that transparency and accessibility would have to be demonstrated rather than promised.

The election for Pearl River Police Chief is part of Louisiana’s November 3, 2026 election cycle.

As part of The Rabbit Hole’s Get To Know Your Candidate series, the goal of these interviews is not to tell residents who should receive their vote. It is to give each candidate room to explain his record, answer difficult questions and tell voters what he would do if entrusted with the job.