New Shreveport police chief takes oath at the same time as fire captain son

Shreveport's police chief and fire captain were sworn in during a Tuesday ceremony.

Wayne Smith was officially installed as chief of the Shreveport Police Department. His son, Shelton Harville, was also sworn in as fire captain of the Shreveport Fire Department.

“Today is a very special day for me in that one of the greatest blessings that a father could hope to experience I’ve experienced today with my son,” Smith said as he came to tears.

Smith’s oath of office was administered by First Judicial District Court Judge John Mosley, Jr. Harville’s oath was administered by Fire Chief Clarence Reese, Jr.

Harville said his parents’ and stepparents’ careers of service inspired his own.

“Every public servant - you should take that charge upon yourself to help people because that’s what we’re here for,” Harville said. “Whether it be at 3 or 4 in the morning for that old lady that’s fallen out of bed that we help get up or that house fire in the middle of the night.”

Mayor Adrian Perkins provided a long list of police-related expertise Smith has developed over the years: community-oriented policing, public policy implementation, criminal investigations, FBI training and multiple degrees as well as patrol.

Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport police chief sworn in alongside fire captain son