| Request for an Advisory Opinion from Marcus Mitchell, a former employee of the Shreveport Police Department, relative to whether his company, Toussaint Research Group, LLC can contract to provide services to Blue Line Solutions, LLC, a Tennessee - based company, that is seeking to contract with the City of Shreveport. |
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Marcus Mitchell was employed by the Shreveport Police Department from February 2009 until November 2021. During his employment, Mr. Mitchell was assigned the roles of Patrolman, Crime Scene Investigator, Fugitive Warrants Officer and from September 2019 until his separation, he served as Chief Administrative Assistant. As the Chief Administrative Assistant, Mr. Mitchell's primary duty was to assist the Deputy Chief of Police in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of the department's budget. Mr. Mitchell had no authority to make purchases or commit the department to any contractual agreements for services or materials. A secondary duty of Mr. Mitchell was to supervise departmental payroll processing, monitor departmental grants programs and budgets, and oversee non-sworn civilian employees.
Mr. Mitchell is the sole owner of Toussaint Research Group, LLC ("TRG"). TRG entered into a contract with Blue Line Solutions, LLC ("BLS") to provide public information and education through marketing and advertising for BLS' Louisiana - based projects.
BLS is actively seeking to contract with the City of Shreveport to provide traffic enforcement services utilizing cameras and other equipment installed on city thoroughfares whereby BLS and the City of Shreveport would share in revenue generated from traffic violations recorded by BLS equipment.
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La. R.S. 42:1121B(1) prohibits a former public employee, for a period of two years following the termination of his public employment, from assisting another person, for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction in which such former public employee participated at any time during his public employment and involving the governmental entity by which he was formerly employed, or for a period of two years following termination of his public employment, render, any service which such former public employee had rendered to the agency during the term of his public employment on a contractual basis, regardless of the parties to the contract, to, for, or on behalf of the agency with which he was formerly employed.
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Adopt the proposed advisory opinion draft.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Greg Thibodeaux |
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