BATON ROUGE, La (WVLA) – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome chose Lt. Jonny Dunnam as the interim Baton Rouge Police chief after Carl Dabadie resigned Monday with the intentions of retirement.

Chief Dabadie submitted a letter notifying Mayor-President Broome of his decision to retire from the Baton Rouge Police Department Monday morning. Dabadie requested that he and Mayor-President Broome have approved annual leave time until his last day of service on Oct. 2.

“I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors.  As the leader of this city and parish, I commend him for more than three decades of service,” Mayor-President Broome said in a release.

Lt. Jonny Dunnam, a veteran professional with almost 29 years of law enforcement expertise in police department policy and procedures, was chosen as the interim chief.

Dunnam began his career in uniform patrol where he spent three years before moving to the criminal investigations division as a burglary detective. After spending eight years in criminal investigations, he began a 14-year stint in internal affairs as an investigator and supervisor. He has since spent the last three years as the department’s public information office commander.

Dunnam, a Baton Rouge native and graduate of Tara High School, is an alumnus of the FBI National Academy (Session 257). He holds a graduate certificate in criminal justice education from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from the University of Phoenix.

The interim chief will not be applying for the permanent position. A national search for a permanent chief will commence after the application process is opened.

Mayor-President Broome said she will work with Human Resources and Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service on the process to advertise and fill the position. The process will begin immediately.