FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A STATEMENT FROM MIKE FAVRE, MAYOR OF BAY SAINT LOUIS

On September 26, 2017, Interim Chief of Police Matt Issman was relieved of his duties. It is my
intent to discuss this pending personnel matter with our city council at the regularly scheduled city
council meeting on Tuesday, October 3, 2017.

Since the traffic stop incident Mr. Issman referenced, I have experienced a serious lack of
communication from Mr. Issman. I questioned the integrity of the investigative process under his
command. Mr. Issman has not been forthcoming with pertinent, relevant investigative details.

Mr. Issmans indication that his separation stems from a disagreement is correct. I disagree with
not following our own policies, not conducting a thorough investigation in accordance with
acceptable police standards and not openly communicating with your superiors and our
government authorities. Very simply put, in order to be a leader within the City of Bay Saint
Louis, I expect you to do your job and do it correctly.

As a candidate for Mayor, I ran on the premise that I would be accountable, responsive and
transparent in all government operations. That said, I intend for every decision made by myself
or my leaders to map back to these fundamental values. These values are not just a campaign
promise, but should serve as a moral compass for the work of all civil servants in Bay Saint Louis.
It is important that as public servants, we align our values to serve the common good of our
citizens.

As Mayor, I expect the highest level of service from every employee. I expect to be able to fully
support the rightful actions of our police officers who work in one of the toughest jobs in
government work. As Mayor and Council, we cannot have a leader on our team who does not
transparently and effectively communicate with me, thereby not allowing me to transparently and
effectively communicate with the council. As a Mayor that has previously served as Councilman, I
am not prepared to accept failed communication as a rift in the mayor/council relationship.

In this process, I remain firmly committed to those principles on which I ran for as Mayor, to include
being accountable and holding staff accountable while operating in a responsive and transparent
manner. I anticipate selecting a Chief of Police that fully supports those values as a leader within
the City of Bay Saint Louis.

Michael J. Favre, Mayor

City of Bay Saint Louis
688 U.S. Highway 90
Bay Saint Louis, MS 39520