When the police chief in Port Allen took the oath of office in December, he didn't expect his first public emergency as chief to come in the form of a historic winter blast that brough inches of snow.
"I'm taking it a day at a time," recently elected chief Donovan Mitchell said. "That's all I could do. I'm learning from everything that I've experienced."
Mitchell spent the week preparing the city for the record-breaking winter weather and, once Port Allen was blanketed with over 7 inches of snow, patrolling the area and keeping people off the roads.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Mitchell said, it was "remarkable" to see his community enjoying the rare snowfall. From his patrol car, he watched Port Allen residents sled down the Mississippi River levee, make snow angels and have snowball fights.
"All the stuff we see in the movies, we actually can say we had the opportunity to do," Mitchell said.
His "heart for the community" is why residents and employees trust him, Mitchell's acting captain Kendra Wisham said. She said it's been a pleasure to work with Mitchell throughout the snowstorm.
Wisham and Mitchell have worked together for nearly 12 years. For her, what showed Mitchell's care for the people as the new police chief was when he distributed blankets, gloves and scarves on Tuesday before temperatures dipped even further.
"That is very memorable for me because to have a chief go hands on -- that stands out," Wisham said.
In addition, she said, Mitchell is supportive, transparent and easy to talk to. She believes those qualities make him well liked in the community.
"He knows the community because he was born and raised in Port Allen, so everyone knows him, and he knows everyone," Wisham said. "And that makes a better relationship for him and those citizens."
Mitchell said he will carry the lessons from this storm with him to the next weather event.
"Be open for suggestions, no matter who it is," he said when asked what he has learned so far. "Don't be afraid to ask for help. And always understand we're human."