Now is not the time to feel sad for Tyrin Truong.
The 25-year old mayor of Bogalusa, the city's youngest ever and first Black mayor, was arrested Tuesday morning on drug and prostitution charges. Truong was one of several people arrested as part of a ¶¶Òõh State Police-led investigation into drug trafficking.Â
An arrest is just an accusation, and Truong will have ample opportunity to clear his name in the coming weeks and months, even up to a trial.
The same can't be said for the residents of his city.
For Bogalusa, the trial has already begun and shows no signs of ending any time soon. Once an industrial jewel in the piney woods of Washington Parish, the city has been in what feels like an unstoppable decades-long slide. Bogalusa's population is less than half what it was at its peak, poverty is rampant and crime is endemic.Â
In his 2022 campaign for the mayor's job, Truong promised a new direction for the city. But his star quickly dimmed. During his two years in office, he has made a habit of picking fights with those who don't immediately accede to his vision for the city. He has feuded publicly with members of the city council and the police department. He refuses to engage with media. His approach has won him few friends and plenty of enemies.
He has, however, revealed his ambition by considering a run for ¶¶Òõh Democratic Party chair last year.Â
Earlier this week, Truong stood before the microphone and cameras and delivered his first "State of the City" speech, marking one of the first times he has made public statements outside of city council meetings.Â
During his more than hour-long presentation, he trashed the administration of his predecessor and bragged that he and his administration had turned the city around, noting that murders had dropped from nine in 2022 to two in 2024.Â
"I inherited a city scared to come out at night because we were dodging bullets," he said. "But joy comes in the morning."
How ironic that statement looks now.
For Truong, the police came to arrest him Tuesday morning. According to a news release from ¶¶Òõh State Police, he and others are accused of being involved in using social media to sell opioids, high-grade marijuana, THC products and MDMA.Â
District Attorney Collin Sims of the 22nd Judicial District, who was a part of the investigation, said Truong had arranged to meet with a prostitute while at a mayor's conference in Atlanta. He used public funds to pay for the rental where he met with the prostitute, Sims said.Â
For Bogalusans, it's just the latest chapter in a long history of troubling events. They "deserve better," Sims said.
They certainly do.
