BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards plans to have an interim Louisiana State Police superintendent appointed next week, to temporarily replace the agency's retiring leader.

Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said Thursday the governor intends to have that person chosen by March 24. That's the last workday for retiring Col. Mike Edmonson.

Carbo says the governor will choose an interim leader who doesn't want the job permanently. He wants to name a permanent superintendent before June, to present that person for Senate confirmation before the upcoming legislative session ends.

State law requires the Louisiana State Police superintendent to be a trooper from within the agency's ranks.

Edmonson is Louisiana's longest-serving state police superintendent, in the job for nine years. He's retiring after coming under increasing criticism for his leadership of the agency.