BATON ROUGE - Chief Murphy Paul apparently kept his departure secret. Those in his inner circle say they didn't find out until WBRZ broke the story Wednesday morning.

"Like everyone else we were very surprised. There wasn't any foreshadowing of this," Baton Rouge Police Union spokesperson Bill Profita said. "We heard about it when Chris Nakamoto broke it this morning at 6:29 on your website."

During Chief Paul's tenure, he faced criticism as Baton Rouge saw an increase in violent crime.

"I don't think you can hold that position without being a magnet for criticism from one side or another," Profita said.

Profita says not all of the criticism was fair.

"It's interesting the chief talked to me a couple of months ago, when we were meeting about another matter, about the criticism he has gotten. He feels that a great deal of it was not only unwarranted but untrue," He said.

Paul is praised by organizations for diversifying the department and its leadership, qualities that had been lacking in Baton Rouge Police Department in previous administrations.

"We have a diverse city, and the police department I think is reflective of that diversity now," Profita said.

Profita says it's time for the union to look ahead, thinking about what they want in the next chief.

"I think we want to see a chief that's a cop's cop, that really wants to fight crime on all levels and is really supportive of the men and women who are out there everyday going to the crime scenes, investigating the accidents, picking up the kids who are lost."