Former Captain Judith Estorge will be the third police chief the city of Lafayette has had in two years, and she's the first woman to take on the job.

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) - Former Captain Judith Estorge will be the third police chief the city of Lafayette has had in two years, and she's the first woman to take on the job.

With crime a major concern for many people here in the city, some say it'll take more than just filling the role to stop it. Lafayette Parish Councilman of District 5 A.B. Rubin told News 10 that change won't happen right away, and building trust between the department and community takes so much more.

"One police chief is not going to curb the crime rate in our city. It won't," Rubin said.

He said that while Judith Estorge will be the first woman police chief, her gender doesn't matter. What matters is, can they do the job?

"It doesn't matter if it's a male, female, or what the gender, race, religion, whatever it is. Whoever is in that office, she has to have an open-door policy. Listen to the community," he told News 10.

Rubin also said that Lafayette needs community policing, and the chief needs to be transparent to rebuild trust with the people of Lafayette.

"The thing that I look forward to is, can you get the policemen to do the things we need in our community? Whereas the policemen don't just sit in their cars and just watch what's going on in the community. Get down, talk to the people in our community."

He added that he believes that Estorge will do a great job as police chief. He told News 10 that she's often worked with the community in her 29 years in the Lafayette Police Department.

Rubin hopes she will bring her work ethic and experience into her new position as police chief.

"Don't just get in office and ride around in your car. Get down and feel the pulse. See what the people in the community want. Feel the heartbeat of the community so that way we feel as if we're in office."

Estorge will begin as police chief on November 1.