KENTWOOD - With the November election around the corner, candidates running for police chief and mayor in Kentwood told WBRZ why they're the best fit for the job.

With a population of around 2,600 residents, mayoral candidates for Kentwood say they want to keep the community's small-town feel while adding more opportunities and reasons for young people to stay in town.

"We have the vision here in our small town," mayoral candidate Michael "Mike" Hall said. 

Hall is a city council member and has served the council for 24 years. If he gets elected, he says his goal is to create more parks and recreation for the entire community. While Kentwood has a handful of parks, a community center, and sports fields, Hall thinks there are not enough activities for children and teens outside of school. 

"They are crying out for some attention, and I know there is some programs out there," Hall said. 

Mayor Irma Gordon is running to keep her seat, which she has held for the last eight years. Before taking office, she was a school teacher, and she thinks the youth are a priority. 

"We are working more with our young people," Gordon said. 

If Gordon is re-elected, she hopes to revitalize downtown Kentwood and create more community events and recreation. She said the town hosted a "Walk Against Gun Violence" event, which she thinks is important for the younger generation.  

"We are trying to find ways to put more time, energy, and care in our young people," Gordon said.

Xavier Diamond, who also has a background in education, is running for mayor for the first time. If Diamond is elected, he wants to make City Hall more accessible to residents by expanding its hours. 

"Citizens will have the opportunity to be able to access City Hall and take care of certain things that they may need to handle," Diamond said. 

Diamond said his goal is to let more residents know what spaces are available and accessible to them and give residents a chance for input on town projects. 

"Number one is bringing the people to the table to help devise a solution so we can actually incorporate what the people want and how they want it to look," Diamond said. 

Voters will also be deciding between two candidates for police chief: incumbent Chief Michael Kazerooni and Tangipahoa Parish Ward 1 Constable Lemmie Chapman III. 

Michael Kazerooni took office in 2015 and has served as Kentwood's chief for the last twelve years. 

Chapman is running against Kazerooni and thinks Kentwood is a safe community, but it has room to improve. 

"Safety, depending on where you live at. We are still a very safe community," Chapman said.

Kazerooni admits the crime rate in Kentwood has gone up, but says that he's been proactive as chief trying to keep it low. 

"I'm not going to say that crime has gone down since I have been police chief; it actually has went up, but that is just the way it is overall," he said. "We enjoy a lower crime rate than most places."

If he is re-elected, one of his goals is to modernize the police department's technology to help bring down the crime rate.

In addition to being the police chief, Kazerooni is a volunteer school bus driver and says he is already reaching out to young people. He drives the bus for the high school football team and all of the field trips. 

Chapman says the younger generation is a priority to him and if he wins, he will be more aggressive in reaching out to troubled youth in the community.

"Most people say it's impossible; if having a connection with a young man or individual is in trouble, they feel connected to me to come and talk to me," Chapman said.

Chapman also hopes to build transparency and trust in the community and strengthen the relationship with the young men in the community. 

Early voting starts Oct. 20 and runs through the 27, and election day is Nov. 3. Kentwood has two precincts for residents to vote: Kentwood Junior High and Kentwood High School.