BATON ROUGE - Changes within Louisiana State Police have been a hot-button issue for the past few years, specifically the department's use of force policy after harrowing bodycam footage surfaced following the death of Ronald Greene.

Monday morning, Colonel Lamar Davis pledged to reform the beleaguered agency in front of a new senate committee on state police oversight.

He says some changes have already happened, largely regarding excessive force.

"When you're looking at, prohibiting impact weapons to the head/neck area. Prohibiting ramming, unless deadly force is authorized, things like that, that we have to take a look at. As we make those changes again, then people understand what's expected of them."

State police brass backed the state's top cop, testifying that the changes are well underway.

"I assure you, Colonel Davis is not letting us sleep without rigging out, getting rid of those people that don't belong here. And that's going to be our goal," Lt. Col. Chavez Cammon said.

The agency is also trying to combat staffing shortages.

"Being able to hire the people and get the people in place and by not having them, what kind of burden has it put on our agency in the last couple/three years?" Senator Glen Womack asked.

"We're down over 200 troopers, so as those vacancies increase, that burden becomes even a larger challenge to accomplish what we want to accomplish to keep the people safe," Lt. Col. Doug Cain II said.

Davis says the ultimate goal is to make changes that will positively affect everyone.

"It's important for us to make the fundamental significant change so that we can all work together to reduce crime, reduce the fatalities and reduce the things that are adversely affecting our communities."

The Senate committee plans to meet again next Monday.