Have what it takes to be new Moulton police chief?

Moulton city council voted Tuesday to begin taking job applications for a new police chief, following Mitchell Bennet’s resignation from the post earlier this summer and appointment of Daniel Beyer as interim city police chief.

Tuesday’s unanimous vote came shortly after council approved a revised job description for the police chief’s position put together by City Attorney Eddie Escobar, which included new in-town (or within the immediate ETJ) residency requirements for whoever holds that office, as well as a more elaborate description of that person’s duties and responsibilities.

In approving the measure to advertise the post for a month, both in the local paper and in more statewide law enforcement job postings, the council approved a formal hiring procedure and named a committee who would be charged reviewing applications, performing background checks and, ultimately, proposing a candidate for the full council to make said hire.

Serving on the committee will be Mayor Mark Zimmerman, who is himself a lawman with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and a former Moulton police chief; Councilman Adam Nieto, a retired lawman and investigator with the Victoria Police Department; Councilwoman Kelley Moeller, who as Mayor Zimmerman pointed out would prove useful for her knowledge of city affairs given her long tenure on the council; and Renee Fairchild, superintendent of schools in Moulton whose board recently approved the hiring of local officers to perform uniformed patrols on Moulton campuses during the school week. 

A fifth, at-large committee person picked from the citizens of Moulton will also be appointed by Zimmerman.

Applications may be picked up at City Hall, 102 S. Main St. in Moulton, or by email at citysec@cityofmoulton.com. They will be accepted until 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Following the closure of applications, the committee will review the applicants, rank their preferences and, using those rankings, then schedule interviews and background checks with the chief candidates before deciding on a final candidate to bring before the council. 

They hope to have a permanent hire in place before year end.

In a related measure, Mayor Pro Tem Craig Hughes proposed that in addition to having a similar search procedures for all future city department head hires (which presently involves just the police chief and city administrator positions in Moulton, and should they ever choose to expand so, a public works director), the Moulton council approve an employee policy change that gives those administrators full responsibility for their personnel as well, which involves both hiring and firing authority, sans council involvement.

Per Councilman Donald Wagner’s request, council would like to stay informed when those hires or fires are made, but otherwise, those key administrators should be accountable for the employees in their respective departments. The measure was approved unanimously. 

Beyer was absent because of illness the day this vote was taken and has not indicated if he intends to seek this office again. 

This is Beyer’s fourth stint as Moulton police chief. Although an interim currently, he also holds a full time state investigator’s job with Child Protective Services that he is working alongside his interim post with Moulton Police Department.

Additional information about the police chief’s position can be found in an advertisement inside today’s newspaper.