Beaumont council rejects city manager’s pick for police chief after heated public comment

BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont City Council voted 4-3 on Feb. 12 to reject City Manager Kenneth R. Williams’s recommendation for police chief after an extended public-comment period in which residents and community groups debated the merits and record of candidates.

The vote followed a day of testimony both defending and criticizing the candidate identified in public remarks as an assistant chief from Beaumont. Mayor Roy West voted to reject the manager’s recommendation, joined by Council members Getz, Phil Shaw and Neal; Mayor Pro Tem Turner and Council members Durio and Samuel voted to sustain the manager’s choice.

The dispute centered on competing priorities: several speakers and the Beaumont Police Officers Association defended promoting from within and said the internal candidate had been cleared by internal affairs, the EEOC and an arbitrator. Aaron Lewellen, secretary of the Beaumont Police Officers Association, told the council the association "support[s] the candidate from Beaumont" and said the candidate was "cleared by internal affairs, EEOC, and an independent arbitrator of any wrongdoing." Other residents, NAACP representatives and clergy urged the council to consider allegations of racial discrimination and a 2010 settlement.

"We cannot support a promotion after learning this information," Reverend Aaron Reynolds Jr. said, referencing a 2010 city settlement that he said involved a racist act and was resolved for $65,000. In public comment, Treva Johnson urged the council to "take a critical look at the ramifications" of placing a person with an "unapologetic history of racism and discrimination" into the police chief role.

Some speakers emphasized community ties and institutional knowledge. Vivian Todd, who served on the police search committee, said the benefits of a career Beaumont officer "who's gone through the ranks is important" and that the candidate "already has the contacts" to start immediately. Former police chief Frank Coffin Jr. said he had worked with the candidate for years and stated the candidate was "not a racist individual."

City Manager Williams read the agenda item and identified Troy Price as his recommended appointment. Council members debated whether to promote from within to reward long service and provide continuity, or to seek an external candidate to address what some described as persistent crime and the need for change.

After the vote to reject the manager's recommendation, the council did not immediately name an alternative; Williams told members he was not prepared to bring a different name forward that day and noted the process that produced the finalists involved broad outreach and a selection committee. The manager said he "never consider[s] race and racism" in his decision-making and defended the vetting process.

The council’s action leaves the chief’s position open pending the next procedural steps. Council members thanked residents who participated in the process and acknowledged the divisive nature of the decision.