Although city leaders appointed a new police chief last week, it is a scenario that the community is all too familiar with concerning the leadership of the Yazoo City Police Department.
For the past eight years, Yazoo City has seen eight police chiefs rotate through the doors at one of the community’s most vital departments. The longest holding tenure of those was about three years, with most only holding the position for about a year.
In some cases, the former police chiefs resigned due to conflict with members of the city council. And, in some situations, the position was not reappointed by the city council on often vague grounds; however, some cases were made quite clear.
The Yazoo Herald examines the history of the eight-year period, involving the position many consider the most important within a municipality.
Jeff Curtis, November 2014-October 2016
Following the retirement of veteran law enforcement officer and former chief Jessie Fry in early-2014, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen hired Jeff Curtis in November of 2014 after a seven-month search. He would resign from his position in October of 2016.
“I have dealt with this for two years, and with great prayer and communication with my family on where this is leading...but if it means me walking away, then it means me walking away to make our city better,” Curtis said, during the October 2016 board meeting. “I will always support this city, but I have been led through this with prayer to resign effect immediately...”
On a 3-2 vote earlier that month, the then-Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to suspend Curtis for three days and require him to attend a conflict resolution class. But Curtis said the board’s action surrounding the suspension and conflict resolution class was “unfair.”
“I don’t agree with what was listed,” he said. “I didn’t have the opportunity to tell the board my side of the story...I have made it clear that I, as chief of police, will not attend the program that has been ordered to me. I will not attend a class that I feel like is unjust for me to attend.”
When Curtis first learned of suspension through The Yazoo Herald, he told the newspaper he believed the action by the board stemmed from his denial of an alderman who continued to request information surrounding an investigation.
“I stood my ground based on principle and based on policy, based on law,” Curtis said. “The vote in my opinion was unfair. One of the casting votes was made by someone who wasn’t even present during the so-called directive.”
Curtis praised his department by providing figures from 2014 to the time of his resignation. He said there had been an eight percent decrease in arrests in 2014. He said the department had also seen a nine percent decrease in call volume over the last two years, adding that the department had seen a 60 percent increase in citations.
Andre Lloyd, November 2016-August 2017
Following the resignation of Curtis, then-acting assistant chief Andre Lloyd was promoted to lead the department. He joined the Yazoo City Police Department in 1991 as a patrolman. He was promoted to lieutenant 13 years later, and he also served as interim police chief twice in his career.
Lloyd announced his retirement in August of 2017, less than a year after assuming the police chief role.
“It was time,” he said, following his retirement. “Sometimes you can’t stay in one place forever – even if you would like to. But there are other things I want to achieve. There was no better time than now to make the move.”
Lloyd would later be elected as Ward 2 alderman, before losing his re-election to current alderman, Macklyn Austin.
Ron Sampson, August 2017-April 2020
Following the retirement of Lloyd, then-assistant chief Ron Sampson Sr. was selected to lead the department. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen named him as the new chief a few days after Lloyd announced his retirement from the force.
Sampson set his sights on creating positive partnerships throughout the community and organizing programs such as Neighborhood Watch, Chaplaincy Program, Citizens Police Academy, Youth Police Explores and conducting regular community meetings for each ward of the city.
Sampson would remain in the position the longest over the past eight years. But after an hour-long discussion on reappointing department heads in an April 2020 board meeting, the city council did not reappoint Sampson.
The city leaders at the time were divided on the issue with a 3-2 vote.
Jay Winstead, August 2020-April 2021
Veteran law enforcement officer Jay Winstead was named chief in August of 2020 after serving as interim chief for 90 days.
Winstead resigned from his position in April of 2021, citing differences with then-mayor Diane Delaware led to his decision.
Winstead said the only regret he felt was the progress that was being made with connecting with the public. He said more and more people within the community were beginning to feel comfortable speaking with his department. One citizen contacted him after his resignation and felt uneasy about speaking with anyone else.
Winstead said the numbers spoke for themselves when it came to stability within the police department.
“In six years, we have now had eight police chiefs in some form or fashion,” Winstead said, following his resignation. “That shows instability. And it trickles down into the department with morale and trust. The only solution would be if the city charter was amended that would give the department heads the power to run their own departments.”
Yazoo County Sheriff Jake Sheriff was asked to serve as interim Yazoo City police chief following Winstead’s resignation.
Joey Head, October 2021-April 2022
Joey Head accepted the role to lead the Yazoo City Police Department in October of 2021. A veteran law enforcement officer, he arrived at the police department after serving as chief deputy with the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department since 2012. A native of Holmes County, he began his career in law enforcement in 1992.
But the former city council suspended Head for five days without pay on March 21, 2022. However, no action from the former city board was taken following his suspension, and he remained in his post until he submitted his resignation letter the next month.
Capt. Richard Brooks was selected to serve as interim police chief for the next 90 days or until a candidate was appointed.
Kenny Hampton, May 2022-May 2023
Kenny Hampton, a former local police officer and Tchula police chief, was hired by the city’s new and current administration to lead the Yazoo City Police Department in May of 2022.
The city council stated at the time that their search for the new leader of the local police force would be a local candidate, someone dedicated to the community he would be serving.
However, Hampton would resign about a year later in May of 2023, stating conflict between him and Mayor David Starling led to his departure.
“Due to irreconcilable differences and other matters of concern between the Mayor and I, I feel it’s best we part ways,” Hampton said, in his resignation letter. “Thank you for the opportunity to lead the Yazoo City Police Department. It has been an honor and privilege to serve my hometown. This is my letter of resignation, effective immediately.”
Tension between Hampton and Starling continued with open responses towards each other, which were printed in The Herald.
Fred Randle, June 2023-Present
The city of Yazoo City welcomed Fred Randle this month in what one alderman labeled as “an emergency hire” in response to criticism from a fellow board member in the hiring process.
On a 4-1 vote, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen appointed Randle as the new leader of the Yazoo City Police Department. Alderwoman Elizabeth Thomas was the sole opposing vote in the appointment, stating that she felt the hiring process was not followed properly.
