The Yazoo Herald continues to cover the conditions concerning the recent hire of Fred Randle as chief of the Yazoo City Police Department. It is nothing personal against Randle or his work history. But I remain skeptical as to how he intends to maintain his new role as leader of our local law enforcement and his dual role as Leflore County’s Emergency Management director.
When questioned by The Greenwood Commonwealth as to how Randle intends to balance the two jobs, he referred to his former position as police chief for the town of Moorehead. He said he was able to balance both the Moorehead and Leflore County posts with no problems.
I do not feel that is a realistic comparison. It’s like comparing apples to oranges, in my opinion. According to the recent Census report, the town of Moorehead has a population of 1,909. Yazoo City’s population is 10,163. That is a huge difference.
I am not a resident of Moorehead, either. So, I am in the dark as to what the town’s crime rate was during Randle’s tenure. And in so many situations, what is being reported in statistics may not be an accurate reflection of the residents’ viewpoints when it comes to crime prevention and control.
But I am aware of the current condition within Yazoo City. The community is in a state of crisis with numerous gun-related crimes and murders being reported almost weekly. The job of police chief will come with its share of responsibilities and challenges. And we need a solid, qualified leader to turn this situation around within our community.
And I have reservations of a chief who will be attempting to balance two leadership roles at the same time in this scenario. An investment in a community requires a heavy presence, and that will prove to be difficult for a person who will be obligated to fill such duties between Yazoo City and Greenwood, which is about 57 miles away.
I sincerely hope that Randle can prove me wrong for the sake of our community’s future. I would be delighted if he turns out to be the best police chief we’ve ever had. But I have my doubts about our local police department being led by a chief who is not 100 percent committed to our department. The role of a police chief is not an 8-to-5 job. It often requires late hours, prompt response and an insight into the community personally.
What concerns me even more is that Mayor David Starling “had not talked about Randle giving up the other position,” according to a WLBT report. Why was the discussion of that balance not conducted in the job interview? It seems like a valid, needed discussion.
During the recent Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Alderwoman Elizabeth Thomas said the job of police chief was not posted nor were interviews held. That disturbs me as a journalist. The Yazoo Herald did not receive a job posting. And if it is true that no interviews were held, it makes me believe this was a hire already in the making without the proper procedures being followed. That should bother everyone.
It concerns me that a police chief was appointed during that same board meeting, and Thomas could not even point Randle out in the crowd. Did the other board members discuss the hire without including her or did they make such an important hire without any more information than what Thomas had? Either of those things are concerning to me.
Again, I have nothing against Randle. But what I do have issues with is the possibility of our city leaders not taking the much needed, and required, procedures in hiring vital roles within our community. Crime is the number one concern in our community right now, and our leaders owe it to the people they serve to search for the best candidate and make sure the public understands why they believe they have found the right person for the job.
And if closed-door operations are being held, those doors have a way of opening, whether it be through public record requests or through on-the-record conversations. And when those doors open, the press will be the public’s watchdog on the other side.
