OPINION: KPD chief must refocus on city challenges after job search

Killeen’s police chief has some fence-mending to do.

Chief Charles Kimble, who has led the city’s police department since 2017, was one of three finalists for the sheriff’s position in King County, Washington, which encompasses the Seattle Metro area.

On Tuesday, King County officials made their choice for the job — and it went to the woman who had been serving as the county’s interim sheriff.

So, now, Kimble finds himself in the unenviable position of having to rebuild the trust of both his department and the community after having sought employment elsewhere.

Certainly, no one can fault Kimble for aspiring to the King County sheriff’s post. It is a prestigious position, and the fact that he was among the top three candidates considered, out of 12 applicants, is a credit to him and to the city he currently serves.

And no doubt, this kind of situation occurs routinely in cities across the country, when a public official puts his or her name forward as a candidate for another position — and comes up short.

Prior to King County’s hiring announcement, the city of Killeen was predictably stoic about the possibility of losing its police chief, with city spokeswoman Janell Ford providing the following statement: “If needed, the City of Killeen will have a complete, nationwide search for a new police chief, with ample community involvement."

However, that nationwide search won’t be necessary. For now, at least, the city’s police department can move forward, knowing its top administrator is back at the helm.

But with Killeen in the midst of a troubling spate of gun violence and homicides, the city’s residents want to know that their police chief is fully committed to serving the community.

Residents need to feel strongly that their police chief is putting them first.

However, that didn’t seem to be the case regarding his recent announcement of KPD’s new “Killeen Cares” program.

Rather than preview the program’s impending rollout for local residents through a news conference or KPD press release, Kimble used a Zoom interview with King County officials to break the news of the new mental health program — much to the surprise of several city officials, including some in his own department.

Of course, it’s entirely possible that Kimble was simply excited about the new program and was anxious to get the news out — even if it was directed at an audience 2,000 miles away.

However, to the skeptical observer, Kimble’s decision to break the news during his Zoom call came across as an attempt to burnish his resume during the final stages of the interview process.

When the program was formally rolled out Monday in a ceremony at Texas A&M University-Central Texas, it was long on superlatives and short on substance.

Basically, the program will consist of a pair of ribbon decals: One is green, signifying mental health awareness, and the other is multi-colored puzzle pieces, alerting police that the participant is on the autism spectrum.

Police say the decals, when placed on vehicles and residences, will provide officers additional information to help them appropriately respond to a call for service.

Kimble referred to the new decals as a tool for police, but several questions remained — and many were brought up during the news conference: Who would determine who is eligible for a sticker? Would medical professionals be working with the program? What was Texas A&M-CT’s involvement in the program? Would the local NAACP chapter, which was represented Monday, be a partner, and why?

In the end, there seemed to be more questions than answers, and it was apparent that while the program may be beneficial, it is still a work in progress.

Understandably, there was a strong impetus to roll out the program now, since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Killeen Cares fits into that narrative.

However, for a program that Kimble said he had been working on for nine months, the details seemed rather sketchy.

For one, the program’s decals haven’t been printed yet. Secondly, the city hasn’t yet compiled a promised list of mental health providers who will help with the initiative. And several individuals, including a Killeen council member and a Disabled American Veterans representative, said they hadn’t heard anything about the program until a few days before the rollout.

For all its good points — and the program definitely has some — its introduction to the city’s residents seems rushed, and that’s unfortunate.

Several council members asked whether this program should require council approval. The question of privacy laws and HIPAA violations also enters into the debate about publicly identifying individuals with mental health challenges.

So was this a fully thought-out initiative, or was its announcement premature, guided by external factors?

Only Kimble knows the answer to that question.

It’s fair to ask what would have become of the Killeen Cares initiative had Kimble gotten the job in Washington State. Who would have overseen the program’s operation and future development?

And it’s also reasonable to ask whether the chief is fully focused on the challenges facing Killeen or if he still is considering other job opportunities.

Kimble owes it to the council and city manager to have that frank conversation — and have it soon.

No one should expect the chief to ignore a promising job opportunity if one should come along. That would be unfair to expect of someone in any profession. But it would be unfair to the city for a major department head to be in an active job-search mode.

Certainly, Kimble holds one of the most important positions in the city — responsible for the safety and security of Killeen’s 153,000 residents. It’s an obligation he no doubt takes seriously, and has shown as much to this point.

It’s also worth noting that the police department’s $35.5 million budget accounts for more than 33.5% of the city’s general fund expenditures.

As the CEO of this department, Kimble exerts significant influence on the city’s financial decisions.

Given this reality, it must be acknowledged that continuity in leadership can play a major role in city policies and priorities.

Hopefully, Chief Kimble can reestablish a strong bond between his department and the council in the wake of his recent job search.

Killeen faces many significant challenges in the area of public safety, as Kimble and the council are well aware. Their ability to work together will be crucial in addressing these issues at this critical juncture.

It’s in the best interest of Killeen’s law enforcement community, its elected officials and the city’s residents to move forward from here — and do so with a positive outlook.

It’s also important to put an emphasis on open and honest communication.

That’s the best way to mend fences — and build our community in the process.