Jason Plunkett
Courtesy of Tracy Kennick
The Beaumont
branch of the NAACP is making public their plan to publicly oppose the potential hiring of Beaumont Police Chief candidate Jason Plunkett due to his alleged history of racial discrimination.
Plunkett, who serves as assistant police chief for the Beaumont Police Department, is one of four finalists under consideration to become Beaumont’s next chief. He and the other finalists — Britta Steinbrenner, Kyra Joy Hope and Troy Price participated in a Q&A with the Police Chief Selection Committee and a community meet-and-greet on Wednesday.
Shedrick Evans, president
of the Beaumont NAACP, said he’s been aware of Plunkett for “some time.”
The Enterprise made multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact City Manager Kenneth Williams on Thursday.
After the Q&A Wednesday and an NAACP meeting Thursday evening, Evans said the local NAACP disagrees with Plunkett’s potential hiring.
“If the City Manager, along with the council, agrees to hire Plunkett, we’re going back to Selma, Alabama, 1965,” Evans said.
The council currently is set to vote on the potential candidate during a special meeting at 3 p.m Friday.
If Plunkett is
appointed, Evans said the local NAACP plans to petition for a recall vote on every council member who supports him. They have also contacted the state branch of the NAACP for help if Plunkett is selected.
“It’s still an uneven playing field,” Evans said. “For the former Chief of Police, Singletary, to allow this type of behavior to go on for over 33 years that this guy has been employed by the BPD … We are very displeased and have very little faith in the decision-making process.”
Plunkett declined a request for comment on Thursday.
This report will be updated.
