City Council disagrees on chief candidates

The city of Beaumont could have a new police chief by the end of the month.

City Manager Kenneth Williams put out a news release Monday evening with the new timeline after the City Council rejected his choice for the job at a special meeting late Friday.

“We are dedicated to identifying a highly qualified individual who will lead our police department with integrity, professionalism, and a deep commitment to public safety,” Williams said in the release.

He recommended Troy Price, a candidate from Vancouver, Washington, on Friday. The council voted 4-3 to reject that choice.

Williams now is talking with the Council and gathering information to put together a process to make a new appointment by the end of the month.

"Mr. Williams’ plan is to release his proposition before the end of the week after careful analysis of the situation, which the City of Beaumont has not experienced in recent memory," the release said. "The City Council and the City Manager ask for patience by the community as we work through this vital decision that shapes the future of policing in Beaumont."

At the meeting, many residents expressed concerns about the only remaining local candidate, Beaumont Police Department Assistant Chief Jason Plunkett. However others urged the council to appoint the only local candidate, because he's familiar with the people and the city.

The Enterprise rounded up the council member's comments given before the vote to give a better idea of what each member may be looking for in a future candidate:

Mayor Roy West said he valued loyal service.

“The way our system is set up, the council is a part of the process. I was present at the interviews, and I was able to hear all the questions that the committee came up with, and I believe all of them were good candidates. But to me, having someone that has served within a department for 33 years is important -- somebody with disaster experience, which was asked about by the committee, that was one of the questions they chose, I think is important. I know that this is divisive in the community and that we have challenges here in this community. I expect us to continue to address them, and I expect us to solve them. This is what we've been put here to do.”

At-large Council member Randy Feldschau said his constituents encouraged him to promote from within the police department.

“As a council member, I've heard from citizens from across Beaumont, male, female, black, white, brown, and the overwhelming response I got was to promote from within. I know this is a very consequential vote I will cast today. I understand how it impacts the future of our city. I need to let the citizens know that I represent what I heard now. I need to support Beaumont PD and our 32 years of service and give hope to the officers of future advancement that if you work hard, you serve faithfully, if you're loyal to our city, then that city will recognize that, and I need to follow my own personal assessment of candidates and their qualifications.”

At-large Council member A.J. Turner talked about the need for change within the city.

“In order to grow a population, specifically with the median age being 33, you have to have a safe community, and it's going to be extremely important that we work together to do so. I haven't had some of the best experiences working with everybody to get there in reducing the crime, specifically dealing with the nightlife topic, but I hope whatever direction we go in, we can get to a solution. We've been talking about it for too long, and our crime rate isn't changing. Everybody in the community needs to feel safe.”

“I have nothing against the local candidate, but I do feel we truly need to look at alternative options to reduce the current conditions that we are in as a city. Every time we meet with industry and big investors, the first thing they say is, 'I don't know if I want to invest my money into the city of Beaumont because our crime rate is too high.' Will a police chief do it all by himself? Absolutely not. It's going to take everybody in the community working together in a real conscious effort to get where we need to be.”

Ward I Council Member Taylor Neild said a new police chief would not significantly impact the crime rate.

“I'm the one that made the comment upstairs that I don't think a police chief is going to greatly impact our crime rate in Beaumont, Texas. There's nobody in this room that denies we have a crime problem in Beaumont, but it’s not the Beaumont Police Department’s fault.”

Ward II Council Member Mike Getz noted that his constituents also asked him to support the candidate who could be promoted from within.

“Like Council member Feldschau, I have had an overwhelming number of my constituents asking me to support our Police Officers Association’s endorsement of Assistant Chief Plunkett and promote from within. I have asked the city authority if Assistant Chief Plunkett has any disciplinary issues that are all in his record. (He said) no. I’m really, really dismayed by the smear tactics that have cropped up over the last two weeks to try to assassinate the character of Assistant Chief Plunkett. It’s totally, totally not true.”

Ward III Council Member Audwin Samuel said safety in Beaumont depends on a resident's zip code, and it's time for a change.

“It's a shame that how you feel about your city and how safe it is depends on where you live in the city. As I said upstairs, I have no problem with Assistant Chief Plunkett, but we have to do something to change. We have to see police officers in all parts of our city interacting with the citizens. It's not just to respond to crime, but patrol. You look for other ways to make things better in our city. Part of our job is to move our city forward, unify our city, and make it a place where we would want our mothers, our fathers and our children to feel safe living.”

Ward IV Council Member Chris Durio said his constituents also want to see change.

“Beaumont is the most dangerous city in Texas. My constituents say it's time for change. Mr. Williams presented us with an outstanding candidate, the most qualified candidate out of everybody on the list. The only thing that (Plunkett) had was that he was local. Well, we got to change what's going on in Beaumont. Some of my cohorts up here say, Well, you know, can the police chief help prevent crime? Well, I say that's part of his job. It's part of his job to come up with ways to help to help lower the crime rate. I'm doing what I was elected to do. My folks trust me to make the best decision for them. I don't like having the moniker of being the most dangerous city in Texas, and I do feel the police chief can change that. We have a golden opportunity to make a change. That's my opinion.”