A longtime Mobile Police Department sergeant has been removed from his post after an internal disciplinary board concluded he violated multiple provisions of the department’s code of conduct.
Sergeant Michael Smith, who most recently served as a supervisor in Precinct 4, was stripped of his position following an administrative hearing held September 4. Smith had served with the Mobile Police Department for more than 15 years before his termination.
According to department officials, the trial board determined that Smith was guilty on multiple counts, including engaging in conduct unbecoming of an officer, misuse of his position, failure to obey a direct order, biased profiling, and general disobedience of orders. The board reached its decision unanimously, concluding that the combination of violations warranted his dismissal from the force.
Neither Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson nor Police Chief James Barber objected to the board’s decision to terminate Smith. In a public statement following the ruling, Barber did not go into detail about the specific circumstances that led to the charges, but he was direct in his assessment of Smith’s conduct, saying the sergeant had violated and tarnished the badge he wore.
Trial boards of this kind are part of the internal disciplinary process used by police departments to review allegations of officer misconduct outside of the criminal court system. A finding against an officer can result in a range of consequences, from suspension to termination, depending on the severity of the violations identified. In Smith’s case, the board’s finding on five separate categories of misconduct, including biased profiling, points to a significant breakdown in adherence to department standards for a supervisor with more than a decade and a half of service.
The case adds to a broader conversation happening in police departments across the country about accountability for supervisory personnel, particularly when allegations involve profiling or misuse of authority. For a department the size of Mobile’s, the removal of a precinct supervisor after this kind of finding represents a visible signal to both officers and the public about how seriously command staff say they treat conduct violations.
Officials have not indicated whether Smith intends to appeal the trial board’s findings through any further internal or civil service process, nor have further details been released regarding the specific incidents that triggered the September hearing. The Mobile Police Department has not announced any additional personnel changes connected to the case.