Time is running short for Prichard to decide what comes next for its police department — and how the city will keep law enforcement on the streets in the meantime. A contract allowing Mobile County Sheriff’s deputies to help patrol Prichard is nearing its deadline, piling even more pressure on city leaders to get a plan in place.
City officials are moving forward, and moving quickly. During Thursday’s council meeting, members approved a contract with POLIHIRE, bringing in outside help as the city works to rebuild its police department. Mayor Carletta Davis said the firm will begin working with the city within the next week, but the search for new leadership may already be underway.
“So what the contract is for is specifically to help to formulate the standard for hiring, and then also for the chief to help to find the chief of police,” Davis said.
A statewide search for leadership
Davis said she is already fielding calls from people interested in becoming Prichard’s next police chief, and that the search will reach well beyond the city for someone with the experience to take on the job.
“I really would like for someone to come into Prichard that has a lot of experience with and insight into how to rebuild a department. That’s going to take a special person, and so I don’t think that it would be someone that maybe would be local,” Davis said.
The consulting contract comes as the city continues working through what to do with the officers who remain on Prichard’s police force. Those officers will remain on paid administrative leave for 30 days, and Davis said that time will be used to take a closer look at exactly who is on the force and determine who could have a role moving forward.
“Given all that we’ve gone through with the police force, I think at this point, this administration needs to get a handle on who is actually on the force,” Davis said. “And we’re going to do that with the help of the consultant.”
While the city works to rebuild, Davis said the past will not be ignored.
“We had some bad actors on our force, but we also had some very dedicated people to the force and to this city,” Davis said. “And so we are going to honor that and take that in consideration as we go forward.”
A tight budget deadline adds pressure
That could mean some of the department’s remaining officers get a seat at the table as the city decides what the future of policing in Prichard looks like, but there isn’t much time. Prichard must have its new budget approved by October 1, which leaves just weeks to work through the police department, staffing, finances and the rest of the city’s priorities.
Davis said the deadline is tight, but she is confident the city can handle it.
“There is a tight deadline, and we are laser focused. I don’t want the citizens to feel like we can’t chew gum and walk at the same time because we certainly can,” Davis said.
Residents will get a chance to weigh in before the budget is finalized. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, September 10 at 4 p.m., giving taxpayers a direct voice in how the city balances public safety with its other obligations before the fiscal year begins.