Second Time In Six Months Kinsey Without A Full Time Regular Police Chief

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 7350

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Aug 02 2012 10:49 PM

KINSEY:    It was less that 6 months ago members of the Kinsey Town Council began the process of taking applications for the Police Chief position for Kinsey.

The meeting time came and they only had three applications. Unhappy with that the Town Council decided to seek more applicants.

This decision caused some unhappiness. One of the three applicants was that of Quinton Vann. A Officer with Kinsey for the past 7 plus years.

The Town Council did not hire and advertised paying the outrageous rates of advertising in the Dothan Eagle. RSN gave them the advertisement for free. They received some more applications.

In the end, with the Mayor Jason Reneau being absent, the Town Council did hire Quinton Vann as Police Chief for Kinsey. They placed Vann on probation for a period of time.

Usually RSN gets the complaints on officers. Not one time have we ever received a complaint on Vann in his 7 years of employment with Kinsey. However, since he has been Chief Vann and members of the Town Council have not been happy with his employment.

The town hired an Assistant Police Chief. The Assistant was better than Quinton in playing the political game of a small town. He made the happier and stroked the ego of the Mayor and Town Council. Knowing the Mayor and Council were not happy in their selecting Vann, tonight, after 7 years with Kinsey, Vann quietly bowed out and resigned as Police Chief of Kinsey. He has taken a job as police officer in Webb.

Another good quality of Quinton Vann. He could have remained with Kinsey and toughed it out. However, he realized that no matter what he did, the majority of the town council would never be happy with him. So rather than it be a process of unhappiness, always looking over your shoulder, Vann quietly eased out of the picture and allowed Kinsey leadership to pursue as they desired.

Vann has had no comment. A little disappointed because in his 7 years he had served well with very little complaints if any, he left Kinsey very quiet.

The town council voted to make the Assistant Chief, Tim Hurd, as Acting Chief. Hurd came to Kinsey from Florida. Everytime I asked him where he came from, it was always Florida. Tonight I learned that he came from Port Saint Lucie Florida. Mayor Reneau has promised me a resume of Hurd.

Hurd has not been certified as a law enforcement in the State of Alabama. Tonight members of the Kinsey Town Council said he did not have to be certified in Alabama as a law enforcement officer to be acting Chief. The council, with the exception of Councilman Charles Douglass, voted in favor of Hurd.  Douglass voted in opposition of the appointment.

Councilman Joe Watson voted to advertise in the Dothan Eagle. I told the council I would run the Chief of Police position on RSN for free to attempt to get them some good candidates.  They will get the advertisements out by Monday and the deadline will be August 16 by 5 PM.

In the meantime Tim Hurd, uncertified in Alabama, will be the Acting Police Chief in Kinsey Alabama with a salary increase of $ 40 per week.

Following the decision, the council took questions from the public. It was questioned about the Town Of Kinsey needing a $ 20,000.00 K-9 dog. The Mayor said that still depended on several factors, to include District Attorney Doug Valeska coming through on the $ 10,000.00 promise of money to help fund the dog.

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