UPDATED @ 1:19 PM 9:12 PM Dothan Police Patrol Units Get A Facelift

Rickey Lynn Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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Date: May 19 2024 9:11 PM

DOTHAN:    This evening while at the reported structure fire on Prevatt Road I noticed Dothan Police Chief Will Benny has "snuck" a change in. Chief Benny was very quiet about it.

The Dothan Police Patrol cruisers remain the same black and white design. But the writing on the patrol vehicles now read - www.rickeystokesnews.com.    JUST KIDDING !!!!

JUST KIDDING ... 

No the word POLICE once covered just the front doors of the Ford Explorer's. Now POLICE covers both the front and rear doors on the side of the patrol vehicles. The City of Dothan logo once on the left side of Dothan Police has been replaced with a badge on the right side of wording.  And the word "Dothan" size has been increased and much bolder.

Not sure when the change was made but I just noticed it tonight. The patrol Explorer was parked in the yard of the residence and could only see from a distance. Do not know if anymore changes made. The car numbers appear much bolder then in the past.

When Kater Williams became Dothan Police Chief the patrol vehicles were painted blue and white. When Harold Locke took over the reigns of Dothan Police Chief on the retirement of Kater Williams the patrol colors remained the same.

When John White became Dothan Police Chief following the death of Harold Locke the cars were changed to white with black lettering.

When John Powell became Dothan Police Chief following the retirement of John White, Powell changed the colors to black and white. Powell also changed the officer's radio call numbers.

When John Powell left after 5 years, Dothan Police Chief Greg Benton left the car colors the same as Powell. But there were bigger issues because the 5 years under John Powell, who was described as City Manager Mike West most important hire, almost destroyed the entire Dothan Police Department. Chief Benton changed the officers radio call numbers back the way they were before John Powell's reign of terror on the department.

For it to be Dothan City Manager Mike West most important hire, he sure screwed that hire up!!!

After five years as Dothan Police Chief Greg Benton retired. Benton now serves as Police Chief in Wetumpka.

When Steve Parrish became Dothan Police Chief on Greg Benton's retirement, like Benton there was so much rebuilding the Dothan Police Department from the 5 years of John Powell and Mike West destruction of the department. Chief Parrish left the cars the same.

When Will Benny took over the reigns as Dothan Police Chief from Steve Parrish after he retired, his first order of business was to get the pay up where someone wanted to be a Dothan Police Officer. And Chief Benny has beefed up the Dothan Police Department staff level to almost where it needs to be. Chief Benny has also worked to improve the equipment within the department. And he made some design improvements on the Patrol Explorers.

Former Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper did a great job in all departments in the city. But Mr. Cowper listened to Dothan Police Chief Will Benny and Dothan Fire Chief Larry Williams and if justified, helped sell the Dothan Commissioners into funding for what is needed to manage emergency services for the citizens and guest of Dothan. ( SEE UPDATE )

And then the FAB FOUR- D1 Dorsey, D2 Kirkland, D4 Ferguson and D5 Pierce rammed the knife through the heart of Dothan getting along when they did not renew Kevin Cowper's contract.

You know, Mike West flubbed the hiring of Dothan Police Chief when he hired John Powell. And Mike West flubbed the IT ( Information Technology Department ) hire when he hired Jack Mason. And the Fab 4 hung that around Kevin Cowper.

Chief Benny, the Police Patrol vehicles look good.

UPDATED @ 1:19 PM   

I must apologize to D4 John Ferguson and D5 Gantt Pierce. These two along with the entire Dothan Commission were supportive and the driving force that brought the pay for Dothan Police to a position they could attract police officers. The driving force in the raises was not City Manager Kevin Cowper. He did support police and fire, but it was Commissioners Ferguson and Pierce that helped drive the competitive raises through.

I will never hesitate to correct if I get something wrong. I do like the four who voted against Kevin Cowper. But I disagree with the decision because the first time in a long time it seemed there was more unity overall in the City of Dothan. Something I have not seen in a long time.

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