Brookhaven Police Chief Kenneth Collins is unhappy with recent actions taken by the City Board of Aldermen.

One of those board decisions was the termination of Assistant Chief Clint Earls. Collins said the board “went around an elected chief” to fire Earls and did so even when “they didn’t have any cause.” Earls was temporarily reinstated to the position for a one-month period which had already passed, to be able to resign and to keep his service weapon.

Chief Collins credits Earls with spending many hours of his personal time writing grants that brought thousands of dollars into the department for license plate readers, cameras, and the integrated system for use by law enforcement.

“So now I am announcing Detective Penny Banks as my assistant chief,” Collins said. “She will be the first woman of color in this town’s history to hold that position. Chief [Arlustra] Pap Henderson was the first man of color to be the chief and to hold the assistant chief position — a man who is like a father to me.”

Banks was recommended for the position by Collins in a February board meeting, but no vote was taken on the recommendation due to lack of a second motion.

After naming the officers in positions of leadership at the Police Department, Collins said, “These people are priceless. They keep this city safe each and every day, and when all hell breaks loose, these are the people that I call in.”

The leaders Collins named — briefly explaining their responsibilities and thanking each for his or her service — were Det. Jonathan Hart and Det. Tim Sander, commanders over the Special Response Team, training and investigations; Capt. Tecumseh Warren, over all patrol officers, and School Resource Officer; Lt. Willie Gayten, School Resource Officer; Capt. Michael Harvey, over public service; Capt. Michael Norris, over night patrol; Lt. Kevin Thompson and Cpl. Ashley McDuffee, supervisors over day shifts; Sgt. Lisa Jackson and Sgt. Reggie Cain, supervisors over night shifts; Det. Leslie Falvey; Det. Vincent Fernando, City Court bailiff, security; retired Capt. Roger Wilson, court security; Sgt. Bobby Hawthorn and all the patrol officers; and administrative assistant Shauntinae Smith.

Changes to polices, procedures

The chief also expressed his disagreement with the Board’s decision to implement new policies and procedures for the police department. Collins said in previous board meetings that the new guidelines — written by consultant William Harmening — were tailored to an appointed chief rather than an elected one, and that he would not follow them if the board accepted them.

At the most recent board meeting, aldermen voted 6-1 to implement the new guidelines effective April 1, 2024, with the current policies and procedures expiring at midnight March 31.

“They brought Mr. William Harmening in to write policy to give them authority over the police department,” Collins said. “He’s done his job and they passed these policies and procedures and I wish you could see them. All I can say is ‘Wow.’ The mayor and the board of aldermen are running the police department now. That’s a further disrespect of your right to vote. It’s not about Chief Collins anymore. This is way bigger than me.”

When the board voted in February to move once again to an appointed chief — voting 3-3 with Mayor Joe Cox casting the deciding vote — Collins called it “a slap in the face to all the people who have died for this right [to vote] — all the women who have died, people of color, who took abuse, were lynched for this right; and they took your right during Black History Month. That hurts me more than anything in the world.”

The Daily Leader published an opinion column critiquing the behavior of certain individuals in that meeting. In a public response to the column during the most recent meeting of the Board of Aldermen, Alderman-at-large Don Underwood expressed his irritation with the columnist’s remarks.

Chief Collins warned columnist and reporter Hunter Cloud, “If they haven’t already, some of them will come after you also … you are a journalist. Your job is to tell the truth, and to tell it the way you see it. Whether it is about me or anybody else, you have freedom of speech.”

Collins then stated he would do everything in his power to charge anyone who harassed or mistreated Cloud for his comments, adding he would defend the reporter with his life.

The chief plans to retire at the end of his term, on June 30, 2025. At that point, the newly-elected or reelected board members will appoint a new police chief.

“All I can tell the mayor and Board of Aldermen is be careful what you wish for. God made you the shepherds to protect this flock, and what do y’all do? Y’all know better than what God had chosen,” Collins said. “What you all fail to realize is first of all, I was elected to chief by the grace of God and the will of the voters of this city. I didn’t elect myself. And when God gets finished with y’all, amen. Separation of powers in day-to-day operations.”