By james art BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Now this Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond has retiredthe public will have to wait and see how long it takes to find a permanent replacement.
If other Alabama cities are any guide, the process of replacing Thurmond could take several months.
“This puts us in a position to define the future of law enforcement in the city of Birmingham,” said Mayor Randall Woodfin.
It took Mobile about five months to find a permanent chief after former chief Paul Prine was placed on administrative leave and later fired after disputes with the mayor and his administration.
William Jackson became the new chief last month after serving as interim chief for five months.
However, sometimes the process takes even longer. Montgomery has not had a permanent police chief for six months.
Police Chief Darryl Albert was placed on administrative leave and later resigned. WBRC’s sister station, WSFA, said the cause is still unclear.
While an temporary superintendent was appointed in June, the capital has yet to fill the position permanently.
In Birmingham, the mayor named Deputy Chief Michael Pickett as interim chief, but he said Thurmond will help with the process.
“Chief Thurmond has assured me, he has assured us, that he will work closely with the department when he leaves,” Woodfin said.
However, the mayor was tight-lipped about the timeline for finding a permanent replacement.
“The men you see surrounded by me, I have complete confidence in them,” Woodfin said. “Their leadership, their ability to lead this department. We are currently focused on the next four weeks in this transition and will continue to consider what we do next.”
Since Chief AC Roper retired six years ago, Birmingham has had four chiefs serve on an interim or permanent basis.
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