Senatobia is a safe town and Tate County is also known as a community where law enforcement is always alert, ready to respond and will write anyone a ticket or arrest them if the situation deems it necessary.
The people in this community feel safe for that reason. They want law and order.
They want their children to be safe from drug dealers. They want their wives and daughters safe in parking lots and on any street in this town. They don’t want people stealing, driving drunk and breaking the law. They certainly don’t want police turning a blind eye, or worse, playing favorites with who is arrested and charged with a crime.
Civil society demands law and order to function properly.
That is why your Tate Record looks at a recent move by Senatobia’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen with questions and concerns.
The decision to remove Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler came as a surprise to many including our Mayor and at least two other aldermen.
Surprises are not good business. No banker, industrialist, business – large or small – likes surprises. Each of those sectors will tell you surprises require them to deviate from the plan, time has to be spent figuring out how they are going to adjust and resources redirected, meaning they can be expensive.
And until that new direction and the new focus of revenue and resources is known, the rank and file – think employees, the public and police officers – wonder what direction this will go.
The motion to remove Chief Chandler was discussed in Executive Session, where the public was excluded from listening to the reasons for that decision, only then was that surprise handed to our police department and community.
What were the reasons for the decision of the Senatobia Three?
The decision to remove Chandler was not made public in the campaign of any of your aldermen prior to the City Election June 3.
Apparently it was made quickly since no new police chief or interim was named to fill this critical post.
Was there a personal reason for this move? Was this an opportunity for three aldermen to form a coalition and are more changes in the future for Senatobia? Was this simply aldermen who want our police to understand they need to do personal favors when they call?
The Tate Record will be the first to say Mississippi is a right-to-work state and our police chief and all department heads serve at the will and pleasure of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. What was done was not illegal, only a surprise to this community and the direction of Senatobia.
The truth will be seen and this community will decide if this move makes Senatobia better or worse.
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