The City of Senatobia has begun searching for its next police chief.
Aldermen agreed by a 4-0 vote at a special called meeting Wednesday, Aug. 13, to advertise the position and permanently fill the vacant spot after Richard Chandler was not reappointed by city leaders July 1.
Alderman Allen “Vashon” Tanksley was absent from the special meeting.
Blake Warren, who was promoted from deputy chief to interim chief in mid-July, told the Tate Record he fully intends to apply for Senatobia’s top police spot.
Warren, 43, was named Assistant Chief in February 2024 and served in the Special Investigtions Unit prior to that as a Sergeant. He was also the department’s K-9 officer.
Mayor Greg Graves recommended putting together a committee of five members to screen and select the best candidates for the position. The top applicants will be interviewed by the Board of Aldermen before a new chief is selected.
The committee, which Mayor Graves called “diverse with a great interest in who the next chief will be”, is made up of Graves, Tate County Sheriff Luke Shepherd, Alderman at-large Demetrius Garrett, city Director of Operations Stephen Hodges and Municipal Court Clerk Tameka Herron.
Hodges said part of the screening process will include asking each individual candidate the same 10 questions and the panel will have ideal answers previously approved by the Board of Aldermen.
A point system will then be used to grade responses from one to 10, with 10 being the highest, to determine the top candidates for police chief. Qualifications for the position will align with what is listed in the standard operating procedure manual currently used by Senatobia Police Department, according to Hodges.
The Senatobia Police Department has a $3 million budget and has a force of 30 officers.
Newly elected Senatobia aldermen voted 3-2 to not reappoint former Police Chief Richard Chandler at their first board meeting July 1 after being sworn in.
In other police news, the Board of Aldermen agreed to accept resignations from Lieutenant Jonathan Trentham and Dispatch Supervisor Kristin Brooks effective Aug. 15 and promote Officer William Dickson to lieutenant with a pay increase.
