City of Newbern Still Without a Police Chief After a Year
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NEWBERN, Tenn- Some Newbern residents said they’re frustrated after going without a police chief for more than a year. “I think it leaves some uncertainty in the community,” Tyler Boswell, a resident said. At a Tuesday night board meeting, the Mayor, Olen Parker, addressed residents about why the process is taking so long. City officials are in an apparent deadlock and can’t agree on a candidate. “They have people who have worked there for years who probably deserve to be promoted,” Boswell said. “But they’re looking at outside people.” According to some residents, hiring a police chief from within the department makes sense. In August, Newbern’s current interim police chief, Jimmy Richards, applied for the position, but was denied by the board. Despite the long disagreement, some residents said the city isn’t suffering. “It doesn’t bother me,” Lonnie Watson, a resident said. “It looks like everything is pretty straight and everyone is safe.” City officials said they have not seen an increase in crime since last March and residents are not going without police protection. Mayor Parker said they still hope to find their next police chief sooner than later.
