Hartford, Ala. – The city of Hartford’s search for a new full-time police chief has hit a temporary roadblock after the city council postponed the scheduled vote on the hire during their Tuesday night meeting.
Mayor Wendell Nolan and the city council decided to delay the vote after learning that the leading candidate for the position does not meet the state’s requirement of being a certified police officer. While the mayor declined to publicly release the candidate’s name, he confirmed to WDHN that the individual is currently a law enforcement officer in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Despite the setback, the council has scheduled a new vote for March 3. Before the new chief can officially take office, the candidate will need to complete a state training course to obtain the necessary certification.
“We want to bring him in as soon as possible to become familiar with the town and its staff,” said Mayor Nolan. “We’re hopeful that, once trained, he will be in a position to help bring stability to the department, including the hiring of new officers.”
The council’s decision follows an extensive search process, during which five candidates were interviewed for the position. The position of full-time police chief has been vacant since former Chief Pete Markow resigned following a public disagreement with a Hartford councilwoman in October.
In the meantime, the department has been operating under the leadership of Interim Chief Brent Parrish, who took over following Markow’s departure. Parrish, however, has indicated that his tenure in the role may be short-lived. Once a new chief is appointed, he plans to return to his original officer position.
Since stepping in as interim chief, Parrish has faced significant challenges, particularly in the recruitment and retention of officers. He pointed to a lack of funding as a major factor hindering efforts to fill vacancies within the department.
“We’ve had a difficult time keeping and hiring new officers since Chief Markow’s resignation,” Parrish said. “Money is the key factor in all of this.”
With the town of Hartford working to stabilize its police force, all eyes will be on the upcoming March 3 vote, as the community waits to see who will take the helm of its police department moving forward.
