New Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen said he will not change assistant police chiefs.
Capt. Joe Johnson will remain in the No. 2 position.
“I am going to take what I have in place right now and work with it,” McQueen said.
Johnson has served as assistant police chief since 1997; he also has stepped in as interim chief twice before.
Monday night, when the Columbus City Council named McQueen police chief, Johnson pledged his full support to McQueen.
“He is qualified. He has worked in all facets of the Columbus Police Department and all divisions except narcotics,” Johnson said of McQueen. “And he is qualified to be the chief.”
“I think the council made an excellent choice, a choice that this city and police department can be proud of,” he said Tuesday.
During the search process, Dispatch Publisher Birney Imes reported to the City Council that City Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong said the chosen police chief should hire his own assistant police chief. Imes and Armstrong served on a 21-person committee that advised the council during the search.
Armstrong’s suggestion was reported to the council when the five finalists were made public.
But even if McQueen wanted to make a change, Johnson’s position is somewhat protected.
City policy will not allow the city of Columbus to consider a new assistant police chief without a due-process hearing, giving Johnson the option to contest any proposed replacement, City Attorney Jeff Turnage said.
“He has, for lack of a better word, a property right in his position,” Turnage said. “It can’t be taken without a notice and a hearing. … There has to be good grounds for a reduction of someone’s position.”
The council previously passed an amendment to civil-service regulations that would allow the department to have two assistant chiefs.
“It wouldn’t be a demotion of Joe Johnson; it would be like having co-assistant chiefs,” Turnage said, noting the Civil Service Commission still must approve the amendments. “And we don’t know what they will do.”
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