Eighteenth Century British essayist Samuel Johnson once observed of a friend who was planning to re-marry a few years after his first marriage ended badly, “It is a triumph of hope over experience.”
That assessment comes to mind today after the Columbus City Council, through a substitute motion, voted 3-2 to hire Oscar Lewis III as the city’s police chief.
The move came quickly, and somewhat unexpectedly, after a two-hour interview session with the three finalists, which included Moss Point Chief Arthur McClung and Columbus Interim Police Chief Fred Shelton.
Lewis, who had served in various roles in the CPD for 20 years before moving to Waynesboro to become that city’s police chief two years ago, was the first of the three men to interview for the job before an audience of about 80 people Tuesday.
During that interview, he cited “an excellent spirit” and his “good name” as compelling arguments for why he should become the city’s fourth police chief. In 4½ years.
In a 40-minute interview, Lewis did little to distinguish himself from the other candidates. Generally, his responses appeared less thorough than his competitors for the job.
In fact, when the council completed the interviews and retired to executive session to discuss the subject, it was Shelton whose name was first submitted for the job.
Ward 3 councilman Charlie Box made a motion to hire Shelton and Ward 6 councilman Bill Gavin seconded. Ward 2 councilman Joseph Mickens, whose enthusiasm for Lewis could hardly be contained during Lewis’ interview, made a substitute motion to hire Lewis, which was seconded by Ward 4 councilman Marty Turner. Mickens, Taylor and Ward 1 councilman Gene Taylor voted to hire Lewis with Box and Gavin voting no.
It was a decision that seemed to catch Mayor Robert Smith by surprise on two fronts. First, Smith had expected the council to take some time to consider their choices after the interview and planned to call a special council meeting for today to settle the matter.
He also seemed less than enthusiastic about the council’s choice. His comments were reserved, diplomatic.
If Smith had reservations on how the process worked out, it is understandable.
First, the record will show that the 3,175 registered voters of Ward 5 had no say in this important decision. The Ward 5 seat on the council has been vacant since Kabir Karriem resigned to serve in the Legislature. A special election to fill that position is scheduled for Feb. 16.
It would have been wise for the council to delay its decision on the police chief position until that seat was filled so all citizens had a representative voice in the selection.
In the absence of any compelling reason to move now — and it should be noted that all councilman expressed admiration for the job Shelton has done as interim chief — we do not understand the rush to make this hire.
It is also worth noting that many of moves Lewis said he would make as chief are those Shelton has already implemented — everything from building trust between the police department and the community to strict policies for the use of body cameras. In fact, Shelton has implemented other policies and procedures that have been widely hailed as positive steps, measures neither of the other two candidates seem to have considered.
What Lewis advocated in theory, Shelton has demonstrated in practice – at a time when the city’s police department was in crisis. If his 2½ months as interim chief was an audition for the job, it’s hard to say how exactly Shelton failed to win the confidence of the council.
Curiously, Mickens said one of the main reasons he supported Lewis for the job was because he wanted a chief who wouldn’t “up and run” when things got tough. But isn’t that precisely what we witnessed with Shelton?
When tensions were at their highest in the aftermath of the Ball shooting, it was Shelton who stood tallest, a calming voice in the storm. His willingness to engage the public through meetings in the community, his role in giving citizens a voice through his support of a citizens’ oversight committee and his aggressive use of social media to better inform citizens of police activity have all been positive steps in the long, difficult journey toward rebuilding trust between police and residents.
Time will determine if this was a good decision, but given the unique circumstances our city now faces, Shelton was the logical choice.
It really is triumph of hope over experience.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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