Process of choosing Miner police chief gets pushback

MINER, Mo -- There is some pushback among residents after a Miner Board of Aldermen proposal regarding the selection of the city's chief of police.

There was a tie vote at Miner's last aldermen meeting Oct. 18 when Alderman Don Foster proposed a ballot measure that, if passed, would allow city officials to appoint the chief of police instead of leaving it in the hands of the voters.

Mayor Darren Chapman broke the tie, voting in favor of an elected chief of police.

Sharon Smith, a Miner resident, was relieved to see Foster's proposal voted down.

"We do not want the board members appointing our chief," Smith said. "We like our chief. We voted him in twice."

Smith recalled a time when Miner officials put the option on a ballot roughly 40 years ago.

She said they put it on the ballot twice, and both times, "People marched up and down to vote 'no.'"

"I don't want to give up my power for chief of police over to council," added another resident, Cathy Walters. "Most people I talked to wanted to leave it the same."

Foster and Deloris Smith voted in favor of a city-appointed chief.

"I was elected to vote for the people," Smith said. "I was approached by a few people that this is the way we should go."

After the board made the decision, Smith said a couple of people weren't happy about it, and she felt the city was behind compared to other municipalities who have hired positions for their chief of police.

"It can get controversial sometimes," Miner police chief Chris Griggs said, "but it's just the nature of the beast. I retain the utmost respect for the government we currently have no matter what was said, no matter how it looks."

Griggs has been the Miner's police chief since 2010 and has over 20 years of experience in law enforcement. He said he stays up to date on current police training and attends conferences.

Deloris Smith and Foster said they are satisfied with Griggs' performance although Foster said he could pay more "attention to details on administrative deals."

"But I know they do a lot of reports and do the best they can," he added.

Foster said he would like to see the police chief appointed by the city one day, but he has no ill feelings toward Griggs.

"No matter who is on the council, (law enforcement) is a passion for me," Griggs said. "We've worked with other agencies to solve major crimes."

One of the investigations involved a homicide.

"Because we're a smaller department, we have limited resources, and we wanted everybody we can get to investigate to get this tragic event solved," Griggs said.

Griggs said the Miner Police Department partnered with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, the Scott County Sheriff's Department and the SEMO Major Case Squad.

"We were very grateful for the help we've received in that particular case. We were very effective in apprehending the suspect within a few hours of the call," Griggs said.

Sharon Smith and Walters said they intend to vote for Griggs in this upcoming election.

"I have a real passion for what I do. I really enjoy it," Griggs said.

"My goal is to continue with providing the most adequate and professional law enforcement in (the) city of Miner."

Pertinent address:

Miner, Mo.