The E Team

It's obvious that Interim Chief Elsie Cowart is nothing like the former chief, Dennis Hobson. For some reason, Gibson, Crider and Johnson do not want to show up for the special call meetings and for some reason they don't want to hire any additional officers or promote Elsie to the position of Chief of Police. What's the problem? It seems that they were sooooooo concerned about the budget just a few months ago; now, they're not concerned that officers have to work shifts by themselves and their just as unconcerend that there are officers working a lot of overtime just to have a police presence in the City of Lumberton. I know that Elsie is not costing the city any more money; she's probably saving them money. It would be intersting to see the fuel man accounts since Hobson left. Elsie lives farther away that Hobson and I'm willing to bet that she's not racking up frequent fill-up points on the Tahoe like the previous chief. It seems that Gibson, Crider and Johnson has been throwing a political temper tantrum ever since Hobson was terminated. They might could justify missing one special called board meeting, but after the meeting was scheduled for a later time, they still refused to attend the meeting. Johnson may have a built-in excuse because he's responsible for closing the store in Purvis. Crider sort of have a reason for missing because he may be on call, but not to sound crass, his clients aren't going anywhere. I'm sure he can find a way to free up 5 minutes to either approve or deny the agenda items. Now, Gibson has no excuse. He's seen day in and day out riding up and down the streets of Lumberton. Somehow, on the days of the special called meetings he's ghost. If they have a personal problem with the city clerk then they need to address the clerk. If they don't want to promote Elsie, then they need gird up their loins and come to the meeting and either vote for or against her appointment as Chief of Police. Contrary to what was said, I am rooting for Team Elsie. There was a time when I was on the fence about her taking over but the fact that they don't want her makes me want her even more. Go figure. However, when Elsie takes over, she's gonna have to run her department in a way that's comfortable for her. When Hobson took over, he fired anyone he felt was a threat to his position. Now, I don't think Elsie's that vindictive, but there may come a time when she has to either get rid or bring in officers that are more in line with her work ethic. So, if you're not Team Elsie, there might be a chance that you'll find yourself on the bench. Sooner or later, they will have to attend a board meeting. The next regular scheduled board meeting is Tuesday, May 1, 2012. Gibson, Crider and Johnson are always saying they're a stickler for paying the city's bills. Well, this will be the opportunity for the city clerk to work her magic. She should put all the items from the special called meeting on the agenda first and then place the bills at the end of the agenda to ensure they will stay for the entire meeting. Those of you that support Elsie Cowart as the next Chief of Police may want to attend the next board meeting to show your support.