Scott Reeves became Summit’s new police chief on Tuesday after the town council agreed on a split vote to forego advertising for the position and instead promote from within.
Reeves, who has been with the department for more than 20 years, will replace Alex Miller, who recently became McComb’s assistant police chief. The town council recently voted to name Reeves interim chief upon Miller’s departure.
Councilwoman Pauline Monley made the motion to hire Reeves for the job, which took separate actions by the town council on Tuesday.
First, she made a motion to rescind the board’s Aug. 19 vote to advertise for the job, which passed 3-1, with Councilman Marcus Pittman opposed.
“I wanted to look at seeing if we could advertise for this position,” Pittman said. “Nothing against our interim chief, but just to see what candidates we have out there, to get the citizens involved.”
He said previous vacancies in the chief’s office had been filled after the town advertised for the position and enlisted a committee of police chiefs to recommend a candidate.
“I would just like to go that way again,” Pittman said.
He made a substitute motion to advertise for the position, but that failed 1-3, with Pittman being the only one supporting the move.
Monley then made a motion to appoint Reeves.
“I think Lt. Reeves would do a good job,” she said.
Monley said Reeves had served under four police chiefs and his loyalty to Summit should be rewarded.
“A lot of the citizens have spoken and they said they would like to keep it in house, they would like to see one of our own become police chief,” she said.
The board voted 3-1 with Pittman opposing the appointment and Monley approving along with councilmen Keyon Daniels and DaJuan Hodges.
Reeves said became a police officer after serving in the military and a friend who was an officer in McComb suggested he apply for a job.
“The next thing I knew I was taking a civil service exam,” he said.
Reeves said he worked in other jobs even after becoming a certified law enforcement officer, and former Police Chief Lester Jones encouraged him to apply for a job in Summit.
He briefly left Summit to serve as Liberty’s police chief but returned after finding the commute too long and the pay too low.
With his new position, he’ll make $55,000 a year.
