Sept. 26, 2001

By Staff
City needs DuBose in police chief's role
To the Editor:
As an active and concerned citizen in the Meridian community, a former chairman of the Police Advisory Board, a member of the Meridian Curfew Committee, vice chairman of the Civil Service Commission, and president of the Royal Oaks Homeowners Association, I would like to go on public record requesting the appointment of Interim Chief Benny DuBose to the position of Police Chief for the City of Meridian.
I have heard former Mayor Jimmy Kemp say so many times that the "good ole boy" system should be changed. The power is now in the Mayor's hands and the ball is in his court.
A city that has a black population of more than 50 percent should be represented in all areas of leadership, especially decision-making positions. It is past time for a change in attitudes that local people cannot do the job and we have to go outside of the city and state and search all over the nation to get someone that may or may not be the best qualified person for the job.
I have worked and watched Interim Chief DuBose and Sheriff Billy Sollie since 1988 when they became Meridian Public Schools' first D.A.R.E. officers. Sheriff Sollie has moved from DARE to Police Chief and Sheriff. Interim Chief DuBose has moved from DARE to Deputy Chief (name change), assistant chief and now Interim Chief.
He has been loyal to his former supervisors, Chief Tucker, Chief Sollie and Chief Lewis, and to former Mayor Kemp and present Mayor John Robert Smith.
It is only fair that Interim Chief Benny DuBose be given a chance to serve the City of Meridian as Chief of Police and see how loyal the people of Meridian will be to him. The police officers I have spoken with support him and respect his leadership and they seem to think that he has kept the police boat afloat for longer than his interim period.
Robert M. Markham
Meridian
Glenn Miller a real credit to district attorney's office
Dear Editor:
After 14 years, there is about to be a big change in the District Attorney's Office. Melvin Glenn Miller will be retiring on the last day of September. Glenn has served as our investigator since I took office in January 1988.
The hiring of Glenn shortly after I was elected was one of the best decisions that Dan Angero and I have made during our careers as prosecutors. The decision to hire Glenn was really an easy one to make. He had served on the Meridian Police Department Force for over 20 years, and had actually served as the Assistant Chief of Police. He also possessed many of the qualities that we admired based on his service in our country's National Guard.
With Glenn about to leave, Dan and I have done a lot of reflecting about the early years. When we took office it was basically just the three of us, and Dana Smith, who served as our secretary. I was three years out of law school and Dan had been an attorney for two years. The law enforcement experience that Glenn brought to our team was invaluable. Glenn was the type person that Dan and I respected from the first day we were in this office. We both looked up to him for his experience and especially for his integrity.
In the early days Glenn was here with Dan and I until late hours at night. He always gave everything he had to this job and to law enforcement. He never received the praise that the attorneys got after winning a big case, but he was always there in the background as an integral part of our team. Glenn has always been a team member. He was never an employee of the District Attorney's Office. Glenn was our partner.
I don't know how many Lauderdale County residents know that Glenn Miller has been serving as one of their law enforcement officers for over 35 years. Over these years Glenn has done everything he could to make our community a safer place to live and raise our children. I hope everyone will join me in giving Glenn a thank you sometime between now and the end of the month.
Glenn will be missed by so many citizens who have come to count on his service He will be missed by countless law enforcement officers who share our admiration of his years of dedicated service, and he will be missed by all the people who work in our office.
I guess Dan Angero and I will miss Glenn more than any others. We have served as his partners for the last 14 years. His dedicated service to us has been unparalleled and has been a great influence on our careers.
Thank you, Glenn Miller.
Bilbo Mitchell
District Attorney