Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley is a finalist for the Chief of Police position in Beaumont, Texas, according to an official City of Beaumont press release from June 28.

“After receiving over 50 applications for the position of Beaumont Police Chief, the top 5 applicants have been selected,” says the release. “Next, a committee of community leaders will have a Q&A session with the candidates. The public will also get the chance to talk with the five remaining candidates during a meet and greet reception on July 10 from 6-8 pm. The candidates will then conduct in-person interviews on July 11, with the City Manager, two Assistant City Managers, and the City Attorney.”

As part of his application, Hadley submitted a biography page including his reasons for wanting the job.

“The Police Chief position in Beaumont is an attractive opportunity in that Texas is very supportive of Law Enforcement, the City of Beaumont is under stable leadership with a vision for the future, and the agency has had excellent leadership. Beaumont is also a coastal/port city in which I am thoroughly familiar and comfortable in serving. I will be starting my 17th year as a Chief of Police and see myself working another 10 years plus as I enjoy what I do. With that said, Beaumont would provide me an opportunity to continue to serve in my chosen profession, extend my experience to the agency and city leadership, and be part of a team that makes the city as safe and prosperous as possible.”
Hired in 2017 as the Chatham County Chief, Hadley’s emergence as a candidate for the job in Texas comes after a WJCL report from June 28 which said that Hadley had not been overseeing the police department since last fall. The reporting revealed Assistant Chief Julia V. Tolbert had been leading since Hadley’s assignment to oversee the county’s fire department implementation. Chatham County’s fire program began officially on July 1.

When asked for comment, Hadley provided Connect Savannah with the following statement on Tuesday.

“Serving as the Chatham County Police Department Chief is one of the highlights of my career, and I am very proud of our department and the work we do every day. On Friday, I was named as a finalist in the Police Chief search for the Beaumont, Texas Police Department. In the interest of transparency, I have informed members of the Chatham County Police Department and Chatham County leadership of my selection as a finalist.”

“It is rewarding to be named as a finalist, and I will continue the interview process in July. I will make any future career decisions after much thought and will take many factors into account. In the meantime, I am committed to serving the people of Chatham County as I have proudly done every day for the last six years.”

This article appears in Connect Savannah I June 2024.