Shawn Davis emerged as the successful hire from a list of 22 applicants the city of Pine Bluff deemed “qualified” for the permanent role of police chief, according to an official list provided by the city.
The list of applicants for both the police and fire chief positions were made available via an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request. Davis, who officially begins his new duties Thursday and will formally be sworn in Friday at the Prince Hall Grand Lodge (2906 E. Harding Ave.), was announced as the appointee Dec. 24.
Mayor Vivian Flowers vowed at the time to name a new fire chief before New Year’s Day. Randy Compton, who has applied for the permanent job, has been the interim fire chief since April, following the retirement of Shauwn Howell.
Among the applicants for police chief, 21 were listed in the first category, each pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher and at least 10 years of experience, but their current positions were not listed. Those candidates were listed in order of years of experience, but it was not clear whether those years were limited to leadership roles.
Davis, for example, is listed as having 10 years’ experience, but a recently released biography from the city details that he has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience. Davis began his career in patrol in 2002 and has risen through the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant and captain. Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture economics.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The first-category applicants include:
Thomas Glover Sr. of Grand Prairie, Texas (33 years); Nathaniel Clark of Redford, Mich. (30); Donald Pezzuto of New Lenox, Ill. (27); Theodore Haase of North Little Rock (24); Interim Police Chief Shirley Warrior of Pine Bluff (24); Clyburn Halley of Marietta, Ga. (24); Scott Heagney of Rockwall, Texas (22); Jay Murphy, hometown not listed (22); Richard Bell of Anniston, Ala. (22); Darren Falslev of Mendon, Utah (20);
Dr. Robert Jackson of Redwood, Miss. (17); Tony Jordan of North Little Rock (17); Trinity Graves of Slidell, La. (15); Celvin Walwyn of Beeville, Texas (14); Larry Houck of Fort Leavenworth, Kan. (13); Martin Brown Sr. of Cherry Hill, N.J. (13); Derrick Jordan of Clinton, Miss. (11); Tracey Roles of Ada, Okla. (11); Edward Fingers Jr. of Dardenne Prairie, Mo. (11); Cedric D. Brown of Canton, Miss. (10) and Davis.
Only one applicant, Kenneth Scott Sr. of Mandeville, La. (33), was listed in the second category, as he was listed as having “some college” experience.
“Additional information” was needed for four other listed applicants with regard to supervisory experience or progressive responsibility, according to the list: Kenneth King of Choctaw, Okla. (20); Larry Hill of Norman, Okla. (34); Marlon E. Davis of Milwaukee (30); and Stephen Bonds of Hampton Cove, Ala. (years not listed). No disqualified applicants were listed.
Sixteen candidates for fire chief were listed in the first category. They include, in order of years of supervisory experience:
Steven Clark of Arlington, Tenn. (29 years); James Piper of St. Clair Shores, Mich. (21); Ian Durham of Gallatin, Tenn. (20); Atif Hameed of Pakistan (18); Robert Seccuro of Cocoa, Fla. (17); Richard Walters Jr. (17); Ernest Jones of Pine Bluff (15); Compton (14); Brian Gilbert of Jacksonville, Ala. (14); James Wall of Texarkana, Ark. (13);
Harold Clark of Little Rock (12); Eugene Zahara of Barr Nunn, Wyo. (12); Billy Cockman, no hometown listed (12); Mark Sicuso of Norwich, Conn. (10); and John Hoggard of Thaxton, Miss. (10).
Three candidates were listed under the second category, each with a high school diploma: Vincent Richardson of Jonesboro (27); James P. Peltier of Dalton, Md. (24); and Christopher Gale of Orlando, Fla. (23).
Additional information was needed for an additional candidate, Lionel Newby of Las Vegas. It was specified the number of years Newby was captain could not be determined.
Fifteen other applicants were listed as disqualified.