Greg Shapiro, police chief for White Hall since April 2019, has turned in his resignation.
White Hall Mayor Noel Foster said Shapiro gave his notice, effective immediately, on Wednesday about noon, adding that the parting was amicable.
“He’s a good man,” Foster said Thursday. “I wish him the best. His background is in academics, and he’s a very intelligent man. His integrity is beyond reproach. It was certainly his decision. I like him.”
Foster said the two men had not discussed Shapiro’s decision to resign beforehand.
“I did not ask for his resignation,” the mayor said. “I asked him to reconsider. He brought a certain skill set with him that we needed at the time.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Shapiro was a captain in the Pine Bluff Police Department and then worked as an instructor at Southeast Arkansas College before joining the White Hall police force.
Reached Thursday, Shapiro, 54, gave no pressing reason for his departure, other than to say he was ready to move on.
“It’s a career change,” he said. “I’ll be looking for another job. I’ll be looking for whatever good opportunity life presents me. There was no pressure on me. Everything was fine as far as I know.”
Foster said he had named Maj. Mickey Buffkin as the interim chief and that he was in no hurry to conduct a search or to fill the chief’s position.
“There’s a good team of police officers down there,” Foster said. “I’m confident they will serve the people of this community well. I count on my whole team. I care about the people I work with and they care about me. Running a city can be stressful for all involved. I’m fortunate to have a good team of department heads.”