Update: Fairhope Police Chief To Retire

Fairhope, Alabama

Update: At the next council meeting, Petties decided not to retire at this time.




 36 YEARS WITH THE CITY

Joe Petties has announced he will be retiring July 1st; a special council meeting has been called for Monday to discus the replacement process.

Petties has been chief since 2013 when he was appointed to replace Bill Press, who had resigned the previous October (Petties had been interim chief).

A Fairhope High School graduate, he began working in the city's Public Works Department and became a police reserve officer in 1986 -- and then a full-time one in 1991.

Petties held ranks of corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain as well during his tenure.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Joe is a good man but the truth is it takes a lot more than a degree from Fairhop High to be a successful police chief these days. Time to move on.
Anonymous said…
thanks chief for a job well done. you will b missed.
Anonymous said…
Always thought Jimmy Davis would make a good chief.
Anonymous said…
Our police department definitely need an upgrade not someone as radical as Bil Press though.
Anonymous said…
no more bill press' please!
Anonymous said…
Press was a straight shooter, by the book, Joe Friday kind of guy. I liked him.
Anonymous said…
Anybody know anything about FBI agent investigators at city hall last week, supposedly?
Anonymous said…
Anyone who supported Bill Press needs to dig a little deeper.As for feds in the building it wouldn't surprise me,but as usual nothing will come of anything.
Anonymous said…
Bill Press? You have got to be kidding. Joe Pettis was a great chief. His only problem was he stood up to and exposed the mayors lies about the computer spy gate. He was added to her list as many other have been forced to leave or lose retirement match.
Anonymous said…
Always someone on here that thinks their smarter than anyone else, you dig deeper
Anonymous said…
Lt. Holinghead would make a great interim chief.
Anonymous said…
we need somebody in there to enforce the traffic laws not just let everbdy do what they want to.
Anonymous said…
Say it ain't so Joe!
Anonymous said…
If he has good sense he will get out of there and not get pulled in to another political tug of war circus between mayor and council ... where everybody loses.
Anonymous said…
So correct.....the Council has made a fool out of him now. That debacle last night appeared to have been cast and performed for the purpose of humiliating the Mayor. It backfired. The Chief came across as as weak and cowardly when he basically said that 'the girl was being mean to him'. He seems like a good guy but this was not a good look for a Police Chief. He will be ridiculed forever for that display......Jack Burrell set him up to try and make Burrell look like a hero. Again, it backfired.
Anonymous said…
Let the man retire in peace people!
Anonymous said…
A sad spectacle. People were playing to the cameras. All the world's a stage they say!
Anonymous said…
Act 3: Monday, June 11 2018 Council meeting, Burrell will read resolution demanding duly elected Mayor resign. All actors who just happened to be on stage during Chief's unscripted, unrehearsed breakdown will be back for encore.
Why Burrell had to emphasize "unrehersed" is as transparent as a clean window. He needs better acting coach..
Anonymous said…
our embarasing govment goes on and on.
Anonymous said…
The mayor and her crew have put on good stage shows to from time to time.
Anonymous said…
Was chief a willing player in set up? And why was all this dirty laundry aired in public with an unscheduled, unrehersed, unexpected mob crowd in attendance, all of whom seemed to be fully aware of personal details? Mayor and council butted heads from day 1...no need to spend $$$ to find out if chief's ultimatum to work directly for council is lawful. What they all need is way past time outs, need woodshed then mediator to realize city more important than egos. City hired mediator for Gentle and Kant who fought like children for sport. Sport now seems like council is Comey/Mueller, and end game is to rid city of Mayor, elected by citizens who must be deplorable if support her. Time to stop this foolishness of boys and a few disgruntled employees (most forever devoted to previous administration) against the girl who, from the set up Monday, was implicated again as a bully and council and mob made chief look weak. He may be good man, and considering all the personal and political pressure, may need to go ahead and retire, have a happy life away from politics, focus on family and be equally as good at something a bit less stressful.
Anonymous said…
Sorry Joe. Polce chiefs work for the mayor, unless we switch to a city manager form of government whch is not a bad aidea.
Anonymous said…
It was embarassing and disgraceful to watch the public whining and flaying that took place in the special council meeting. I do not support the current mayor, but the Police Chief reports to the Mayor, and Fairhope has a grievance procedure when an employee believes they have been treated unfairly or unjustly. It is time for Fairhope to form a City Manager form of government with the mayor being a figure head and all operations of the city reporting to a professional. If Jack Burrell and the council don't like what the mayor is doing they need to either impeach her or determine another way to remove her from office, but listening to a city employee whine about being mistreated was wrong. I will not vote for one member of the current council at the next election or the current mayor--I am just sick of this situation.
Anonymous said…
It looks like the plan is still to replace one mean woman mayor with another one in twoo years
Anonymous said…
I don't know the particulars, but it does seam that Chief Petties is a loyal and well liked police officer and chief. He was sort of given the "bums rush" which was totally inappropriate.
Anonymous said…
The mayor needs her head examined.
Anonymous said…
City Supervisors are not allowed to go to the grievance board.
Anonymous said…

The Pope is the Pope!
The President of the U S A is the President!
The Mayor of Fairhope, Al. IS THE Mayor!
Get it?
Any new deep-pocketed, big mouthed, resident that does not like the Mayor, tough. Go back where you came from and take all your ideas as to how to fix Fairhope, with you!