EDITORIAL: Beaumont son should be top pick for police chief

Wednesday, July 10, the citizen committee appointed by the city manager met to interview the now-four finalists still in contention for the position of the city’s Chief of Police. 

The first to be interviewed, and who is rumored to be the favorite of City Manager Kenneth Williams, was Kyra Joy Hope, of Detroit. After an hour-plus, direct answers to questions as to how she would manage the Beaumont Police Department were shy, to say the least, of anything in-depth. Hope kept a consistent array of fallback answers to pointed inquiries, stating that “Meeting with the people, giving the people served a seat at the table,” and showing love to all was where she would start – and maybe end, since there was nothing to follow the kumbaya. 

However, Hope was confident in her lack of performance making a huge impact. When asked how long it would take to turn the tides on the crime rate in Beaumont, she exclaimed “Just 30 days!” Addressing a curious committee overwhelmingly looking in disbelief as to Hope’s overambitious timeline of culling crime in the city, she elaborated that, after an assignment to a precinct in Detroit comprised of an untrusting community, she was able to get 600 people together to have a “conversation” and fixed the problem within 30 days. 

Hope kept up hope that she could perform the same feat in Beaumont, but admitted that “I don’t know what your violent crime is here,” when asked how she would address the city’s violent offenders. 

If Hope, somehow through incoherent babble, convinced anyone she should be police chief of anywhere – much less Beaumont – it would have to be for reasons other than her research skills or basic intellect. How could you possibly apply for this job and go through the hiring process without even checking what the violent crime rate is? Of course, the bigger and most important question is, will our city manager recommend her, and our elected council approve her? 

That, I suspect, will be known possibly before many even get a chance to read this editorial. 

Next up, veteran Assistant Police Chief Jason Plunkett was a clear power-hitter when it came time to answer pointed questions from the committee. It’s no wonder that Plunkett is the police officer association’s selection. 

Troy Price, from Vancouver, Washington, has spent over 30 years with that department. Price spoke very well and gave a lot of good answers, yet he told the committee in his summarization that Beaumont is a great place and the only place he wants to be. He lost credibility with that last statement, since we know he applied for his own home department in Vancouver for chief of police but was not selected on his home turf. Additionally, Price applied for and made the final list for chief of police in Chattanooga, Tennessee; he was not selected, and probably not because he said that he would rather work in Beaumont, Texas. 

Last, but not least, was Britta Steinbrenner – a 30-plusyear Los Angeles County Sheriff deputy who, after a failed attempt in elected politics, had a short career with Pepperdine University in Malibu. Reports during her tenure showcase her lack of administrative experi- ence and certainly her potential for lawsuits when, as reported by the Pepperdine student newspaper in January 2024, “During Steinbrenner’s term, DPS sent out an ‘error message’ to the Pepperdine community in August, claiming there was an active shooter on Pepperdine’s Calabasas campus. The message was not true, according to previous … reporting. DPS also mistakenly sent out an email to the Pepperdine community in December, revealing a student’s personal information.” 

Steinbrenner stated in her interview with the Beaumont committee that she left Pepperdine due to a transition to private security and a medical issue she was having. 

There is one right choice for Beaumont Police Chief and that is our own Assistant Chief Jason Plunkett. 

Let’s give him the chance to make the changes he expressed he would make with someone we know and has committed his entire career right here in Beaumont.