Natchez aldermen confirm Green as city’s first female police chief

NATCHEZ, Miss. – City aldermen made Cal Green the permanent police chief Tuesday after appointing her two months ago to serve on an interim basis. Mayor Dan Gibson formally swore Green in as Natchez’ first female top cop.

While some aldermen have expressed concerns that the search for a new police chief was too limited, the board voted 5-1 to appoint Green, a 26-year veteran of the Natchez Police Department and Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

Only current NPD officers were eligible to apply for the top job, but none did, Gibson said, as he and the aldermen had already indicated it was Green’s to keep.

Green in December replaced Joseph Daughtry, who resigned to take over the Columbus Police Department.

The mayor has previously had to break 3-3 ties in the process leading up to Green’s final appointment to be NPD chief. Three aldermen had sought more candidates, consideration and time.

Tuesday’s 5-1 vote to keep Green as chief had former dissenters Dan Dillard and Felicia Irving joining fellow aldermen Valencia Hall, Sarah Carter Smith and Ben Davis, who have previously backed Green’s appointment along with the mayor.

Billie Joe Frazier was the lone alderman Tuesday voting against Green. The retired Natchez police officer has indicated he favors someone else for the job. He protested the process used to appoint Green that he alleged was unfairly tilted in her favor.

Frazier also declined to join the mayor and his five board colleagues to stand by Green and the mayor as she took her oath and posed for photos.

Green first joined the Natchez Police Department in 1997, later moved over to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and returned to the NPD in 2021 as a commander.

Among the challenges facing Green is the recruitment and retention of more police officers for the short-staffed NPD.

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The board approved the purchase of new stages for the Natchez Convention Center, the first of various improvements being made to the 21-year-old facility. The $51,000 for the portable stages is being allocated from $3 million city aldermen borrowed last year to enhance the city-owned meeting venue.