NATCHEZ, Miss. – The dispute that’s been displayed the past two months by city aldermen and Mayor Dan Gibson in appointing the new Natchez police chief continued Tuesday, a day after a 4-3 vote that had the mayor breaking a tie to select Lee Best to lead the Natchez Police Department.
Gibson broke another tie Tuesday as the three dissenting aldermen tried to appoint long-serving NPD Commander Justin Jones as assistant police chief. They’ve argued that Best doesn’t have enough experience at the NPD to be chief.
In voting against making Jones an assistant police chief, Gibson said there wasn’t enough discussion among aldermen about giving him a position currently not in the NPD hierarchy.
Best joined the NPD in 2024 and has been the chief enforcement officer of city regulations for maintaining private properties. He’s considered by the mayor and three aldermen the most-qualified of four candidates interviewed Monday in sessions that aldermen closed to the public.
In supporting Best’s appointment, Gibson said: “We have an individual who’s served this community for many, many years.” The mayor said he’s “seen that work in this community expressed in his work ethic and in the way he respects and works with everyone regardless of their background and regardless of their color.”
Best worked for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office before becoming a Natchez police officer.
Dissenting aldermen appeared to favor Jones, who has more NPD experience than Best.
Gibson on Monday joined Aldermen Valencia Hall, Sarah Carter Smith and Curtis Moroney in voting for Best. Aldermen Billie Joe Frazier and Ben Davis – former Natchez police officers – were joined by Alderman Felicia Bridgewater Irving voting against Best.
Irving complained that appointing a NPD newcomer as chief is “a slap in the face” to the more experienced Natchez police officers bidding for the job.
Meeting Tuesday, aldermen split along the same lines when Frazier attempted to get Jones appointed assistant police chief. While Gibson said he has the “utmost respect” for Jones and his 26 years at the NPD, he broke Tuesday’s 3-3 tie to sink his appointment as assistant chief.
The mayor has been thrust into making tie-breaking votes throughout the police chief search process that began in January, when Green announced her plans to retire.
Gibson and aldermen closed the public out of their meeting Tuesday to discuss Best’s salary.
Green, appointed in 2023 as Natchez’ first female police chief, has said she’s ready for the pension-paying retirement she’s earned after nearly 29 years with the NPD and Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
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