According to public records, City Manager James Loomis on Thursday will ask the City Council to ratify Jerry Brewer as Interim Police Chief. Loomis can appoint a police or fire chief, but his choice requires ratification.
A written statement from the city on June 26 said Brewer was appointed as acting chief, and Chief Roger Ellis was demoted to the rank of captain. Among other things, questions had been raised about the handling of the Mark Ysasaga murder investigation.
Ellis has since decided to retire from the department.
On Monday Brewer spoke to EverythingLubbock.com by phone concerning his appointment.
“I’m here to help the department the best I can,” Brewer said. “I’m just trying to do what needs to be done.”
The City Manager will conduct a search for a permanent replacement. Would Brewer apply for the job on a permanent basis?
“That may be something I consider but it’s still too early to ponder that,” Brewer said.
Brewer said his short-term goals are to accomplish things that were already planned such as an academy graduation, promotions, technology upgrades and testing for the next academy class. As for the longer term, recruiting remains a top priority.
“You always have to look at recruiting the best people we can,” Brewer said. “As people retire – 1988, 1989 those were big classes – we have to be vigilant about recruiting.”
In light of events in Ferguson, Missouri and the death of Eric Garner, does that make it harder to recruit new officers?
“I think so,” Brewer said. “People who were thinking about it might have stalled a little bit. Locally, we’ve always enjoyed support from the community.”
Brewer used to think, “20 years and I’m out.”
“Now I’m on my 27th year,” he said. Realistically he thinks he’ll be on the job for another five years.
As for the Ysasaga case, there is every appearance that a person of interest was paid $10,000 of Crime Line money in connection with the recovery of Ysasaga’s body. There is also written evidence that a police report was illegally destroyed in order to keep it from being released in an open records request.
Brewer said it was too early to talk about problems in the Ysasaga case.
“Just know that I’ve lived in this community for over 29 years and I’m vested in this community,” Brewer said. “I want them [Lubbockites] to be proud of their police department. I’ll do my best.”
