Prine picked as new MPD chief

Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s pick for Mobile Police Department (MPD) chief is going to focus the department on greater professionalism and community engagement. 

Stimpson will ask the Mobile City Council to consider Maj. Paul Prine for the job as the city’s top cop in the coming weeks. Stimpson said the decision was two months in the making and wasn’t easy. 

“We gave six candidates an evaluation and a leadership assessment,” he said. “We created a 140-page report on each of them. It’s the same assessment used to select leaders all over the country.” 

Stimpson said members of a panel who helped him make the decision included Chief of Staff James Barber, a former MPD police chief; Executive Director of Public Safety Lawrence Battiste, another former MPD chief; national management consultant Dan Lumpkin; and retired Mobile County Circuit Judge Charles Graddick. 

Prine was chosen over interim Chief Roy Hodge, Capt. Melvin Jones, Maj. Randy Jackson, Capt. William Reed and Capt. Jonathan Lee for the top job. 

“It was not an easy decision because of all of their individual qualifications,” Stimpson said. “[They] had a combined 120 years of law enforcement experience in Mobile. We have a lot of respect for them and they have a lot of respect for each other. There’s a chief in each of them, but maybe the timing just wasn’t right.” 

Stimpson called the process “grueling” and said the panel used tactics to surprise the candidates during the interviews. One such example is when the panel gave each candidate the details of an incident that happened and members of Stimpson’s staff posed as reporters in a mock press conference scenario. 

Stimpson said Prine was selected, in part, because of his life experience and the mayor’s belief that background could help the new chief relate to everyday residents of the community. 

Prine, a 26-year veteran of MPD, grew up in Alabama Village in the city of Prichard. Prine, who is half Mexican, said he grew up “poor” and called himself one of the most “diverse” members of the force. He called Stimpson’s campaign slogan of One Mobile “ingenious.” 

“It breaks down racial and social barriers,” he said. 

Prine began his law enforcement career with the Chickasaw Police Department in 1995. He was accepted into the Mobile police academy two years later and graduated at the top of his class. 

In 2001, Prine responded to a domestic call and was shot three times in the back. He survived the life-threatening injuries. 

“It really allowed me to focus on my career,” Prine said of the shooting. 

MPD continues to deal with high turnover of sworn officers. Many are leaving for other law enforcement agencies or getting out of the line of work completely, according to the department. When asked about it, Prine said MPD is consistently 45 to 50 officers short, at about 470 total. 

“We’re recruiting really well right now,” he said. 

To the citizens of Mobile, Prine promised better professionalism among staff and said police officers would be more visible and accessible to communities going forward. 

“As your chief, you have my commitment to reduce crime and improve quality of life in the city,” he said. “To the citizens, you have my unwavering commitment that professionalism will increase and you’ll see more of us.” 

Prine, who was in command of MPD’s Field Operations Division, said the department wanted to do more community outreach, but was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said those efforts would continue when it’s safe to do so. 

“I want to continue building upon trust and transparency in the community,” he said. “We can’t do it without community involvement.” 

The Mobile City Council will have the final say on whether or not Prine gets the job. He spent a portion of the press conference inviting councilors to visit with him one on one. 

“I’m inviting you to speak with me about my vision and my plan,” Prine told councilors. “Once you speak with me, I’m confident I will have your support as well.” 

Prine will likely be put on a council agenda for a vote before Nov. 1, which is when the newly elected council takes over. No matter what happens during the runoff elections, there will be four new members seated on the council. 

When the administration adds Prine’s nomination to the agenda, Stimpson said they’ll ask for special consideration to have it approved as soon as possible.