Cobb delays vote on appointing police chief for two weeks

The Cobb Board of Commissioners is set to vote on a new police chief this month.

But the vote naming interim chief J.D. Ferrell as police chief that had been on Tuesday’s agenda is being pushed back two weeks.

Cobb government sent out a statement Monday afternoon saying that the board “will move ahead” with a vote on the selection of Ferrell on Oct. 28.

Ferrell was recommended by Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris, but on Friday Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid called for a Monday press conference “to provide transparency in addressing challenges with the announced selection of Police Chief.”

The county statement Monday afternoon said that “the delay was requested by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, who initially sought to address issues related to the search and selection process, but supports the candidate and moving forward with the process of approving this candidate on the 28th.”

Earlier Monday afternoon, the county announced Cupid was cancelling the press conference less than an hour before it was to begin, citing a scheduling conflict.

Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt told East Cobb News that commissioners were still in meetings, over Tuesday’s agenda, and for other matters.

The MDJ reported last week that Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid wanted former Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields for the job.

But Cupid hasn’t confirmed that information, and the paper quoted Commissioner Keli Gambrill as saying that she thought Shields had “a chip on her shoulder” in the interview process, which apparently included two other unnamed candidates.

Gambrill, in the same media report, also objected to the process, saying it’s the county manager’s job to recommend a candidate, not the elected chair.

Ferrell is a 29-year veteran of the Cobb Police Department and had been a deputy chief when former Chief Stuart VanHoozer retired in April.