|
|
"I feel very committed to my brother and sister officers," said Perkins whose wife Johnna pinned the gold shield on his shirt. The couple live in St. Clair.
Perkins joined the Pacific Police Department in March 2004. He has a bachelor's degree in physical education from Lindenwood University, with a minor in athletic training and health.
City Administrator Harold Selby, Police Chief Jim Brune and City Clerk Kim Barfield interviewed a total of five applicants for the job.
"Kim, Chief Brune and I asked 12 questions. All five candidates did a good job answering questions," Selby said. "One person did stand out. Some of the questions were police related. Chief told us what kind of answers to expect."
In addition to his expertise in law enforcement, Selby said Perkins has been an asset to the department and the city by obtaining grants to enhance the department.
"Mr. Perkins has applied for and received a grant for the city to pay overtime for officers. He applied for a grant for new LED lights on police cars," Selby said. "There's money out there and he is taking the lead in going after that money and these grants. He has learned a lot about the city and its finances."
Mayor Herb Adams thanked Perkins and the four other candidates who applied for the position, saying the department was enhanced by the selection process that encourages officers to look at their own qualifications.
"I thank you for taking the time to apply and experimenting with the new process," Adams said. "Please continue to make a positive difference each day within the community."
In the same meeting, Adams recognized the contribution of dispatcher Carrie Moore, who is leaving the police department to become a dispatcher in Ballwin, where she can earn more money.
Losing Moore is an indication of the need to continue to raise the salaries of Pacific officers to make them competitive with neighboring cities, Adams said.
"We have done some in recent budgets to rectify this, but we have not done enough," he said. "I want to remind everyone that this is one of my objectives to continue to raise the salaries of our police officers."
