Run, Ricky, Run!

What's in a name? Quite a bit if you're Sheffield police captain Ricky Joe Terry. For several weeks we've been getting input from citizens who had stories about Terry, but couldn't find the links or remember the exact details. Had he been accused of brutality? Was he connected to a Florence crime family? 

No, it seems there are two officers with very similar names in the department. After checking, we can't find any negative stories about Capt. Ricky Terry. We do know that he can run 1.5 miles in 15 minutes. Does that qualify him for chief?

We asked a retired homicide detective who was baffled by the speed requirement. In fact, he used the word "crazy" to describe that being added to the job description. A chief should be in charge of administration, why would he need to run that fast? Indeed, why was this qualifier, or should we say disqualifier, even added to the list?

Let's hope the City of Sheffield looks a second time at the six candidates who were disqualified due to their running times. Perhaps if the position were to be advertised again, even more would apply? Or perhaps the City of Sheffield has little appeal in law enforcement circles?

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Still on the subject of Capt. Ricky Terry, a reader has asked where the interim chief lives. According to official records, he resides in Tuscumbia. How up to date these records are, we don't know; however, the address is dated this year. 

From a reader:

From what I am told, this Interim Chief Ricky Terry has already tried and failed to deceive the city school system by using an address in the city, that was not his residence, so his child could change schools and participate in sports. This should be a red flag about the character of this individual.  As a police officer, who is supposed to have honesty and integrity as a character trait, he has already lied to the city.  

What kind of example would this set for the other officers in the department. I’m sure Ricky Terry would discipline or terminate another officer for falsifying documents, but apparently the Mayor wants to promote him for it. I think there might be a deeper issue here with any of Ricky Terry’s cases. It seems Terry’s credibility, at a minimum, along with his character are in question. Mayor, take applications again, leave the politics out of it by getting an outside the city panel to grade the interviews in an unbiased manner, and do what is best for the citizens of Sheffield, not your own agenda. 

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So there we have the good, bad, and mediocre on Capt. Ricky Terry. If the citizens of Sheffield want better, they should attend a city council meeting and let the members know.