Well known talk show host Alan Stock interviewed Henderson Chief Thedrick Andres recently to address City Council Candidate’s “Misinformation” campaign.
Below are some highlights of the interview.
Alan began stating, “Sometimes misinformation is put out and I want to clarify some of the misinformation that is out there because I don’t think we can continue with the rest of the election of next few weeks here. Having some of this information out there.”
Cox Attacks Henderson Police and The Chief Personally
Alan: “Carrie Cox has said some things about Henderson and you personally, that I wanted you to be able to address. … She says Henderson is a mess. She says the chief, you sir, you’re not qualified. You need to be replaced. Your department is hemorrhaging police officers. She said there’s a 40% vacancy rate. And so what she’s doing well, she’s out there actually she’s recruiting the police officers for you. … I want you to be able to respond to this, Chief, please sir, tell us is Henderson a mess?”
Chief Thedrick: “I appreciate being on here today. I would say I would absolutely not. For someone to even have that type of, you know message and to be delivering something like that is really discouraging. Henderson is one of the second largest cities in the country. The second largest cities in the country. Our city council devotes over 60% of our overall budget to community safety. We are probably one of the best neighborhoods in this entire country. And our police officers that men and women at the Henderson police department work very hard each and every day to make sure that we serve our community with excellence and safety and service.
Cox Quotes Incorrect Police Statistics
Alan: “But she claimed there’s a 40% vacancy rate in the police department in Henderson. Well, as I understand it by the figures that I’ve seen, they’re only about 13 and a half percent.”
Chief: “When you look at the overall figures we’re at about 13 and a half to 14% vacancy rate. And I think is one thing that is really key we’d have to mention here out when we went through all of the themes with the pandemic. We started to see some of the police reform movements. It was the City of Henderson who didn’t say that they were going to defund the police. We actually were the municipality adding officers. So when our FY 23 budget were in, we were fortunate enough to get 37 positions added to the police department. So when you look at those overall vacancies, those vacancies though, that’s an additional 37 positions it’s already one of them, were coming to the police department. So the vacancies that we currently have our department, there are positions that we currently have vacant for us interested station that is slated to be built in about April of 2023.
Is Cox Actually Recruiting Police Officers?
Alan: “Carrie Cox says she is recruiting police officers…..but how can an individual just go out and start recruiting police officers? But how can an individual just go out and start recruiting police officers because she says Henderson’s recruiting program is not robust enough.”
Chief: “I have no information about Miss Cox recruiting officers here. But certainly like any citizen, if you are encouraging members in our community those that we know to join the Henderson police department, we are always supportive. But when you talk about recruitment, the Henderson Police Department as one of the most effective recruiting databases in the country, currently right now. We just graduated a class of 21 officers right that just graduated last Thursday and on the streets. We’re slated to have an academy start here on November 28. And we’re looking at between 35 to 40 officers.”
“We are using every platform that we can to recruit. We’re doing traditional media, we use the social media, our recruitment division, we continue to work here within the city. We use billboards to market in our department, we’re finding ways to market at our universities. The Henderson police recruitment team is at job fairs. Were at our local high schools where colleges we’re doing every traditional data in law enforcement agency would do and I would say even beyond to continue to attract members to this police department.”
Cox Accuses Chief of Distributing Wrong Information
Alan:”Carrie Cox said that the sheet you are handing out is wrong, she has the correct information that you are putting out incorrect into the public.”
Chief:”Well, my response to that is, that would be absolutely it would be ludicrous I mean, to be honest with you, I was as a police chief, I’m responsible for ensuring that we communicate with our committee and they have the facts and the facts, right. Is that like any city in America, Henderson is not devoid of crime. My job as a police chief is to make sure that we’re in a position to continue to effectively police this city and ensure that our crime rates are low.
Cox Accused Chief Andres of being Unqualified
Alan: Carrie Fox has said that you are personally not qualified.
Chief: “You know, what I would say here is my qualifications I think speaks for itself after 32 years in law enforcement. I’ve worked in cities like New Orleans, as well as in the Texas Dallas Fort Worth area. I have a track record for working with communities and making communities safer and building strong class.”