Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves on Tuesday broke his silence about last week’s abrupt leadership shakeup at the city’s police department, citing sustained issues with employee confidence in leadership as the reason for Chief Eric Randall’s departure.
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Speaking at a press conference to introduce Acting Chief Kristin Brown, Reeves said the decision followed years of underperformance in employee engagement and trust in department leadership—measures the city collects annually across all departments.
“Those expectations set inside the building had not been met to an agreed-upon standard over months and years of time,” Reeves said. “And we mutually agreed to part ways last week.”
The mayor emphasized that the decision had nothing to do with the department’s recently signed agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, dismissing public speculation to the contrary.
“Any theories out there … that it has anything to do with ICE? Absolutely not,” Reeves said. “There’s no ill will, nothing below board that took place that I’m aware of under Chief Randall, and he’s a good man. My goal, honestly, is to preserve a good man’s dignity.”
The city announced Randall’s resignation last Thursday without offering a reason. Brown, a 29-year veteran of the department and its longest-serving captain, was named acting chief the same day. If made permanent, she would become the first woman to lead the department.
Brown’s appointment comes amid heightened sensitivity around immigration enforcement and community trust. In June, Randall signed a memorandum of agreement with ICE under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allowing a deputized officer to enforce immigration law under federal supervision. Critics of the program say it risks eroding trust between police and immigrant communities.
Brown appeared to acknowledge that concern Tuesday, pledging to continue the department’s existing community initiatives.
“Chief Randall had a slew of community projects on the burner, front and back,” she said. “The command staff is aware of these. We are very supportive of them. They will continue.”
Brown joined the department in 1996 as a cadet and rose through the ranks over nearly three decades, serving in roles ranging from crisis negotiation to narcotics enforcement. She said her deep familiarity with the department’s personnel would help her navigate the transition.
“I feel the hardest step is over for me,” Brown said. “I know all my brothers and sisters. I know all the professional staff, and we have a good working relationship.”
While Reeves said a national search for a permanent chief is “likely,” he said the city was not in a rush to begin that process.
“I want to allow the dust to settle around this,” he said. “[Chief Brown has] seen the light at the end of the retirement tunnel, and we took it away from her. I’m really looking forward to digging in on that and seeing how we can best empower folks here.”
Brown entered the state’s Deferred Retirement Option Program in 2021 and is slated to retire in January 2027.
The city has not released a timeline or criteria for selecting a permanent chief.
