We, the undersigned residents, community members, and concerned citizens, call upon the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Senatobia to remove Harold Vanderford from his position as Chief of the Senatobia Police Department.

This request is not made lightly.

The Chief of Police holds one of the most powerful positions in our community. The person occupying that office oversees officers who have the authority to stop, detain, arrest, use force against, and in extreme circumstances use deadly force against members of the public. Because of that extraordinary authority, the community must have confidence not only in the chief's professional qualifications, but also in his judgment, character, impartiality, and ability to fairly serve every citizen.

Recent investigative reporting revealed private text conversations in which Chief Vanderford repeatedly used the N-word and other racially offensive language when referring to Black people. Those reports indicate that some of this language continued even after he became Senatobia's Chief of Police.

For Black residents of Senatobia, this is not simply a matter of offensive language.

It is a matter of trust.

How can Black citizens be expected to trust that they will receive fair and unbiased treatment from a police department when the person entrusted with leading that department has reportedly used language that demonstrates contempt toward the very population he has sworn to protect?

How can parents confidently tell their Black children to trust law enforcement when they must also wonder how the department's highest-ranking officer views people who look like them?

How can a community move forward when those questions remain unanswered?

Senatobia has already endured several highly publicized encounters between law enforcement and Black residents that have damaged public confidence in the police department. The 2023 arrest of a 10-year-old Black child, the highly publicized 2025 arrest of a Black woman following a dispute concerning handicapped parking, and the June 2026 police shooting that resulted in the death of one-year-old Kohen Wiley have each created serious concerns within this community.

These incidents should make strengthening trust between law enforcement and residents one of the highest priorities of city leadership.

Instead, Black residents are now being asked to place their trust in a police chief who has been credibly reported to have repeatedly used one of the most hateful racial slurs in American history.

When Chief Vanderford was appointed, the City of Senatobia stated that his leadership would represent integrity, service, accountability, transparency, and public trust.

Those principles cannot simply be words used in an announcement.

They must mean something when leadership itself is called into question.

On August 26, 2026, the City announced that after meeting with Chief Vanderford concerning the reported text messages, he would continue to serve as Chief of Police.

For many members of this community, that response is unacceptable.

A private conversation with the Chief does not restore public trust.

Telling the community that his answers were sincere does not answer the fundamental question before us:

Are repeated racist statements compatible with leading a police department responsible for protecting a racially diverse community?

We believe the answer is no.

This petition is not about political affiliation.

It is not about Black citizens versus White citizens.

It is not about attacking law enforcement.

Many officers serve their communities honorably, and they deserve leadership that strengthens—not undermines—the public's confidence in their department.

This is about the standard we expect from those entrusted with public authority.

There should not be one standard of accountability for ordinary citizens and another for people in positions of power.

There should not be one definition of professionalism when applying for the job and another once the appointment has been secured.

Most importantly, no group of residents should have to question whether the person overseeing their police department views them as less worthy of dignity and respect because of their race.

Approximately four out of every ten residents of Senatobia are Black. Black residents are taxpayers, homeowners, parents, students, business owners, professionals, church members, employees, voters, and neighbors.

They are not outsiders asking Senatobia for special treatment.

They are Senatobia.

Public trust cannot exist where a significant portion of the population reasonably questions whether its police leadership respects their humanity.

Therefore, we call upon Mayor Greg Graves and the Senatobia Board of Aldermen to:

Remove Harold Vanderford as Chief of the Senatobia Police Department and appoint interim leadership while the City conducts a transparent search for a new chief committed to constitutional policing, equal treatment, professionalism, accountability, and rebuilding trust with all members of the community.

We further ask the City to establish a transparent process for selecting future police leadership that includes meaningful community input and careful review of candidates' professional histories, disciplinary records, prior complaints, leadership records, and demonstrated commitment to unbiased policing.

This is not a request for perfection from our public officials.

It is a request for accountability.

It is a request for leadership worthy of public trust.

And it is a request that the City of Senatobia demonstrate through its actions—not simply through statements—that racism is incompatible with leadership in our community.

If integrity is truly a Senatobia value, demonstrate it.

If accountability is truly a Senatobia value, enforce it.

If public trust truly matters, listen to the public.

The people of Senatobia deserve leadership they can trust.

Our children deserve a community in which they feel protected.

Our police officers deserve leadership that does not compromise their credibility.

And every citizen—Black, White, or otherwise—deserves a city government willing to stand firmly against racism when it appears within positions of public authority.

We respectfully demand action.