ELBERTA - Elberta Police Chief Clif Roberts was honored during a surprise retirement celebration held prior to the October council meeting. In attendance were Mayor Jim Hamby, Elberta Town Council members, town staff, police department officers, family and friends. Cliff McCollum, director of constituent services, presented Roberts with a proclamation detailing his years of service and wishing him well in his retirement.

Roberts has served over 30 years in law enforcement. He graduated from Meadowview Christian High School before attending and graduating from Wallace Community College Selma. He began work with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office where he worked as a narcotics investigator. In 1999, he relocated to Baldwin County and began working for the Orange Beach Police Department. He served in Orange Beach for nearly two decades, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was named the chief of Elberta Police Department in 2018, and has since been instrumental in the formation of the Citizen Police Academy and the construction of the town’s new safe room.

Following the celebration, Assistant Chief Brandon Booker was appointed the interim police chief during the town’s council meeting.

“The intention from both sides of the equation is to make Assistant Chief Booker the interim police chief,” said Hamby. “That would be a trial basis from the town’s perspective to see how it works and it would be a trial basis from (Booker’s) perspective to see if he really wants the job as chief, and at that point we would go into further consideration.”

Council member Steve Kirkpatrick said were Booker to be appointed as Elberta police chief, he would be required to complete every certification for the chief position, similar to how Roberts had done before him. Booker said this is not the first time he has stepped into a leadership role, having become squad leader during his second tour in Iraq after the previous squad leader had to step down. Booker said he is ready to take on a leadership position once again.