In a unanimous decision, the Henderson City Council approved naming the Henderson Police Department in honor of the late chief, Melvin G. Smith.
Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow made the request, which will require no money from the city – the $5,000 estimated to place signs at the front and rear entrances will come from a money generated through the taxation of unauthorized drugs seized locally.
Smith died in July 2025, but Barrow told the Council that he’d been considering the request long before.
Smith was the first Black police officer at the department, joining before the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Barrow said.
“He wasn’t just the first (Black) police officer,” he continued. He was the first sergeant, lieutenant, the first and only African American major, Barrow noted.
“He was the most qualified person for any position he held,” Barrow said. “His 50 percent was better than anybody else’s 100 percent.”
Barrow knew Smith through the Basic Law Enforcement Training classes, when Smith was an instructor and Barrow a student.
“He was kind, thoughtful…he was an educator. He wanted us to learn…He was a tough man, but a fair man.”
Barrow proposes to install a large plaque at the front entrance and a smaller version at the rear entrance – one that officers use and can see and be reminded of Smith’s legacy.
“It’s time,” Barrow said. “The police department needs a name.”
What better name than Melvin G. Smith.
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