Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Publisher

PELHAM – When his wife found out she would have the opportunity to chase a dream, it was a no-brainer for Brent Sugg.

The Pelham police chief for the past two years, Sugg knew this would mean a sad transition for him, but an opportunity to be a supportive husband to his wife Stephanie, who had made sacrifices for him in the past.

“I’ve been in law enforcement 31 years and my wife and I have been married for 27 of those,” Sugg said. “She has been with me changing agencies, becoming a trooper, becoming chief of Highway Patrol and ultimately moving to Alabama. Not one time has she not been my biggest supporter, praying with me and over me.”

That included their move to Pelham two years ago for Sugg to take the job as the city’s police chief. Now, he is repaying the favor as his wife has had the opportunity to open her own dental practice back in Oklahoma near their family.

With that, Sugg will be leaving the Pelham Police Department as chief to move back with her after a transitionary period with the new chief in Pelham.

“When she bought her first practice in 2018, we had to move for my job, so she sold it,” Sugg said. “With the desire to get back to family and the ability for her to have her own practice, as much as I love Pelham and the people, I sure do love my family more. I get to let my wife know that I will do anything I can to support her because she has done everything to support me. It’s my turn now.”

Sugg did say his two years in Pelham have been life changing for him and will be something that makes him better in law enforcement moving forward.

“My 31st year in law enforcement and spent two years here in Alabama and they were two of the most enjoyable years because the people here in the city of Pelham, it’s like no organization I’ve been a part of before,” he said. “The department heads here all meet together work together and create such a great team. Leaving a job and place you love is difficult.”

When the family made the move from Oklahoma a couple of years, they had never been to Alabama.

Sugg, however, knew the previous police chief. After talking with him and hearing about his career in Pelham, he couldn’t resist the opportunity.

His quick takeaway—Southern hospitality is real, especially in Pelham and Alabama.

“People treated me like family and accepted me,” he said. “Community members reached out continually and said they were praying for me.”

Sugg said everybody has been supportive since he announced that he was leaving.

“I walked by one officer the other day and it was the first time I saw her since announcing. I said, ‘Hey’ and she put up her hand to insinuate for me to basically talk to the hand. She said, ‘I don’t have anything to say to you, but tell your wife I’m happy for her’ before we both broke down laughing. I feel like I’ve had an impact on them. They’ve supported me, treated me well and invited me to their home for cookouts. That’s not something a lot do at the squad level. Giving me that kind of consideration will be hard to replace.”

Sugg said Pelham has shaped him for the next position he takes, even though he isn’t sure what that step looks like other than remaining in law enforcement.

“It has only prepared me even better for my next law enforcement job,” he said. “All this did for me is show me that if you allow great people to do what they do and support them, they are going to go out and do great work. There’s no magic, there’s nothing special about me. I came in and supported people and treated them fairly.”

The search is currently on for the city’s next police chief with the job posted on the city’s website under their employment opportunities section.

The city hopes to hire someone with a minimum five years of experience as a police chief in a similar-sized jurisdiction or as a high-level administrator or commander position.

The chief will plan, direct and control patrol, traffic, criminal investigation and related police services, while supervising all department employees and their training, assignments and discipline.

Sugg said the next chief will step into a great culture within the city of Pelham’s government, the police department and the community.

“Not only do you have a great department with great officers, we are within three or four people of being fully staffed, but you have tremendous community and city government support,” he said. “The council loves public safety, they are very public-safety focused. Entire leadership works to support one another. When we are hiring, city leaders sit on the panel to help. It’s a team environment and community. People calling to say they’re praying for you, dropping off food. The people here are very community focused and support the police. There is nobody I have experienced that hasn’t been a supporter.”

Sugg, who hopes to help with the transition, said his biggest piece of advice would be to come in and quickly get to know the people, their likes and dislikes, their families and what they like to do to create a good culture.

Sugg was also a member of this year’s Leadership Shelby County class and said that program is an extension of what he has seen in Pelham and showcases why he will miss the city and the Shelby County area.

“I’m still the cop, still a little reserved and a cop, so it takes a while to loosen up and connect interpersonally, so getting into Leadership Shelby County, while excited, I was anxious,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, what have I gotten into?’ Immediately, you’re just making friends from the get go. I have had so much fun with that group. My wife calls it the cool kids club. Every month, when I get up and put the name tag on, she says, ‘Oh, you have cool kids club.’ I ‘ve learned so much about, not just Shelby County, but Alabama. Healthcare, education and the way it is set up, it’s hard to not have fun while learning about all of the things that make this area great.”