MILLERSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Robert Richman of Texas was sworn in Friday as the fourth Millersville police chief since 2021.
Millersville City Manager Scott Avery told NewsChannel 5 Investigates that Richman and others went through a rigorous interview process before a final decision was made.
Avery said all the city commissioners, who are often at odds with one another, unanimously agreed that Richman was the man for the job.
Richman’s LinkedIn page describes him as an “executive leader with 30 years of experience in law enforcement,” with much of his time spent with the Austin Police Department.
His most recent experience, however, was marked with controversy as Texas’ Associate Commissioner for Child Protective Investigations.
Richman resigned from this position within the Department of Family and Protective Services where some criticized his effort during an investigation into alleged sex trafficking at a foster care facility.
An investigation revealed that employees of the facility allegedly had sexual contact with residents. This specific facility was home to young women who had previously been involved in sex trafficking.
The division did not immediately remove victims from the facility, and Richman explained that they believed those responsible for misconduct had already been fired.
Richman reportedly blamed poor communication.
He was also directed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to investigate parents of trans teenagers for providing “abusive” gender-affirming care.
Richman resigned less than a year into the position saying he was leaving to “pursue an opportunity to continue my law enforcement career.”
He later thanked DFPS officials for “the opportunity to make positive changes throughout CPI during my time with the agency.”
Richman now joins a department with controversy of their own over the past three years.
Millersville’s top cops stepped down in July after a months-long investigation by NewsChannel 5 Investigates discovered that Assistant Police Chief Glenn Alred was working full-time without being a certified cop in Tennessee.
We later discovered that Police Chief Melvin Brown was also not certified, but continued to work full-time.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates discovered a history of traffic stops by Alred where he consistently pulled people over without having a certified officer on the scene.
This led to a tense meeting with POST Commissioners where they told both men they had to complete training for their certification which had long since expired. Both men were told they could only work part-time until this was done.
Brown would later resign saying he was tired of “ongoing and relentless harassment through false allegations” directed at him and the police department.
Before Brown, former Police Chief Dustin Carr stepped down following a lawsuit that accused him and his predecessor Chief Mark Palmer of bullying and intimidating certain officers.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates has requested an interview with Richman.
EDITORS NOTE: Prior reporting mistakenly wrote that Millersville City Manager Scott Avery had also resigned, when in fact it was both former Police Chief Melvin Brown and former Assistant Police Chief Glenn Alred who resigned.
