Hoover police announce major changes in top leaders

The Hoover Police Department on Monday announced major changes in high-ranking personnel.

Two of the four captains in the department — Harry Long and Gregg Rector — retired effective Monday, March 1, with a combined 67 years with Hoover police.

And the department’s executive officer for the last 13 years, Jehad Al-Dakka, is leaving the Police Department to serve as the city’s director of special projects.

Long has been with the Hoover Police Department since 1984. He was promoted through the ranks and named captain of the administrative bureau in 2015 and ended as commander over the patrol/operations bureau.

Rector joined Hoover police in 1989. He, too, was promoted through the ranks and named captain over the patrol/operations bureau in 2005 and finished as commander of the investigative services bureau.

Capt. Norman McDuffey, who has been commander of support services, is switching jobs to lead the investigations bureau, while Lt. Keith Czeskleba has been promoted to captain over the patrol/operations bureau, and Lt. Scott McDonald has been promoted to captain over the administrative bureau.

Al-Dakka, who has overseen the day-to-day operations of the chief’s office, has been with the Hoover Police Department 18 years in total. Before that, he spent six years with the Birmingham Police Department and 11 years as a civil engineer. He obtained an engineering degree from the University of Alabama in 1986.

City Administrator Allan Rice said city officials knew Al-Dakka’s background as an engineer and how he has been a stalwart member of the Police Department command staff and felt he would be a good fit for the new position of director of special projects.

Al-Dakka will oversee city facilities, new construction, remodeling projects, the rollout of 5G technology across the city and other management initiatives as needed, Rice said.

“He’s ready to hit the ground running,” Rice said. “He knows all the people. He knows all the process management. … Jehad is an example of — if you do good things, good things happen to you.”

Police Lt. Kenny Fountain has been promoted to take Al-Dakka’s position as executive officer. Fountain has 24 years with the Hoover Police Department, most recently served as a lieutenant in the patrol division.

Hoover police Chief Nick Derzis said these are big changes, but he doesn’t expect the department to miss a beat because the department has done a good job of mentoring other leaders.