Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1962: Clovis city officials were reviewing 16 candidates for a new police chief. But City Commissioner Ned Houk said he had already decided on the candidate he wanted.
“I have been on this commission longer than the rest of you,” Houk told his fellow commissioners, “and we never had to go through this (application and screening process) before. … I think this whole thing is a waste of time and money.”
Commissioner Barney Barnard said he wanted the candidate selected to agree to participate in a police administration course available through the state’s city manager’s association.
Said Houk: “He is a poor policeman if he gets it out of a book.”
City records show city patrolman Lloyd Niece was ultimately selected chief to succeed Ollie Damron. Niece held the job until 1964.
Newspaper archives do not indicate whether Niece was Houk’s choice for the job, but archives for the days following the initial discussion are incomplete.
Ned Houk Park is today named for the late commissioner known affectionately as “Mr. Ned.”
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens. Contact:
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