Selma Police Chief Robert Green called his removal from office a “vengeful” act by Mayor James Perkins and said he was surprised at being included in the mayor’s recent department head changes.

During a press conference Thursday, Green said he and Perkins had disagreements during his two-and-a-half year tenure as chief, but their relationship had improved, recently.

“In the time since the mayor was re-elected in August, we had a good working relationship,” Green said. “I knew changes were coming (after the city council restored Perkins’ appointment powers), but I didn’t think I would be one of those changes.”

Green added that the police department had been operating smoothly and 58 of the 59 police officer slots had been filled.

“It is my conviction that the recommendation of the mayor was nothing more than an act of vengeance,” Green said. “The mayor advised me in 2002 that if I accepted the chief of police position, he would fight me every chance he got, and that’s exactly what he did.”

The chief further stated that their fight apparently culminated during the Oct. 25 council meeting when Perkins announced that retired Assistant Chief Robert Jacobs would be taking over as interim Chief.

The mayor responded to Green’s comments by referring to a memo-dated Aug. 25 and signed by Green-in which the chief requested to be transferred to his old position or another position within the department.

In his August memo to the mayor, Green referred to a promise he made to Perkins that, if Perkins was re-elected, he would submit a request to be transferred.

“I advised you that I would take the aforementioned action because I had no intentions of having continuous fights with you,” Green wrote in the memo.

Green also added in the memo that he would be “more than willing to assist your appointee with the transition.”

Green said he rescinded the memo two days later with a new “commitment to put the past behind me and move forward.”

Also during his press conference, Green would not comment the appointment of Jacobs, but questioned why the mayor would chose to replace a “college professor with a man who only has a high school diploma.”

“Bobby Jacobs has over 30 years of experience in law enforcement,” Perkins said. “Chief Green’s attack against him is unprofessional and unnecessary. It shows poor judgement and further justifies my decision.”

Responding to another question in Green’s statement, Perkins added that the chief is being reassigned to his former merit position of lieutenant. because of a law that says when a public safety appointee is not re-appointed, the person moves back to their merit position.

Green questioned why he was not moved back to assistant chief, a position he held for nine years between chief and lieutenant.

“For Robert Green, that position is lieutenant,” Perkins said.

Green said his and the mayor’s disagreements stem from a 2002 personnel board disciplinary action against Green, which the police chief appealed.

“I think my attorney caused some problems with the mayor during the meeting,” Green said. “I think the mayor was behind the action.”

Perkins would not comment on this.

Green said he has no plans to take legal action against the city or mayor and will continue to work as a lieutenant until his retirement in a year and six months.

“Despite the egregious action that was taken against me, I will remain a humble and professional public servant until such time I decide to move on,” Green said.