The retirement reception for Louisville Chief of Police L.M. Claiborne, held at The Dome this past Friday afternoon, drew a large crowd from his professional background, family, friends, local business people, church members and members of the community. The reception was catered by Aline Haynes.
It was a time to celebrate the many accomplishments in both his professional and personal life, and a time to honor a man who is held in high regard by his family, neighbors, and his community.
Claiborne officially retired on June 30 of this year after almost four decades of service in the U.S. Army, the Army National Guard, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Dept. of Homeland Security, and finally the Louisville Police Dept.
Claiborne was the first African-American to serve as the Director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, an office now occupied by Col. Chris Gillard, another African-American. Gillard, who was present at the reception, told of being injured as a young recruit and having to drop out of his trooper class, and how Claiborne had encouraged him to continue with his training. Gillard stated that without those encouraging words he would never have reached the rank he now holds.
Current Louisville Chief of Police, Sean Holdiness, a 25-year veteran of the Highway Patrol, told of the hard work Claiborne had put him through as a cadet, and of all that he had learned from Claiborne in the intervening years.
The accolades were many, as Claiborne received proclamations from City of Louisville, the Mississippi State Legislature and the Highway Patrol. From Louisville Police Dept., he received an engraved watch, and a wooden, Thin Blue Line American Flag, hand-crafted by Investigator Barry McWhirter and signed my members of the department.
Claiborne spoke of growing up on a cotton plantation, a few miles outside of Tchula, Mississippi, in the delta, and dreaming of one day becoming a highway patrolman; of joining the Army after high school graduation as he was to young for trooper school; of graduating trooper school and being assigned to a place that seemed a long way from home, Winston County. Claiborne soon discovered that he had relatives in Winston County, and met his future-bride, Delmethric.
The Claibornes, who raised two children in Louisville, are faithful members of Still Valley M.B. Church. Claiborne gave all credit for his accomplishments to God. With retirement comes an opportunity for more leisure time, and time for one of his favorite pursuits, fishing.
