The El Dorado Police Department is undergoing changes.
New Chief Kenny Hickman came aboard last week, succeeding former Chief Billy White, who retired Jan. 31 after 28 years with the EPD.
Now, another longtime EPD officer is retiring.
Capt. Kevin Holt, public information officer for the EPD, said he felt the time was right to step down and he has filed the applicable paperwork.
“With the naming of a new chief and with the position I’m in as a captain, it ties up a spot,” Holt said. “With me retiring, (Hickman) will be able to bring someone up who goes along with his views and the direction he wants the department to go.”
Sgt. Chris Lutman has been named the EPD’s new public information officer.
Like White, Holt is retiring after 28 years as a full-time officer with the EPD.
Prior to joining the EPD as a patrolman in 1991, Holt served as a reserve officer for four years, while holding down a full-time job as safety director for Milam Construction Company.
Holt said he signed up for the reserve unit at the age of 21 — a move that sent him down a path with which he was familiar.
“I grew up in (law enforcement) from the age of 5 or 6 when my dad started until he retired,” Holt said.
His father, the late Wendell Holt, retired from the EPD in 1993, having served 21 years and rising to the rank of assistant chief.
“By being in the reserves, I had the opportunity to learn the job and I was able to decide if it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and it was,” Holt recalled.
Holt was named PIO in 2011 by former Chief Ricky Roberts, now Union County sheriff, and he said the position is one of his favorite parts of his job in law enforcement.
Another was an assignment in the early aughts to place School Resource Officers in the El Dorado School District.
SROs serve at Washington Middle School, Barton Junior High School and El Dorado High School.
“That’s one of my biggest memories and still being the supervisor over it and being the liaison between police department and the school district,” Holt said.
Sharing his years of knowledge with young officers and teaching them how to interact with the public they serve is a duty that Holt said he has come to cherish.
“Letting them know that not everybody is bad and you can start every conversation with ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ and let them dictate how the conversation is going to go,” Holt said. “Some people are down on their luck and they still need to be respected.”
He thanked the community for its support of the EPD and he said he hopes that support will continue for law enforcement officers on the local, state and federal levels.
“We’ve got qualified law enforcement officers in our area. The job is dangerous and I hope people remember us in their prayers and provide guidance,” Holt said.
Aside from some home remodeling projects, Holt said he has not yet laid out any immediate retirement plans.
He also has not set a retirement date, saying that he gave a two-week notice on Jan. 29 and will take accrued vacation time after the two-week period ends.
He said he will continue Holt Transportation, a private business that provides funeral home overlay and transportation services.
Holt said his father started the business and worked for three years until he passed away in 2005, noting that his father worked as funeral director for Young’s Funeral Home in the 1960s.
“He kept his license up until he passed, and I got my license and took over the business,” Holt said.
He said he considers Holt Transportation as an extension of the public service work he performed for three decades with the EPD.
“You have to be a strong person to do either side. Both careers are tough. If you don’t have a desire to help people, then you’re struggling in both careers,” Holt said.
He said he will continue his involvement with community service, including staying on as a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee.
Son Kyle will carry on the family ties to law enforcement.
Kyle joined the EPD in January 2018 as a third-generation law enforcement officer in the Holt family.
The decision to retire was not an easy one, but Holt reiterated that the timing feels right to move on to a new chapter in his life.
“I felt that now is as good a time as any. With the announcement of a new chief, other officers can move through the ranks and he can build his own supervision team,” he said.
Lutman said he accepted his new role as PIO after Hickman met with him Monday about the matter.
“For the time being, there are no immediate plans to change. Sgt. Lutman is now serving in that capacity as public information officer,” Hickman said.
Having served as community liaison sergeant for the EPD since 2013, Lutman is familiar with the responsibilities of the position.
“Chief Hickman asked me how I felt about it, and I’ve filled in that role when Capt. Holt was on vacation,” he said.
Lutman has been a law enforcement officer for more than a decade.
Hickman said Holt’s pending retirement and Lutman’s new role with the EPD are two of the items he plans to discuss during his first department meeting next week.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.