The Mobile City Council officially hired a Birmingham law firm to investigate allegations made by former police chief Paul Prine. Bradley Arant Boult Cummings will serve as special counsel.
Councilmen Ben Reynolds and Josh Woods were tasked with finding a firm or investigator to investigate. Bill Athanas and Daniel Fortune will lead the firm's investigation.
The council previously insisted they wanted to hire a firm outside Mobile with no Mobile connections. Reynolds said a conflict review was completed to ensure there were no connections with the city of Mobile, entities listed in the investigation or individuals named.
The council also set the scope of the investigation on Tuesday.
The firm will investigate the 321z Insights, EchoStop, and Gulf Coast Technology Center (GCTC) engagement with the Mobile Police Department and the city's contracts with those entities. Also in the scope of the investigation is the chain of command at GCTC, allegations that Prine was cut out of resources from the center, discussions leading up to Prine's removal and allegations he made in written grievances.
Councilman Joel Daves, the only council member who voted against a third-party investigation, voted yes on the specifics of the investigation. He thanked Reynolds and Woods for their work finding a firm.
"If we're going to launch an investigation, then this resolution is the way we to do it," said Daves. "So, I'll be voting for it."
Prine publicly disclosed the allegations after he was placed on administrative leave following a review of policies and procedures by Kenyen Brown.
The total amount budgeted for the investigation is $200,000. The firm will be asked to provide a report in 45 days.
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