Hopkinsville citizens made their voices heard and opinions known at Tuesday’s City Council meeting regarding TikTok posts by Hopkinsville Police Department Officer Jeremiah Kline.
Kline came under scrutiny on social media after posts from his TikTok account were found by some residents to have racist and unprofessional implications.
According to residents, Kline’s actions that have drawn up these implications was his use of Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” his use of the “OK” hand sign which some have interpreted as a white power sign, a statement he made about wanting to give diabetics Narcan and referring to firefighters with homophobic slurs. Videos with the previously referenced actions were removed from Kline’s TikTok account.
Kline was in uniform in the TikTok videos speakers were referring to, and in a couple of the posts he was using department equipment.
During the Council’s public comments period 15 people spoke, giving a wide range of opinions regarding the impacts of Kline’s actions and how the matter should be handled.
Cherry West, who worked to organize and gather fellow citizens to speak about the matter says she has been a part of the Hopkinsville community since the 1970s. West says if Kline’s actions go without disciplinary measures, then his behavior will be seen as acceptable which could possibly deter people from living in Hopkinsville.
As a part of her testimony West reflects on work she has done in the past, warning the Council about law enforcement misconduct she says she has witnessed.
Former State Representative Jeff Taylor spoke against the lack of actions taken regarding Kline’s behavior, saying what he has done is not only going to decrease the public’s trust in Kline to appropriately enforce the law, but the Police Department as a whole.
Taylor ended his allotted speaking time telling the Council to take initiative and that doing the right thing should happen without them having to be asked.
Regardless of the intent of Kline’s TikTok content, citizen Becky Dearman says his ignorant use of social media while on the job in uniform was inappropriate and compared the situation to her own job, saying that this is something she would never be able to do and still maintain her position.
Among those scrutinizing Kline’s actions there were also speakers who offered support and sympathy.
Former Hopkinsville Police Chief Clayton Sumner refers to the hand sign Kline used in one of his posts saying it’s also a part of an “I made you look” game that he played a kid.
Sumner says he saw Kline’s TikTok presence as a move toward humanizing those in law enforcement to show the public they are not just a symbol of the government.
Following all of the speakers, none of the Council members commented on the matter, however the Hopkinsville Police Department did release a statement from Chief Jason Newby on August 3 regarding the matter.
Newby said the issue was brought to his attention and he is working with their Human Resource Director and City Attorney to update Department policies regarding the use of social media.
The Council members continued through their agenda and were presented with the July 2023 financial report. July’s general fund showed that Hopkinsville had a revenue of $39,007 over expenses and encumbrances which Chief Financial Officer Melissa Clayton says is a rarity for this time of the year when expenses typically outweigh revenue.
However, some departments went above their monthly budgets spending more than 8.33% of their yearly budgets, but Clayton says this happened as a result of many retirements and expenses that are paid in July.
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