Police Chief Steve Brown announced recently promoted personnel during the Orange Beach City Council meeting July 7.

Chief Brown recognized Assistant Chief Robert Howard, Lt. Keven Lonsdale and Lt. Trent Johnson. 

“First, I would like to recognize and introduce Assistant Chief Robert Howard,” Chief Brown said. “Robert grew up here in Baldwin County and is a graduate of Foley High School. He had been a volunteer with the Gulf Shores Fire Department and then joined the MedStar EMS outfit in 1987. During that time, right about 1993, we both started the reserve program here at the same time. In 1994, Robert received his APOST certification from Southwest Alabama Police Academy.”

Throughout the years in Orange Beach, Assistant Chief Howard was assigned to numerous divisions within the department, Chief Brown said. From patrol to the marine division and, ultimately, a lieutenant over the marine division then intelligence and communications division. He also served as interim chief from June 2015 to February 2016. 

Assistant Chief Howard and his wife Karen have two sons.

“Robert was chosen to fill this position as Assistant Chief in March 2020,” Chief Brown said. “I would just like to congratulate Robert Howard.” 

Lt. Lonsdale is originally from the Prattville area. He received his Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission (APOST) certification at Montgomery Police Academy in 1987. 

“Keven retired from the Montgomery Police Department after 25 years of service, where he attained the rank of lieutenant and was a shift commander,” Chief Brown said, “He retired in 2012 and moved to the beach to supposedly relax but he began his second law enforcement career with OBPD in January 2013. Through his time here, he served in the patrol division, investigative division and, most recently, transferred back to the patrol division. It is my pleasure to promote him to lieutenant. He is very capable, he knows what he is doing, he knows our community.”

Lt. Lonsdale and his wife Deanna have two children and one grandchild. 

Lt. Johnson will oversee the department’s investigative division. He is originally from the Decatur area. 

“He began his career in law enforcement with the sheriff’s detention center in Morgan County, Alabama,” Chief Brown said. “He moved to Baldwin County and started his employment as a corrections officer with OBPD and maintained a position in the jail for four years. Trent received his APOST certification in July 2011 from the Mobile Police Academy. His first assignment was obviously to the patrol division and nine years later he is now leading a team of investigators, along with the narcotics unit and school resource officers.”

Lt. Johnson and his wife Ashley have four children. 

“I would like to say that I saw a lot of potential in Trent and brought him over to the investigative division when I was a lieutenant,” Chief Brown said. “He is going to do an outstanding job in this position. Congratulations.”