On Tuesday, Mayor Justin McKenzie swore Shane Brown as a new officer at the Columbia Police Department.
Moments later, Brown began patrolling with his training officer, Sgt. Jason Cook. It’s a familiar scene as new officers and new positions are marking changes at the police department since Chief Michael Kelly took office.
During the April 17 Columbia Board of Aldermen meeting, the Board took action on several hirings and approved purchases of several Kenwood mobile radios for patrols cars at a cost of $11,181.60 from Comm South. The radios will be paid for with funds held by the state from the 911 communication tax. The radios were the latest in a series of purchases by the CPD, which included buying four used patrol cars from the Chicago area at a cost of $15,000. Kelly said he hopes the vehicles will help the department get by until new ones can be purchased during another budget year.
Assistant Chief Rita Pickering brought a list of hires and other items to the Board last week for discussion.
New hires in the patrol division include longtime dispatcher and Tac officer Steven Palmer, who will be joining the ranks of patrol officers full-time and who will attend the police academy in September, Dillon Powell, a full-time certified police officer who had worked in McComb, who is also a certified firefighter and former member of the Columbia Fire Department. The Board also hired Brown as a part-time certified officer and George Traholis as a part-time certified officer who will help serve warrants and subpoenas. The veteran officer will also help with items in the major crimes unit.
The Board also accepted several resignations including part-time patrol officer Taner Breakfield and part-time officers who are Marion County Sheriff’s deputies, Brandon Carney and Michael Hudson. They had been hired to help cover shifts that were short, but had not covered any shifts. The Board also transferred part-time dispatcher Mary Alice Wilson to full-time to replace Palmer.
The CPD is also looking to bring back reserve officers to assist the department.
“Chief has been talking about adding a reserve unit,” Pickering said. “The state will pay $400 per officer toward training. If we start looking at reserve officers, Clint (McMurry, director of Columbia Law Enforcement Training Academy) said he would honor the $400, which would help us out. It is for the part-time academy. It is normally $600, but we would be able to train them for $400 so there is not additional cost to the city.”
McKenzie spoke about the reserve program.
“They went through the part-time certification and then they worked as volunteer officers,” he said. “There were quite a few of them. It think it would be a good thing to bring them back.”
Ward 1 Alderman Wendell Hammond made a motion, which was seconded by Ward 4 Alderman Mike Smith, that would allow the police department to create a reserve unit. The Board voted 5-0 to approve it.
Alderman Edward Hough then asked about enforcement of ordinances.
“The chief (Michael Kelly) was our ordinance person before he was named chief,” Hough said. “We need to keep that in mind. Is he thinking we will do something with that?”
Pickering said that with the department at full staff, officers should be able cover calls and enforce ordinances.
“We will have three officers on day shift plus the administrative officers and four on night shift,” she said, “Then it will be the officers’ job to start enforcing them like what he was doing. We have a copy of the ordinances and will study them and we will do training and be able to enforce that.”
Pictured Above: Shane Brown takes his oath to serve as a Columbia Police Department Officer Tuesday from Mayor Justin McKenzie at City Hall. | Photo by Mark Rogers
