Newly appointed Columbia Police Chief Michael Kelly wasted no time taking action to fill empty patrol spots and deal with an aging fleet of cruisers.
Kelly spoke with the Board of Aldermen during its meeting Tuesday and received permission to sell four damaged or poorly running vehicles and hired several part-time officers and dispatchers and one full-time officer.
The Board also approved and accepted Kelly’s mission statement and list of values for officers of the CPD.
“The department has several vehicles that the department has put a lot of money in keeping them repaired,” he said. “It’s time to go ahead and move those vehicles to the surplus line and go ahead and auction them, so we can start the process of getting some new vehicles.”
They will be included with other items sent to Columbia Auction Company for a future auction.
“I’d also like to ask you to consider how much money we have in the budget, if any, to start replacing these cars,” Kelly said. “It won’t need to be done today. It’s the will of the Board on how we want to replace these. We could get quotes or state contract prices.”
City Attorney Lawrence Hahn told Kelly to work with the mayor to find out what is on state contract and available. Hahn said if the vehicles were sold on state contract, the bid process did not apply.
“We had looked at some already used police cars with 30,000 to 40,000 miles and ready to go,” Ward 4 Alderman Mike Smith said. “Depending on what the state contract price is, we’ll compare and see which way we need to go on that.”
Kelly also brought a proposal to the Board to help quell burglaries at the fire station on Evergreen Street.
“Chief (Jeff) McKenzie has had several burglaries at the station,” he said. “These were things stolen from inside the fire station as well as employees of the city whose vehicles have been broken into. It’s a high-crime area, and his suggestion was to put a security camera system at the fire station.”
Mayor Justin McKenzie said the police and fire chiefs had examined systems that were under $1,000. Gates have been installed on the parking lot to help deter the crimes.
“If you’re going to do it for one fire station, do it for both,” Ward 1 Alderman Wendell Hammond said.
Mayor McKenzie said he wanted to ensure that the Board was OK with the cameras being installed. Both Chief McKenzie and Kelly will work together on the effort.
Kelly also approached the Board about several hires.
The Board approved hiring full-time officer Andrew Reid, who had left the CPD last year for the Hattiesburg Police Department but had told Kelly he wished to return to duty here. It also approved Taner Breakfield and Justin Corley as certified part-time patrol officers. The Board also approved Kelly’s recommendations to hire Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies Brandon Carney and Michael Hudson as part-time officers. The two will work on days off from their full-time jobs. Kelly also recommended Mary Alice Wilson as a part-time certified dispatcher.
“We have an immediate need for dispatchers,” Kelly said. “One of our full-time people is out on maternity leave. Wilson has worked with me up in Covington County and is a full-time dispatcher. She would work part-time as she’s available.”
The Board also hired Tyler Pittman as a part-time, non-certified dispatcher.
The next board meeting is 4 p.m. April 3 at City Hall.
