Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
The Columbia Board of Aldermen has abolished a city policy that required all Police Department employees to live in Marion County.
Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow said he recommended to the Board of Aldermen that the residency policy be eliminated in order to get the most qualified job applicants. The policy that was abolished said that all people seeking employment with the Police Department must be a Marion County resident or become a resident within 90 days of employment.
Kinslow said a policy that requires employees to live in Marion County limits the pool of job applicants for the Police Department. A preference will still be given to local applicants, Kinslow said. For instance, if there are several applicants with equal qualifications applying for a job in the Police Department, the one who lives in Marion County will probably be hired, he said.
Kinslow himself lives outside Marion County, as he resides in Bassfield in Jefferson Davis County. The Board of Aldermen waived the residency policy for Kinslow when he was hired in February. Kinslow said he told the mayor and Board of Aldermen up front that he was not going to relocate to Marion County for the job. The Board hired him anyway on a 4-1 vote, with Alderwoman Cheryl Bourne voting against. The other aldermen said they hired Kinslow despite the residency policy because he was the most qualified for the job.
Kinslow noted that he lived in Jeff Davis County when he was assistant police chief in Hattiesburg and that many police departments do not have residency policies.
Kinslow said there are probably other Columbia Police Department employees who live outside Marion County, but he did not know how many.
The Board of Aldermen hired Rhonda Burnham of Covington County as a dispatcher for the Columbia Police Department in March after Kinslow recommended her. Kinslow said he used to work with Burnham at the Covington County Sheriff’s Office where he was the chief deputy prior to taking the police chief job here.
Kinslow said he recommended that Burnham be hired to work for the Columbia Police Department because she is a state certified dispatcher. Prior to Burnham being hired, there were no certified dispatchers working for the Columbia Police Department, Kinslow noted.
Kinslow added that Burnham plans on relocating to Marion County.
The Board voted 4-0 to abolish the residency policy on Tuesday. Alderwoman Bourne was absent, and Aldermen Edward Hough, Wendell Hammond, Renee Galloway and Todd Pittman voted to get rid of the policy.
There are currently two patrol officer vacancies in the Police Department that could be filled by applicants from outside Marion County.
This is so funny. Now that Kinslow managed to convince the alderman to get the residecy policy abolished, he has the nerve to say… an applicant with equal qualifications, that the one who lives in Marion county would probably be hired…the ”preference” sure wasn’t afforded to Childress who was just as qualified as Kinslow,and he DID live here… Again, kinda funny if you ask me!
funny also is the fact that the “CHIEF” did not qualify for the position since he was not and was not required to move to Marion County. However, he was probably the first to say that the fired dispatcher should have been dealt with years ago since he was not qualified for the dipatcher position. How convenient for the rules to be changed, just in time for the CHIEF to recommend a friend for the position. The polititions in this city and county are just following the president’s lead and doing whatever they want, when they want and later for the laws and the voices of the citizens that voted them into office.
Well now, we wouldn’t want to break up an old team would we?
Mind you, this is just a guess but I’m assuming one of the reasons the residency policy was adopted in the first place was so someone in such a position of responsibility would be readily accessible to fill his position in the event of an emergency or urgency. Another reason would probably be to make the residents of Columbia feel that the Chief of Police was a member of our community and had our interests at heart. I can think of many reasons to have a residency policy and none to abolish it; the best reason to keep it would be to give the patrolmen hope for advancement. Admittedly that hasn’t worked out too well for us in recent history but hope springs eternal and I, for one would rather have the devil I know… It’s easy enough to get rid of a city employee though, as evidenced by recent events, so take heart fellow Columbians – Terminating elected officials just take a little longer; I don’t see it getting much better any time soon though.
Before anyone suggests it: You couldn’t hold a gun on me and make me take any of the aforementioned jobs; I’ve had my fill of dirty politics and tit-for-tat, under-the-table dealings! I don’t think I could survive it again.
“PROBABLY BE HIRED?” Well, before we know it, there “probably” will not be anyone working from Marion County.
Guess we also know why a GED is of such great importance as well now!
We always have November to look forward too…
I am pleased to see this happen. I’m from Columbia but lived elsewhere in several different States before relocating back home. In my travels, I’ve seen issues when you stagnate your hiring to a small locale. It promotes corruption. To stay competitive in today’s world and obtain the best qualified, you sometimes have to expand your horizons. I could care less where my police officers live, just as long as they are knowledgeable, willing and able to protect me and my property. Thank you to the Mayor and the Board for helping bring this small town into modern times!!
I don’t believe this is a case of who cares where someone lives. It is more of a case of a pre=qualifying rule that has been over-ridden. I can agree with you about not caring where some lives and your reasoning, however, the elected officials around here overlook the rules and then change them after they totally disregard them to their own advantage or gain.
The plot thickens.
It seems that mayor, aldermen,police chief(no wonder they strained to hire him-he is a cohort to what they want ) have no shame, no conscience,or feeling for anyone but themselves.Agree with grasshopper and 2 cents.How convenient. The real shame is how many years the citizens and city employees(who must live on pins and needles) have to endure this mayor and aldermen.
YOU MEAN TO TELL THAT THERE ARE NOT ” ANY ” CERTIFIED DISPATCHERS WITH THE COLUMBIA POLICE DEPT. IN THE BOARDS AND CHIEF KINSLOWS STATMENT TO ABOLISH THE RULE THAT ONE HAS TO LIVE IN MARION COUNTY TO WORK FOR THE POLICE DEPT THAT PRIOR TO HIREING THE LADY BURNHAM,THERE WAS NO CERTIFIED DISPATCHERS WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPT. I MAY HAVE READ IT WRONG,BUT IT SURE SOUNDED THAT WAY. IF THAT IS THE CASE,WHY ARE THEY STILL WORKING???? IF YOU ARE GOING TO ENFORCE THE RULES,ENFORCE THEM ALL THE WAY.THIS ONLY GOES TO SHOW ONCE AGAIN THAT THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN DONT HAVE A CLUE WHAT IS GOING ON IN THEIR OWN CITY AS FAR AS RULES,BUT YOU LET A CONVENTION COME TO JACKSON OR THE GULF COAST,AND I BET ALL OF THEM WILL BE ON THAT TRAIN. OH YES WITH THEIR FAMILY’S. JUST MAKES YOU WONDER.
That’s it!!! Let’s change the policy when it doesn’t suit us and isn’t what we want. What other job have you seen where an employee can have the polices changed just to suit them? On every job I had, if you didn’t like the rules, the door of employment worked both ways. Don’t let it hit your end on the way out!!!
It seems to me Kinslow wants the rules changed so he can hire more of his buddies from Covington County. There are qualified applicants from Marion county but they seem to get overlooked in the application process.
Let’s sit back and see just how many of these qualified people are from Covington county or from Hattiesburg. (Two previous places of employment of Kinslow)
Maybe we need to consider electing a police chief instead of just appointing one.( We don’t like the policy so let’s change it- they do!!!!) Let the people they serve have a voice in the process. After all we pay their salaries!!!!!!!!
i think the whole marion co. / city to,are _____ nutzs.
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Seriously people quit complaining so much. The city is finally getting away from the corrupt politics and law enforcement that its been under for so long and all you people have to do is sit around and complain about it. Guess that’s what happens when elected officials try to steer clear of the old ways. Let them do their jobs. They didn’t just start this yesterday people.
Getting away from corruption in law enforcement and politics? Really?? They are just ridding themselves of anything that could and would stand in the way for their own brand of “good-ole-boy” politics! If anything does NOT allow for them to do just as they please, the “magic wands” appear and “TADA!” BEHOLD: the new and improved policies and procedures or in this case “abolishment of barriers!”
What do you want to bet that it will NOT be too long before there will be current police officers on the force that are found not “qualified” due them finding some little, qualification loop-hole to “make room” for some outside officer candidates that this new barrier eliminator has enabled them to use in hiring practices? They will TRY to blow the SAME smoke up our a** as with the chief about how lucky we are to have obtained such quality in this one-horse town!
You seem to NOT remember or NOT care that our fore-fathers built our great country by “complaining” and acting out against what they saw as unjust and unfair! People have the RIGHT to speak out against what is viewed as unjust and/or unfair actions even if those actions are being perpetrated in a little one-horse town such as Columbia. When it comes time for elections, you can bet your bottom dollar that I for one will seek out every registered voter I can and beg them to consider the actions of this current City administration before they make their “mark!” I know of many, many citizens that are so fed up with the current administation’s actions that I may not have to “panhandle” too much!
You are RIGHT!!!!!
Getting away from corrupt politics and law enforcemnet?Corrupt is firing someone, then rehiring them, promoting them, thenhaving them leave again. Evidently wasn’t too corrupt to start with or would not have hired him back.Is it corrupt to fire people because of personal reasons(such as wanting to hire your friends or “yes”men)not professional reasons?You are probably right-they didn’t start such unfairness yesterday.As for complaining,each citizen has the right to complain-especially when it is citizens who pay the salaries of this administration. And they don’t appear to care what those who pay their salary want. (This comment was shortened by the Marion County Informer)
Apparently, you neeed to open your eyes and ears. There is nothing wrong with “letting them do their jobs”, but, hoever, they need to do their jobs 100% of the time and not just when they feel like it or when they want to.
And the saga goes on and on and on. This is the kind of thing that Missississippi is famous for. I for one have never been more dissappointed with politicians in my life. What’s right for one is right for all,only if it pads the pocket of the ONE. Face it folks we just got shafted again and the Man gets the goldmine in the end. Everytime!!!!!!!
missississississississississississippi.
ummm, change the policy when it suits you, enforce it when when you have an “old friend” in mind…I do not like this double standard. Was the dispatcher given a choice, “get a GED”?
Such crap…ugh.
That dispatcher was not there that long for no reason…he obviously knows how to do the job…if there is some law that he needs whatever then he should have been able to get whatever he didnt have and STILL keep his job….
Hiring a “friend” from another county, really. As many people in Marion Co. that needs jobs? How convienent for Ms Burnham. Keep an eye on those two!!
ok….something wrong with this comment?
The problem with all the complainers is that they don’t see the big picture. Do you commenters realize how poorly run our law enforcement had been. I think Kinslow and the Aldermen are making a step in the right direction. It seems as if they are breaking up the mini-syndicate that had been created.
josh i have a question for the mayor and the chief if none of the other city dispatchers are state certified then why are they still working yet Mr. Louge was let go ?
This is just a suggestion (I’m full of them!): Just let the situation surrounding the dispatcher who was dismissed die down so he can either obtain his GED and try to return to his job or make another career choice.
All of the talking and stirring is just going to make it difficult for him to get on with his life; if he should return to his former position all of this animosity is going to make it difficult for him to perform at his best. It will also make for poor working relationships in the future. The law was enforced and that’s an end to it for the time being. I would have been better satisfied seeing a more humanitarian settlement but once the deficiency was discovered there was only one course of action available.
I recently saw Mr.Louge at a local store and he is enrolled in G.E.D. classes .He told me there was No. Hard Feelings towards anybody with the City of Columbia or the Police Dept. He said he would like to thank all those people that supported him through this and don’t be surprised if you see his name on a ballot come election time .