Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
The Columbia Board of Aldermen on Monday night hired two new Police Department patrolmen.
The new officers are already certified, according to Police Chief Jim Kinslow. They are Michael Green of Petal and Grant Hoover of Hattiesburg, and they both just graduated the Police Academy at Camp Shelby. Green has worked as a Lamar County corrections officer, and Hoover just came out of the Marine Corps, Kinslow said.
The Columbia Board of Aldermen last week abolished a residency policy that required Police Department employees to live in Marion County. Kinslow said the policy was done away with in an effort to get the most qualified employees, rather than only being able to draw applicants from Marion County. Even though he is not required to live here, Hoover may still relocate to Marion County, Kinslow noted.
There are now no longer any patrol vacancies in the Police Department, said Kinslow. There is a detective vacancy since the termination of Sherriann Fortenberry last month. Kinslow said that spot will not be filled anytime soon, noting that he is waiting to see what the new budget looks like when fiscal year 2010-2011 starts in October.
On a strictly personal note here I really wish you’d update our Columbia Police Chief Jim Kinslow’s photo. This one reminds me of a ussed car salesman just after he’s closed a deal on a clunker!
Perhaps a photo of him in uniform? With all of the controversy surrounding the department lately the last thing I’d care to see is that smirk appearing so often… I’s purely personal observation though and upon reflection perhaps this photo is appropriate.
MY QUESTION TO ALL MARION COUNTY PEOPLE DO YALL NOT SEE WHAT IS TAKING PLACE HERE WAKE UP AND SMELL
THE COFFEE, Y PUT A POLICY IN PLACE AND THEN TAKE IT OUT TO BENFIT SOMEONE ELSE RIGHT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IS WRONG IF WE ALL STOP LOOKING FOR WRONG IN EACH OTHER AMD TRYING TO PUT DIRT ON EACH OTHER WE WILL HAVE A BETTER COUNTY
CAUSE THERE IS NOONE IN THE COUNTY THAT CAN JUDGE ANYONE CAUSE WHEN YOU POINT A FINGER AT SOMEONE ELSE TAKE AT LOOK AT YOUR HAND AND WATCH THE FINGER IS ALSO POINTING AT YOU, Y WE ARE SITTING HERE ON EARTH TRYING TO JUDGE EACH OTHER WE NEED TO BE PRAYING FOR EACH OTHER CAUSE GOD SEES IT ALL.
Wow…What point were you trying to make exactly? Looks to me that nothing in this article is talking about pointing fingers or people finding wrong in each other. That wasn’t a clear or concise thought or statement in your post at all.
I wonder why they want to work in Columbia for ten thousand a year less than other cities???????????
All I can say is GOD BLESS these new officiers in making their first stop city of Columbia.
Told you it was coming!!!! Check it out!!!! Two hired- none from marion county- two from hattiesburg area!!!! Buddy Buddy system at work again!!!!!
Didn’t take him long to start putting marion county tax payers out of work
No barriers now to protect local jobs! How long before there will NOT be a home-town face in uniform?
I THINK OR POLICE CHIEF IS LOOKING OUT FOR FRIENDS LOOK THREW THOSE APPS AGAIN MAYBE YOU CAN FINE ONE FROM MARION COUNTY
The residency rules are changed. According to Kinslow, this was necessary to hire qualified people because Kinslow apparently thinks Marion County has no qualified applicants. OK, now, let’s see if these qualified, out-of-towners, can catch these burglars.
I agree, if the out-of-towners can solve the crimes, then Kinslow and the Alderman made the right decision. If not, then, we just have 4 more Marion County residents who are without a job.
I just wanted to turn up the heat under the pressure cooker.
Get the job done, and all sins will be forgiven. Fail and well……
I believe that out of town people will be a good thing for columbia, maybe they wont know as many locals and tend to ‘go easy’ on certain individuals! I saw something yesterday that COMPLETELY APPALLED ME!!! A car broke down at the red light at the corner of church and main st, with an officer right behing this vehicle, the driver of the car got out of the vehicle and pushed his car onto church st. ‘Columbia’s finest’, I use this term very loosely, turned on his lights for the man to clear main street, and then the officer turned onto church street behind the ’stranded vehicle,’ turned off his lights and went around him!!!! And SO 2 was immediately behind the police car and did the same thing minus turning on his lights. Am I wrong in thinking that officers are supposed to assist a stranded vehicle?
I guess we can see why he pushed to allow people from outside the county to be hired by the CPD. Hire all your friends Kinslow, CPD getting more and more corrupt everyday!!!!
I think l a reid should learn to spell first. If there were any qualified applicants in Marion County they would have preference. Its funny how most of the qualified Law Enforcement Officers soon leave the area after a dose of Marion County citizens…. Maybe you should ask yourself why??????
I am sure that no one in Columbia wanted those jobs, aye? Were they even advertised? Were citizens of Marion County given the opportunity to fill the positions? I would have no prob with the positions being filled by non-residents, if they would at the very least just give residents an opportunity first. Hummm, police chief that doesn’t live in Marion Co, new dispatcher that does not live in Marion Co, and two new police officers that don’t live in Marion Co. Seems that Marion Co. is being policed by people that have no stake in what does or doesn’t happen here!
When do we vote for the Board of Aldermen??? They seem to be the problem with all they are voting on.
Appearantly you people do not know what qualifications it takes to make a good law enforcement officer. If there were qualified officers in Marion Co. that had applied for the jobs, they may would have been hired. If the chief continues to hire uncertified, uneducated people then he will never be any better than the last one. Some of you may not want outsiders coming in to police our streets because then the “buddy buddy” system will not be on your side. I have said it before… Let these men do their jobs and don’t break the law and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
seriously people if you think you can do any better how about you go spend 5000 dollars of your hard earned money, go to the police academy,(which isnt an easy task at all) and become a police officer. one of the new hires is a marine, if you all dont have any faith in him then you should be ashamed of yourself. i personally think that we should have more police officers with military background. and the reason that some of the marion county taxpayers are out of work is because most of them are crooked or dont meet the government standards for employment.
It might be a good time to consider a vigilanty force. Oops!!!!! Did I say that?
FWIW, I’m assuming you intend to use the word in further communications; your words would carry more weight with proper spelling… No offence intended.
VIGILANTE
vig·i·lan·te /ˌvɪdʒəˈlænti/ Show Spelled[vij-uh-lan-tee] Show
–noun
1. a member of a vigilance committee.
2. any person who takes the law into his or her own hands, as by avenging a crime.
–adjective
3. done violently and summarily, without recourse to lawful procedures: vigilante justice.
Origin:
1825–35, Americanism: vigilant
I hope there is at least one person in Columbia who will welcome these men into this town. I’m sure they are so happy to have a job and if they have families, that is one less thing to worry about. It isn’t right to have so much hostility towards these men who are trying to make a living like the rest of us. At least treat the new officers with respect and not hold grudges against them.
I agree with ‘M’. No one should hold anything against these men. Its not their fault they needed a job and got hired in Columbia. We need to treat them with respect just as we would want to be treated if we went to another town to work…
I don’t think anyone will hold anything against these men. I just hope someone tells thems that if the Chief does anything wrong not to try to report him or they are gone. He has made things perfectly clear that they are not allowed to talk to the Mayor or any of the Aldermen. So that should tell you something. THE CHIEF APPARENTLY THINKS HE DOES NO WRONG. They have no voice.