New hires at the Columbus Police Department will now have a year to establish residency in Lowndes County.
Thursday night, the Civil Service Commission approved a change that would allow new hire 365 days to move into Lowndes County. Previously, new officers had to be a Lowndes County resident within 183 days.
Interim Chief Tony Carleton recommended the change. Carleton, who has a home in Tupelo and a temporary residence in Columbus, said the economy was the driving force behind his motion.
“It’s kind of unrealistic to expect someone to move within six months,” Carleton said. “With the economy the way it is, expecting them to move their whole family, it’s just very taxing on your employee. I don’t want to miss out on a quality applicant because of that rule.”
The change will be effective immediately.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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