HPD to add four new officers soon

[Omerto]

I couldn't find where anyone posted this (http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060711/NEWS01/607110305&SearchID=73251042870056) article. If so, forgive me, but I haven't heard anyone comment on the new hires.

They are former Hattiesburg officer Tommy Cook from Purvis, Richard Bradley from McComb, Daryl Graves from the Pearl River Basin Narcotics Task Force and Brad Shafer from Jackson.

Please note, Tommy Cook was fired from HPD under Chief Charlie Sims because he was double-dipping. Cook was "working security" for a convenient store on Edwards Street and charging them for it WHILE on duty at Hattiesburg, performing his normal patrol.

Darryl Graves was fired from Lumberton and most recently Pearl River. He is being investigated by the State Auditor's office for possibly embezzlement.

I do not know anything about Bradley or Shafer, but if their credentials are anything like the others, we are in no better shape at HPD.

Maybe Wynn should take a closer look at Graves. Wynn offers support to Mexicans who claim officers took their money but he hires an officer that steals from the State?

[JB2379]

wow:smt102

[58ford]

With the previous 102 that makes 106?

[Jessica]

Oh, Wynn Wynn Wynn. What are you doing? :smt011

[58ford]

Does anybody out there know the exact number of HPD officers (counting Wynn) that we actually have on the street right now? (not counting the ones off fightin' wars & such)

[JB2379]

Does anybody out there know the exact number of HPD officers (counting Wynn) that we actually have on the street right now? (not counting the ones off fightin' wars & such)
I agree with you 58, I just wish they would stop all of this number crunching and just tell us how many officers we actually have working the streets.
Also, its just plain sad the quality of officers that Wwynn is recruiting

[CuriousOne]

I believe that there are (currently) 102 with 18 on military leave so that makes 84 actually active right? Yicks....

[TheKing]

cookie may have done something back in the day that he shouldnt have...we all have....

at any rate, he was a cop in purvis and I have to say that he is a great cop and a great man. Probably not the most athletic of the bunch, but he is still a good cop.

[58ford]

That's close to the number I've come up with (85) but should we count the 4 new hires? I don't remember if I counted the last guy that quit & went to work for the school PD, so maybe 84 is closer.
but if they work in three shifts that's only 28 officers on at a time, and I figure you've got some officers doing administrative stuff, and some whose jobs aren't directly connected to patroling/law enforcement.
This just doesn't seem like enough for a city this size.
Am I missing something?
If somebody has anything to say that will make me more confident in my city's law enforcement cababilities I'm listening.

[Omerto]

That's close to the number I've come up with (85) but should we count the 4 new hires? I don't remember if I counted the last guy that quit & went to work for the school PD, so maybe 84 is closer.
but if they work in three shifts that's only 28 officers on at a time, and I figure you've got some officers doing administrative stuff, and some whose jobs aren't directly connected to patroling/law enforcement.
This just doesn't seem like enough for a city this size.
Am I missing something?
If somebody has anything to say that will make me more confident in my city's law enforcement cababilities I'm listening.

58, they have 4 different shifts so you have about 10-11 officers per shift (excluding the Lt. & Sgt. on each shift) working the entire city of Hattiesburg at a time, depending on which shift is working. And some of those 10-11 officers are fresh out of the academy so they are still "in training."

[58ford]

dang.

[R1ZOOM]

cookie may have done something back in the day that he shouldnt have...we all have....

at any rate, he was a cop in purvis and I have to say that he is a great cop and a great man. Probably not the most athletic of the bunch, but he is still a good cop.


very true

[THERebelRouser05]

Ummm... question. I was told that the 102 number he keeps using is actually the TOTAL of people working at HPD... not just officers. That number includes receptionist, assistants, operators, etc... is that true????

[gilgamesh]

No, that is not true, Rebel Rouser, they are talking about sworn officers. And Omerto is right about the number of shifts. But something else that needs to be taken into consideration is that sworn officers (HPD is approved for 128 ) includes Wynn, Misenhelter, all the captains and lts. (who don't patrol), as well as officers at the academy. I believe it is around 10 officers who don't actually work the streets. What I don't know is if the 102 includes those, but I would be willing to bet it does.

[daisy]

I hope they get more police officers soon. I would hate for someone to die because of long response times. That's what I've been hearing lately. Fortunately, I've not heard of any injuries or fatalities from it. I would hate for the city's budget to be hurt I know people get very upset when loved ones are put in unnecessary danger because of slow response times.

.

[Omerto]

No, that is not true, Rebel Rouser, they are talking about sworn officers. And Omerto is right about the number of shifts. But something else that needs to be taken into consideration is that sworn officers (HPD is approved for 128 ) includes Wynn, Misenhelter, all the captains and lts. (who don't patrol), as well as officers at the academy. I believe it is around 10 officers who don't actually work the streets. What I don't know is if the 102 includes those, but I would be willing to bet it does.

102 includes all sworn personnel, be it the Chief, Asst Chief, Majors, and so on. So this 102 figure they keep mentioning, whether accurate or not, is not the actual number of guys patroling the streets. The only ones who patrol on a 24/7 basis are the Patrol Division. The traffic division which probably has about 4-5 officers (this includes the motorcycles) works day shift Mon-Fri. Detectives are included in this number, but they do not patrol the streets. So on a normal night, you have like I mentioned earlier, 10 or 11 guys protecting this great city of Hattiesburg.

[hlra07]

HPD could still use more officers. With the 4 new hires that will mean each of the 4 Patrol Shifts will get 1 officers. They need more than this.

[Maggie-Doodle]

You also have to take into consideration...nothing has really changed...they got four new officers, BUT it was just announced today that since yesterday FOUR MORE EXPERIENCED officers are leaving. Jr. Burnett, Jonathan Brown, Rick Hoerner and David Clayton....
Give it a few more days to a couple of weeks and their will be more...the new positions for FEMA inspectors are still to be filled...I would be willing to bet most of those 7-10 officers will be HPD officers as well.

[Omerto]

...Give it a few more days to a couple of weeks and their will be more...the new positions for FEMA inspectors are still to be filled...I would be willing to bet most of those 7-10 officers will be HPD officers as well.

Former HPD Detective Gerald Bordelon is going to work for the State Auditor's Office as an Investigator. Like you said, I'm sure there will be more HPD officers hired.

I heard Petal hired a former HPD officer today. All I heard was that an Officer Stringer was approved by the Aldermen. :smt102

[R1ZOOM]

Former HPD Detective Gerald Bordelon is going to work for the State Auditor's Office as an Investigator. Like you said, I'm sure there will be more HPD officers hired.

I heard Petal hired a former HPD officer today. All I heard was that an Officer Stringer was approved by the Aldermen. :smt102

That would be Officer Kyle Stuart, who has been discussed on here several times as an excellent officer.

[Kitty]

According to today's HA (http://hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060719/NEWS01/607190327/1002), there are 83 officers actually available to work, because 18 are on military leave.

83 officers.

[Omerto]

That would be Officer Kyle Stuart, who has been discussed on here several times as an excellent officer.

Thanks R1ZOOM. I just realized that when I read it on HA's website.

Wynn said he was unaware of Officer Kyle Stuart having plans to quit.
"I haven't gotten a letter on him," he said.