Video: Another Columbus Officer Resigns

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Numbers and ranks continue to dwindle at the Columbus Police Department.

The 20th officer in six months turns in his resignation.

Sgt. Pete Smith is giving the city a two week notice.

The department is budgeted to have 77 officers on the force.

Smith’s resignation means there will be 44 patrolmen.

Five resigned at the last city council meeting but city leaders did hire one new officer.

Columbus Mayor Robert Smith met with the entire department on Monday to offer support and reassure the cops that help is on the way.

The mayor told WCBI that Police Chief Oscar Lewis has a plan to hire more officers.

Right now there are about seven police officers on shift, when Smith says there should be closer to ten.