Changes In Store For Columbus PD

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton is putting plans in place he hopes will improve the department’s image.

Shelton outlined some of those changes while speaking to the Exchange Club on Thursday morning. He also released a statement to the media about the changes.

One focus is on transforming community policing into a quote, “department wide philosophy” instead of a program.

He says the entire department, not just patrol officers, will be in the public, interacting with the community and speaking at events.

“I believe it’s going to work. I believe that what I’m doing is for the best interest of this community and again, as I said before, we are going to be efficient, effective, and proactive and the citizens of this community, they’re our customer, and we’re going to provide a service for them that either exceeds, that either meets their exceptions, or exceed their expectations,” said Chief Shelton.

Officer Rhonda Sanders, who has led a number of community policing activities, confirmed to WCBI that she has filed a formal grievance against the police department.

She declined to comment on the nature of the grievance at the advice of her attorney.