Columbus Names New Police Chief

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- During the first city council meeting of 2018 in Columbus, the mayor and council name a new police chief.

Assistant Police Chief Frederick Shelton was named the new chief of Police.

The announcement comes just days after Oscar Lewis’s last day on the job before retirement.

Chief Shelton, has been with Columbus PD since the beginning of his career 34 years ago.

Shelton says he’s thrilled to serve as the city’s chief and knows there is work to be done.

He says he’s aiming to make the department effective, efficient and proactive.

“We start interacting with the community more. We develop a proactive community policing program. We get citizens and volunteers involved in helping out the police department. We become a community partner, not a community that’s there to arrest, but we become a partner,” said Chief Shelton.

The vote to promote Shelton was unanimous and his promotion is effective immediately.