One of the first challenges facing newly appointed Jamestown Police Chief Nathan Antle is staffing the city’s police department.
Antle was appointed to the position by Jamestown Mayor Regena Hinton last Wednesday and was officially sworn in Monday afternoon.
His appointment comes as the department loses two officers.
Officer Corey Myers, who joined the Jamestown Police Department on July 1st, has accepted a position with the Columbia Police Department.
Officer Heath Tarter resigned from the department late last week. Tarter had been with Jamestown Police for just over eight years and graduated from the police academy in November of 2018.
Antle told WJRS NEWS he has already had initial conversations with people interested in joining the department and said hiring new officers will be a priority.
Antle also said he has spoken with Russell County Sheriff Derek Polston, who offered assistance from the sheriff’s office whenever needed. Antle said the two also discussed the importance of cooperation between local law enforcement agencies.
Recruiting and retaining officers has been a challenge for law enforcement agencies at the local, state and national levels in recent years.
Antle said he believes the City of Jamestown’s recent decision to re-establish hazardous duty retirement benefits for its police officers will be an important tool in recruiting new officers to the department.
