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Robert Hall
The state Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training sent an email to its members during the weekend informing them of the decision, said board chairman and Amory Police Chief Ronnie Bowen.
Bowen said the email was sent by board director Robert Davis, whose office had made the decision, and that it had verbally notified the Tupelo Police Department.
On Monday, police Chief Tony Carleton said he still hadn’t received the denial letter and therefore had no comment.
Davis was out of the office and unavailable for comment.
Hall’s application had been sent last week Tuesday, nearly six months after Tupelo rehired the deputy chief. He previously had held the position, but resigned in 2007 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges relating to his release of a hit-and-run suspect a year earlier.
Hall relinquished his state law-enforcement certification at the time and must reapply to get it back. Without it, Hall cannot make arrests.
City Council members have repeatedly urged Carleton to seek Hall’s recertification after the chief initially said it wasn’t necessary; Hall’s job is mainly administrative.
Because the certification was denied, the city must now appeal that decision to the board, which meets again on Sept. 9, Bowen said.
The city will have an opportunity to present evidence, and Hall can testify at the hearing.
“We have given certifications back in the past,” said Bowen, now in his second term on the board. “Each case ought to rest on its own merits.”
If Hall’s request is denied by board, the city can appeal to the Lee County Chancery Court.
Contact Emily Le Coz at (662) 678-1588 or emily.lecoz@djournal.com.
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I take it from your statements that it wasn't your child that was hit by the underage drunk driver and injured for life or you might feel differently. Bottom line - Robert broke the law and then agreed to a plea bargain to reduce his charges from felonies to misdeamors. Let me repeat that in case you missed it the first time - he broke the law. Teachers and other licensed professionals can be stripped of their "licenses or certificates" for the same reasons. When that happens, they can appeal, however, IF they BROKE THE LAW, their state granted license to practice that profession is revoked and they are no longer allowed to practice that profession...due to lack of certification. No certificate or license - no job. The end.
Take a walk down the steets of Tupelo. Make note of the fact that you are in a growing city where even the "bad" parts of town are still safe. Then ask yourself...That would be because of programs and ideas brought to the table during the McCullough and Otis administrations when Robert was the assistant chief and the captain the SOG team. When you finish thinking about that go to Haven Acres, Green Street, Lawndale, they are safe now, but they weren't before SOG, Me, city officers and bike patrols put our heads together. Robert is an honest cop who has done a lot to Tupelo safer. Say thank you and leave him to do his job. He one of the main reasons you get to not worry about being shot on thre street.
Reed = bad for the dept. that is bad for morale
I have talked with several and none of every one of them have been unhappy and seem down about the whole deal. Not a single one that I've spoken with seems to have any respect for Hall.
But why feel sorry for Carlton? Coming in as Reed's hand picked man, 1st thing he did was enthusiastically put Hall back to 2nd in charge. Right where he was before they moved him BEFORE his trial and plea bargain. It appears he and Reed are now reaping what they have sown(SP?).
I actually feel sorry for the chief in this situation. This ordeal is making him look like a big dummy in the law enforcement community through out the state!
Whats the saying ? Politicians make strange bedfellows. If thats true, they are all already at the future crime scene.
As Amended
SEC. 45-6-11. Law enforcement officer qualifications; recertification after leaving law enforcement; certification; reprimand, suspension or revocation of certification.
(1) Law enforcement officers already serving under permanent appointment on July 1, 1981, and personnel of the division of community services under Section 47-7-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, serving on July 1, 1994, shall not be required to meet any requirement of subsections (3) and (4) of this section as a condition of continued employment; nor shall failure of any such law enforcement officer to fulfill such requirements make that person ineligible for any promotional examination for which that person is otherwise eligible. Provided, however, if any law enforcement officer certified under the provisions of this chapter leaves his employment as such and does not become employed as a law enforcement officer within two (2) years from the date of termination of his prior employment, he shall be required to comply with board policy as to rehiring standards in order to be employed as a law enforcement officer; except, that, if any law enforcement officer certified under this chapter leaves his employment as such to serve as a sheriff, he may be employed as a law enforcement officer after he has completed his service as a sheriff without being required to comply with board policy as to rehiring standards. Part-time law enforcement officers serving on or before July 1, 1998, shall have until July 1, 2001, to obtain certification as a part-time officer.
(2) Any person who has twenty (20) years of law enforcement experience and who is eligible to be certified under this section shall be eligible for recertification after leaving law enforcement on the same basis as someone who has taken the basic training course. Application to the board to qualify under this subsection shall be made no later than June 30, 1993.
(3) (a) No person shall be appointed or employed as a law enforcement officer or a part-time law enforcement officer unless that person has been certified as being qualified under the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
(b) No person shall be appointed or employed as a law enforcement trainee by any law enforcement unit for a period to exceed two (2) years. The prohibition against the appointment or employment of a law enforcement trainee for a period not to exceed two (2) years may not be nullified by terminating the appointment or employment of such a person before the expiration of the time period and then rehiring the person for another period. Any person, who, due to illness or other events beyond his control, could not attend the required school or training as scheduled, may serve with full pay and benefits in such a capacity until he can attend the required school or training.
(c) No person shall serve as a law enforcement officer in any full-time, part-time, reserve or auxiliary capacity during a period when that person's certification has been suspended, cancelled or recalled pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(4) In addition to the requirements of subsections (3), (7) and (8) of this section, the board, by rules and regulations consistent with other provisions of law, shall fix other qualifications for the employment of law enforcement officers, including minimum age, education, physical and mental standards, citizenship, good moral character, experience and such other matters as relate to the competence and reliability of persons to assume and discharge the responsibilities of law enforcement officers, and the board shall prescribe the means for presenting evidence of fulfillment of these requirements. Additionally, the board shall fix qualifications for the appointment or employment of part-time law enforcement officers to essentially the same standards and requirements as law enforcement officers. The board shall develop and implement a part-time law enforcement officer training program that meets the same performance objectives and has essentially the same or similar content as the programs approved by the board for full-time law enforcement officers and the board shall provide that such training shall be available locally and held at times convenient to the persons required to receive such training.
(5) Any elected sheriff, constable, deputy or chief of police may apply for certification. Such certification shall be granted at the request of the elected official after providing evidence of satisfaction of the requirements of subsections (3) and (4) of this section. Certification granted to such elected officials shall be granted under the same standards and conditions as established by law enforcement officers and shall be subject to recall as in subsection (7) of this section.
(6) The board shall issue a certificate evidencing satisfaction of the requirements of subsections (3) and (4) of this section to any applicant who presents such evidence as may be required by its rules and regulations of satisfactory completion of a program or course of instruction in another jurisdiction equivalent in content and quality to that required by the board for approved law enforcement officer education and training programs in this state, and has satisfactorily passed any and all diagnostic testing and evaluation as required by the board to ensure competency.
(7) Professional certificates remain the property of the board, and the board reserves the right to either reprimand the holder of a certificate, suspend a certificate upon conditions imposed by the board, or cancel and recall any certificate when:
(a) The certificate was issued by administrative error;
(b) The certificate was obtained through misrepresentation or fraud;
(c) The holder has been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude;
(d) The holder has been convicted of a felony; or
(e) Other due cause as determined by the board.
(8) When the board believes there is a reasonable basis for either the reprimand, suspension, cancellation of, or recalling the certification of a law enforcement officer or a part-time law enforcement officer, notice and opportunity for a hearing shall be provided in accordance with law prior to such reprimand, suspension or revocation.
(9) Any full- or part-time law enforcement officer aggrieved by the findings and order of the board may file an appeal with the chancery court of the county in which such person is employed from the final order of the board. Such appeals must be filed within thirty (30) days of the final order of the board.
(10) Any full- or part-time law enforcement officer whose certification has been cancelled pursuant to this chapter may reapply for certification, but not sooner than two (2) years after the date on which the order of the board cancelling such certification becomes final.
(11) Any temporary deputy sheriffs appointed as provided in Section 19-25-21 shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.
SOURCES: Laws, 1981, ch. 474, § 6; Laws, 1990, ch. 434, § 3; Laws, 1992, ch. 415, § 1; Laws, 1993, ch. 584, § 1; Laws, 1994, ch. 516, § 2; Laws, 1998, ch. 394, § 3; Laws, 1999, ch. 506, § 1, HB 581, eff from and after July 1, 1999.
Name just one!
Anyone?
Hall Certification Request Denied