This is part 2 in a series The Enterprise-Tocsin is doing on Indianola’s dwindling police force and the impact of understaffing on crime, morale and justice in the city.
Arriel Hutchenson didn’t necessarily aspire to being a police officer when she was young, but if asked at the age of 6 what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would have said a lawyer.
Fast forward 15 years to when she turned 21, Hutchenson was still looking for a long-term career and an impulsive decision made her change that original answer to law enforcement.
“I woke up one morning and said ‘Hey, let me do policing. I think I have what it takes.’ I passed the academy and became certified, and here I am today,” Hutchenson said.
Hutchenson said it was her love for children that drove her toward law enforcement and a career at the Indianola Police Department.
“To see they had no sense of trust in the police officers in general,” Hutchinson said, “It hurt me, and I wanted to be that person to change their outlook on officers.”
Hutchenson felt it was essential to be a part of the community.
“If I can become a police officer, I can get out in my community,” Hutchinson said. “I could play basketball, buy them little knickknacks. I could be the change that they need, the positive officer that comes into their life.”
Hutchenson has grown not only as an officer but also as an individual, she said.
“I’ve never been one to socialize, but being an officer helps me get out of my comfort zone, and it allows me to help others,” Hutchenson said. “So being that voice that the community needs, being that voice that our children need, that is the thing that I like best. I like being able to help, and being a policeman, I’m able to be a big help.”
Being an officer does come with its challenges.
Hutchenson is currently juggling being a full-time student, full-time police officer, a reserve member of the military and an entrepreneur.
She is a small busines owner and sells a variety of merchandise.
Hutchenson studied criminal justice and pre-law at Mississippi Valley State University. Hutchenson is currently working on obtaining her Masters of Science in social justice & criminology at Delta State University.
She currently serves in the Mississippi National Guard. Hutchenson said she focuses on her business when she is not at work, drill or school.
“It makes it harder, because I have so little time to do it,” Hutchenson said. “I make a way because I know I am destined for success. I want to be successful, whether tired or working all day, without sleep. I have to do what it takes, because I know it will pay off in the future.”
The Indianola Police Department has not exactly had an influx of officers like Hutchenson in recent years.
In fact, the department has been losing some of its qualified officers to neighboring and larger departments around the state.
Hutchenson addressed the board of aldermen a few weeks ago at the request of Mayor Ken Featherstone, and she noted the pay level at the department was not competitive with other departments that are recruiting Indianola’s finest.
This has left the department understaffed, she said.
A battle has been raging at city hall over police raises. The majority of the board, at least for now, oppose another raise, noting that a bump from $12 an hour to $15 an hour a year ago did not help with retention.
Two weeks after Hutchenson addressed the board, Featherstone proposed a $1 an hour raise for certified officers, which was met with opposition.
Ward 5 Alderman Sam Brock did not mince words when talking about the proposed raises.
“If you are not satisfied with where you’re working, the highway goes this way, and the highway goes that way, and I’m not telling them to quit, but you knew the situation when you came here,” Brock said.
Featherstone addressed this again during a Facebook talk on Monday night.
“We have police officers that are resigning and leaving our town left and right, and we must do something about that,” he said.
Featherstone said Indianola pays less than many surrounding cities. He said the lack of a full-time police chief and the stagnant pay has caused a drop in morale at IPD.
He addressed the board’s opposition to raises on Monday night, specifically Brock’s statement.
“Can you imagine how demoralizing that was?” Featherstone said. “That statement made by a sitting board of alderman was insensitive. That statement was inappropriate and uncalled for. We cannot have our elected officials to think that our police officers are expendable.”
Hutchenson said a pay increase for officers would be helpful to her and her business.
“If I were to get a pay increase, I would use that money on my business,” Hutchenson said. “I’m real big on generational wealth and success. I would use that money to invest in myself one way or another.”
Featherstone said in a statement to The Enterprise-Tocsin last week that interviews for police chief candidates are ongoing, and he expressed optimism that a candidate would be presented to the board soon for hire.
