Indianola Police Chief Edrick Hall could be leaving the department this summer.
Hall and Indianola Mayor Steve Rosenthal confirmed an earlier media report that Hall has been chosen to fill the assistant chief position in Columbus.
The hire in Columbus is conditional on a background check, which is routine.
Hall told The Enterprise-Tocsin that while he is elated that he was chosen for the position, he is still in prayer about it and has not 100 percent decided whether he will make the move.
If he does accept the offer, he will likely start his new job in July.
Hall said that he is committed to leaving the department in a better position than when he started.
He noted that when he began as chief in Indianola, he was eight officers short of being fully staffed. Today, Hall said he is just two officers shy of having a full department.
He also said that he is working on a grant that he would like to see completed, as well as coordinating security for the B.B. King Homecoming Festival on June 2.
Hall said he would like for the incoming chief to have a strong policy base to work from.
Rosenthal said he is aware that Hall has been tapped for the Columbus job.
“I congratulate Chief Hall on his promotion to a much larger police force and greater responsibility,” Rosenthal said. “I am confident that he will move their police department up as he has done here in Indianola. Chief Hall, during his tenure here, has turned IPD into one of the most respected and professional police departments in this part of the state.”
The Commercial Dispatch was the first to report Hall’s hiring, saying that he will make an annual salary of $66,000 in the new position.
Hall, who has served as Indianola’s top police officer for two years also spent time as police chief in Inverness. He has a total of 18 years of law enforcement experience, the report said.
During his time as IPD chief, Rosenthal said Hall has been effective in reducing crime and boosting moral in the department.
“We have seen a tremendous drop in violent crime as well as a greater number of arrests and convictions,” Rosenthal said. “He has put systems in place that has boosted moral and improved officer performance. I hate for him to leave us but am proud of what he has done for all of the citizens of Indianola and wish him well in his new position.”
