The police chiefs for the Kemper County towns of DeKalb and Scooba have both resigned and accepted positions with the sheriff's department. Both now serve as deputies and investigators there.

"I wouldn't call it 'snagging'," said Kemper County Sheriff James Moore. "There were other opportunities. We presented other opportunities for them and the great thing about this is it's a win-win win situation for Kemper County. All that experience stays right in the county. We can better serve our citizens."

Scooba has not yet appointed a police chief, but DeKalb has. Capt. Steven Jackson, who was second in command to the chief, has now been appointed interim chief.

"In every aspect, we usually do that when we hire a position or appoint somebody to a position," said DeKalb Mayor Homer Hall. "It's usually on a trial position and just to see how things go. And usually it works out, and that person is usually named to that position usually after it happens."

"We have a growing gang activity in DeKalb's city limits," said Jackson. "And of course drugs that's, everybody knows we've always had a problem with.
And also crimes against properties such as burglaries, thefts, grand larcenies."

At this time there is no word on when Scooba will appoint a new chief of police. But DeKalb's new interim chief he says he is hitting the ground running by requiring more training for officers, starting now.

"We've also instituted a training in house, which will basically be in-service which I will be directly responsible for doing," said Jackson. "Because the state requires us to have at least a minimum 8 hours a year for officers. I'm going to make it mandatory that you have at least 80 hours of training a year."

Mayor Hall says, for now, the town's board of alderman has appointed Jackson to serve a 6-month trial period. After six months he says the board will decide whether or not Jackson will officially be appointed to that position.