JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Jasper’s Board of Mayor & Aldermen unanimously approved the hiring of new officers for the town’s police department, as well as an increase in pay for all officers for the department.
During the meeting, Jasper Mayor Jason Turner presented three new applicants who were recently interviewed for roles as officers for the town’s police department: Larry Nathan Smith, Mark Haley, and Matthew Griffith. According to both Turner and Vice Mayor Les Price, all three candidates left a good first impression during each interview. Because of this, Price was immediate to make motion to hire all three candidates into the police department, his motion supportively backed by the rest of the board.
“We had very impressive interviews with them. They’re really quality candidates,” Turner said. “We’re excited to get them.”
Following the board’s approval to hire Smith, Haley, and Griffith, the council examined a packet regarding the increase in pay for all officers of the police department. According to Turner, the proposed item would allow Jasper to have a “competitive” edge in terms of pay for the police department, the overall rate to match with other police departments in the region. After further discussion and examination, the board unanimously agreed to increase the overall pay rate for the police department in Jasper, cementing additional pay to all officers under the local department.