Chief Mark Ballard and the Starkville Police Department welcomed three new officers on Thursday, the department said in a Facebook post. Officers John Derivaux, Halli Powers and Arex Wyatt were sworn in this morning by Mayor Lynn Spruill, the department said.
The Starkville Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency serving Starkville, Mississippi, a city that includes Mississippi State University and surrounding residential and commercial areas. Swearing-in ceremonies formally place recruits under the authority of the department and mark the start of their duties in public safety roles.
Adding new officers can affect patrol coverage, response times and community policing efforts, department officials often say when announcing hires. Public safety leaders typically cite recruitment and retention as ongoing priorities for maintaining service levels, especially in growing communities.
Details about the officers’ previous experience, assignments or training were not included in the post. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
