Police to switch up service weapons

The Philadelphia Police Department got the go-ahead to change the weapon officers use while on duty last Tuesday during a regular meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. 

The department will be changing from a Glock 40 to a Glock 9mm. 

Police Chief Eric Lyons said the department will be ordering 30 new Glock 9mm weapons within the next week. 

Each will come with a holster and scope. The total cost will be around $23,000. This cost will be paid for by trading in the old guns and from money in the Drug Seizure Fund, Lyons said. 

“That should cover it,” he said. “Other law enforcement agencies are going to the 9mm and the ammunition is slightly cheaper,” he said. 

Aldermen approved the request on a 4-0 vote. Ward 1 aldermen Justin Clearman was out of town on business and did not attend the meeting. 

In other matters, aldermen voted to: 

• Approve travel, registration and other expenses for the mayor, board members and the city clerk to attend the Mississippi Municipal League meeting on the Coast; 

• Approve a payment of $6,606 to Waggoner Engineering for work on the Booker T. Washington gym renovation project; 

• Approve the hiring of two part-time employees for summer help with the Cemetery Department; 

• Approve a request to promote Adam Joe, Lindsay Kidd, Brad Crockett and William Anderson to staff sergeant effective in the Police Department at the pay rate of $18.27 per hour. 

Aldermen also approved the termination of one employee. They approved the hiring of Peyton George in the PD; 

• Approve the promotion of Quentin Stephens to captain in the Fire Department at the rate of $13.88; and, 

• Approve the promotion of Austin Gray in the Sanitation Department due to his 90-day