Different Paths, Same Mission
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Win $100! Play CASHWORDS, See page 4A ESTABLISHED 1879 | COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI CDISPATCH.COM 50 ¢ NEWSSTAND | 40 ¢ HOME DELIVERY TUESDAY | MAY 26, 2015 Police forces face challenges filling rosters Chief: Officer recruiting, retention not like it used to be City Pop. Officers Starting pay Columbus 23,518 54 $34,650 Starkville 24,775 55 $31,800 Tupelo 35,827 112 $34,951 BY ZACK PLAIR [email protected] It’s not like it used to be. Of that, Columbus Police Chief Tony Carleton is sure. In a society where police work is infinitely more chal- lenging, Carleton said it isn’t necessarily “harder” to find Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff qualified officers to fill his ros- Columbus Police Officers Mo Eguires and Chris Ware both joined the force last year. Chief Tony Carleton says ter. It does, however, take a lit- Carleton today’s officers face a much different world than they did a decade ago because of changes in technology and tle more reading between the public perception of law enforcement. lines. Today’s police officers face a more tech- nologically sophisticated criminal element, while also facing tougher media scrutiny and a citizenry who often doesn’t trust them. Plus, as incidents such as the May 9 shooting Different paths, same mission in Hattiesburg where two police officers were killed on a traffic stop starkly remind them, each day officers put on uniforms could be Columbus police officers still joining up despite hazards their last. The ones who join police forces despite all BY ZACK PLAIR that, Carleton said, do it with the knowledge [email protected] that they probably will not get rich. “They’re not here for the pay,” Carleton said. “They’re here to protect and serve. It’s my job to make sure they are properly trained Columbus police officer Mo Eguires Columbus police officer Chris Ware to know why they are here.” In fact, many full-time officers work sec- Some things just can’t be unseen. For Columbus police officer Chris ond — sometimes third — jobs. Police officer days are filled with Ware, everything in life is a choice. Officer Chris Ware, an 18-year law en- such moments, but for 27-year-old pa- Since he was young, he said he’s forcement veteran who joined CPD last June, trol officer and Iraq war veteran Mo chosen to help others, and that’s why works in construction and mows yards on the Eguires, one on-the-job sight reso- he ultimately chose to be a police offi- side. His coworker, Mo Eguires who joined nates as the worst. cer. the force last fall, also teaches at the Law En- Working a traffic accident on a “I came from a long line of preach- forcement Training Academy in Moorehead. highway one night, he arrived to a ers,” Ware said. “(When I became Eguires Ware “We believe in work,” Ware said. “We have scene where a drunk driver had trav- an adult) I wasn’t quite ready to be a to.” eled down the wrong side of the divid- preacher. So I figured being a police The recruiting and retention game has ed roadway and struck a vehicle head-on. As he ap- officer was the next best thing.” changed quite a bit, too, Carleton said, since proached the wreckage, he saw a baby bottle lying on Ware, 41, spent much of his 18-year career as a po- he first started in police work. Part of that, the ground beside one of the vehicles. lice officer with the Okolona and Chickasaw County he said, comes from the national spotlight on “That’s when I knew it was going to be bad,” departments before joining Columbus Police Depart- incidents like those in Hattiesburg, as well as Eguires said, choking back emotions as he recalled ment last June. attention to Ferguson, Missouri, Baltimore the scene. His affable nature translates well to the position, and New York, where police officers killed The drunk driver lived, he said. The family of five he said, because he easily relates to people and can unarmed suspects in the line of duty and See EGUIRES, 8A See WARE, 8A See RECRUITING, 8A Columbus native juggles love of Performing at the House music, medicine with UMMC band of Blues, the 4 Hearts, 1 Violin lover McGinty Chilcutt’s love of music and improvisation Beat mem- bers are, from brought him to the House of Blues in New Orleans left, Jorge Jimenez, Kelly Pippin, BY ISABELLE ALTMAN medicine goes hand in hand relaxes him. McGinty [email protected] with his love of music. “They just saturate your Chilcutt, Drew Despite his hectic sched- entire life with medical Smith and Columbus native Mc- ule as a third-year medical knowledge (in med school),” John Bridg- Ginty Chilcutt is a third- student, Chilcutt makes he said. es. Chilcutt, year medical student at the time to practice and play his McGinty, son of Jack who plays University of Mississippi violin whenever he can. It’s and Laurie Chilcutt, grew the violin, is up in downtown Columbus a Columbus Medical Center whose something vastly separate native. immersion into the world of from the medical field. It See BAND, 3A Courtesy photo/ Dr. Lyssa Weatherly WEATHER FIVE QUESTIONS CALENDAR LOCAL FOLKS PUBLIC MEETINGS 1 Which country has the world’s lon- Today through Saturday, June 1: Lowndes Supervi- gest coastline? sors, Courthouse, 9 a.m. 2 What animal was Bill Clinton mauled May 26-30 June 2: Columbus City by when he was 8, which he describes ■ “Almost, Maine”: This Council, Municipal Complex, as: “the awfullest beating I ever Starkville Community Theatre sea- 5 p.m. took”? son extra consists of nine short June 9: Columbus Municipal 3 What D.H. Lawrence novel was plays about love and loss. Perfor- originally titled “Tenderness”? School District Board meet- Emma Jane Rhett mances are at 7:30 p.m. at the 4 What is the name for a tropical ing, Brandon Central Office, Second grade, Heritage Playhouse on Main, 108 E. Main cyclone that has wind speeds of 40- 6 p.m. St., Starkville. Gabe Smith directs. 73 mph? June 15: Lowndes Supervi- High Low 5 What part of Manhattan was the For more information, contact the 77 65 backdrop for many of the photos by box office, 662-323-6855. sors, Courthouse, 9 a.m. T-storms likely James Van Der Zee? June 16: Columbus City Full forecast on Council, Municipal Complex, page 2A. Answers, 8B Friday, May 29 5 p.m. ■ Star & Micey/McDill benefit: Star & Micey perform for a Chris July 7: Columbus City McDill “Go Grey in May” Benefit at Council, Municipal Complex, INSIDE The Princess Theater in downtown 5 p.m. Columbus. Show starts at 9 p.m.; Amanda Taylor lives in Caledo- July 21: Columbus City Classifieds7B Obituaries 5A admission is $5. May is Brain nia and is a stay-at-home mom. Council, Municipal Complex, 136TH YEAR, NO. 64 Comics 6B Opinions 6A Cancer Awareness Month. She likes to shop. 5 p.m. DISPATCH CUSTOMER SERVICE 328-2424 | NEWSROOM 328-2471 2A TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2015 THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com SAY WHAT? DID YOU HEAR? “When we fired up, he chose the middle, I knew that was my chance.” Rick Rickman, talking about his strategy to beat John Nash, wife, ‘A Beautiful Scott Dedwyler in the Super Late Model race at Mind’ inspiration, die in NJ Tuesday Magnolia Motor Speedway on Sunday. Story, 1B. THE ASSOCIatED PRESS A THOUSAND WORDS TRENTON, N.J. — John Forbes Nash Jr., a mathematical genius whose struggle with schizophrenia was chroni- cled in the 2001 movie “A Beautiful Mind,” has died along with his wife in a car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. He was 86. Nash and Alicia Nash, AP Photo/Laura Rauch, File In this 2002 file photo, 82, of Princeton Township, John Nash, left, and his were killed in a taxi crash wife Alicia, arrive at the Saturday, state police said. 74th annual Academy A colleague who had re- Awards, in Los Angeles. ceived an award with Nash most recently serving as in Norway earlier in the a senior research mathe- week said they had just matician. He won the No- flown home and the cou- bel Prize in economics in ple had taken a cab home 1994 for his work in game from the airport. theory, which offered in- Russell Crowe, who sight into the dynamics of portrayed Nash in “A human rivalry. It is consid- Beautiful Mind,” tweeted ered one of the most in- that he was “stunned.” fluential ideas of the 20th “An amazing partner- century. ship,” he wrote. “Beautiful Just a few days ago, minds, beautiful hearts.” Nash had received a prize In a statement Sunday, from the Norwegian Acad- his co-star in the film, Jen- emy of Sciences and Let- nifer Connelly, called the ters in Oslo with New York Mark Wilson/Dispatch Staff couple “an inspiration,” University mathematician and the film’s director, Ron Louis Nirenberg, who ABOVE: World War II veteran Howard, tweeted that “it said he’d chatted with the Joe Mobley, was an honor telling part couple for an hour at the right, and Ray of their story.” airport in Newark before Tomlinson, a Known as brilliant and they’d gotten a cab. Niren- veteran of the eccentric, Nash was as- berg said Nash was a truly Korean and sociated with Princeton great mathematician and Vietnam wars, University for many years, “a kind of genius.” salute during the Me- morial Day Cere- mony held at the CONTACTING THE DISPATCH Oktibbeha Coun- Office hours: Main line: ty Courthouse n 8 a.m.-5 p.m.