The Phil Campbell Police Department has announced it will immediately be hiring for two full-time positions.

“Within the same week, we had one who resigned for medical reasons, a medical retirement, and then the chief gave me his notice for his last day to be June 1,” said Phil Campbell Mayor Steve Bell. “We only had two full-time officers, and those are the two who resigned.”

Chief Merrell Potter has been with the department for 16.5 years and will, Bell said, be a hard man to replace.

“He does a lot more than just police work. He’s the one I lean on and look to in town for just about everything we need,” Bell said.

“I’ve been doing it a long time. I turn 65 in May, and it just seemed like the right time to step aside and let somebody else take care of it,” said Potter, who came to the PCPD after 16.5 years in the Russellville Police Department. He will continue to pastor his church and looks forward to slowing down and spending more time with family.

“It’s something he’s been thinking about and praying about for a long time. I understand that and want to honor that,” Bell said.

In the PCPD, all other officers are part time, which makes it crucial that the department quickly replace its departing full-timers with well-qualified, reliable officers. Bell said the city will aim to replace fill the chief position as well as the other full-time officer position with two to three months.

“We’re just trying to get word out, word of mouth, that we’re taking applications and going to be looking,” Bell said. “We’re hoping to find that quality person who will be another long-term employee and not just fill a spot.”

Interested candidates can go by city hall to find out more information or fill out an application. Bell said while the chief position, by state law, is an appointment and must be voted on by the council, he will also put the full-time patrol officer position to a vote of the council.

“I want us to all be in agreement, so we do put it before the council,” Bell said.

If multiple candidates are strongly suited for the full-time patrol officer position, Bell said the city might consider hiring more than one, in addition to the chief. Having a smaller full-time staff supplemented with part-timers “is just what has worked best for us in the past.”