City of Natchez appoints first female police chief
NATCHEZ, Miss. (WLBT) - “I am humbled that I am actually being given the opportunity to showcase what I know.”
Cal Green officially became the first female police chief of the City of Natchez Tuesday, and she says it feel like she is living a dream.
She is the first female to ever hold the job, but the history maker is no stranger to the word first.
“I was the first female housing officer for the Natchez Police Department, and I was the first certified Adams County Sheriff’s Office Female Deputy,” Chief Green said. “In fact, I was the first deputy there and it took them 10 years to hire at another woman to be on the road there. When I came to work at the Natchez police department, I was the first female commander to ever serve at this department, and now I am the first female chief.”
The Board of Aldermen voted 5 to 1 to appoint Green as the city’s top cop.
In her new role as the city’s police chief, she has a long to-do list, which includes officer recruitment and retention.
Right now, the Natchez Police Department is 15 officers short.
She plans to visit colleges, high schools and hosts job fairs to share the benefits of protecting and serving the city of Natchez.
“Some of us truly believe in what we do, and we work hard to make sure our community is as safe is make them, but the community has to reciprocate.”
Green also says she wants to improve community engagement and build a stronger connection with those who live and work in the city.
“My goal is to improve the police department and make Natchez a safer place to live, work, and play,” Green said. “We are trying to get our neighborhood watches back up and running. We had a quite a few of them before COVID-19 hit. I also want to revamp the citizen’s police academy.”
Mayor Dan Gibson administered the oath of office to Green following the regular board meeting.
Green began working for the Natchez Police Department back in 1997. She left in 2004 to work for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office as a lieutenant for 18 years before returning to the police department two years ago as the first female commander.
Green has served as interim police chief since December 2022 after former Chief Joseph Daughtry Sr. accepted the Columbus Police Chief position.
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