TUPELO – Mayor Jack Reed Jr. and Police Chief Tony Carleton said this afternoon that the city will appeal the denial of certification for Deputy Chief Robert Hall.

Carleton said he had received official notification from the Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training that the application for Hall's certification had been denied.

"We are entitled to a hearing," he said, "and we have full intentions of following through with this process.”

Reed said, “This is a process. We will take the next step because our city is a safer place with Robert Hall on our team.”

The denial had been reported earlier in the week, but Carleton and Reed withheld comment until they received the official notification.

Hall had lost his certification when he resigned from the department in 2007 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges.

He was rehired in March as deputy chief. Carleton and Reed had argued that Hall didn't need recertification because he was operating in an administrative capacity.

Without certification, Hall has no arrest powers and is technically is considered a trainee.



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