TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - The police chief of a city in north Mississippi confirmed Friday that he will retire at the end of June after 36 years of service.
Tupelo Police Chief Bart Aguirre told news agencies he’s known for some time he planned to retire.
“I will be 72 this year, and with the new administration coming in, I felt this was the best time to retire,” Aguirre said on Friday. “I have already met with (the human resources department) and got everything is order.”
Aguirre joined the Tupelo Police Department in 1985 as a patrolmen. He also served as a detective before filling the chief’s seat.
Aguirre said he actually was considering retiring 18 months ago, but changed his mind when Deputy Chief Allan Gilbert suddenly retired to take the police chief job at Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
“I didn’t want to leave without anybody in place to take over,” Aguirre said. “Now we have two deputy chiefs in place and I feel very confident in their abilities to run the department.”
Mayor Jason Shelton is not seeking re-election, and the general election in June will determine his successor. The new mayor will be tasked with appointing a new chief.
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