CRYSTAL SPRINGS, Miss. (WJTV) – Crystal Springs has an interim police chief.

Mayor Sally Garland said Tony Hemphill has stepped down from the role, and his last day will be on December 31, 2024. Hemphill was appointed to the position in August 2021 and has served more than 20 years in law enforcement.

Garland said Brigadier General Robert F. Thomas, with the Mississippi National Guard, has been appointed as the interim chief of police. Thomas will start the job on January 1, 2025.

General Thomas’ military service began in February 1971, when he enlisted in the United States Navy. He came to the Mississippi Army National Guard in May 1980.