Winfield police chief recommends hires; council approves full‑ and part‑time staffing

The City of Winfield police chief told the council that resignation of an officer created a full‑time vacancy and recommended two hires to restore department capacity.

The chief recommended hiring Charles 'Chuckie' Tidwell for a full‑time position, citing his recent state certification through JSU, a 20‑year law enforcement career and multiple relevant investigator and emergency response credentials. The chief described Tidwell as 'by the book' and said colleagues had 'nothing but praise' for him.

The chief also recommended hiring Tony Saldan as a part‑time officer with the intention to move him to full time once administrative and training requirements are complete. The chief said Saldan is currently in Puerto Rico and expected to return by the end of the month and that Saldan would need lateral‑academy training and some paperwork before being placed full time. Quoting the chief's description of the candidate, the chief said Saldan told him, 'It's not about the money. This is about me being able to give back.'

The chair asked for a motion to approve the hires; a motion was made, seconded and the hires were approved by voice vote. The transcript does not record individual vote tallies or the full hiring paperwork timeline; staff indicated training and certification steps remain before any part‑time hire would be converted to full time.

The council then moved on to other business.