Winnfield’s City Council, in special session January 31, granted provisionary status to two new fulltime patrolmen at the recommendation of Chief of Police Johnny Ray Carpenter.

The Public Safety Committee met at City Hall prior to the council session to hear the chief’s recommendation and to pose questions to the applicants, Jacob Howell and Timothy Schmidtenforff.

Howell told the committee that he had lived in Texas where he had worked.  Schmidtendorff told the panel that he is a Winn resident who has worked at both Winn Detention and Winn Correctional and is ready to be “outside” of the prison system.  He has also been a volunteer firefighter.

Chairman Teresa Phillips told the council that the committee had been impressed by the applicants and concurred with the chief’s recommendation.  The council approved.

The recent hires by the department were made to fill vacancies.  The provisional status will be met when the patrolmen pass their Civil Service and drug tests and medical screening.  Four officers are set to attend Police Academy this July, the department confirmed.