City Attorney Vester Parsley swore new Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins into office Monday evening at city hall.

Mayor Jimmy Poss, Police Commissioner Jason Murphy, City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson and members of the police department. City aldermen voted unanimously to hire Collins, the former Alexandria Police Chief, as the new Smithville chief during November’s regular monthly meeting of the city council.

Collins, a Smithville resident, worked for the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department for 11 years before taking the job as chief in Alexandria. He served as deputy, sergeant, lieutenant, and then captain before moving on in 2006.

The new chief graduated from Gordonsville High School in 1983 and attended David Lipscomb University in Nashville from 1983-85. He served as a Sergeant in the United States Air Force from 1988-90.

Meanwhile, the Alexandria Mayor and Board of Aldermen named Alexandria Police Sergeant Chris Russell Interim Chief of the Alexandria Police Department at their regular November meeting.

Russell, nine-year veteran of the department, is expected to be named to the position on a permanent basis, but some aldermen said they would like to meet with Russell in a workshop on Nov. 24 to inform him of their expectations of the chief and the police department.