GULF SHORES — A panel of experts and a civilian was interviewed for the latest police recruits in a beach town in Alabama. One such person was Morgan Freeman, a Hollywood actor.
Freeman, a Mississippian who lives in Gulf Shores, and visits the 12,000-person town every year, was part of the seven-member panel that interviewed nine candidates for the Gulf Shores Police Department, Deputy Chief Dan Netemeyer stated Wednesday.
Netemeyer stated that the department may ask residents to take part in screening committees. Freeman has a few contacts who have helped out and offered their services.
Netemeyer stated, “It was kinda a last-minute thing, but he participated actively.”
Freeman is well-known for his roles in films such as “The Shawshank Redemption,” Driving Miss Daisy,” and “Million Dollar Baby.” Freeman sat down at a table and asked questions to other interviewers, including Netemeyer (the police chief), and a professor of criminal justice.
He was wearing a hat and sat back. Netemeyer described it as a rerun of the ‘Candid Camera Scene’ scene.
Freeman said that even if someone didn’t recognize his face, there wasn’t any mistake when he spoke. He said, “It was that same voice you hear in movies.”
Netemeyer stated that although the hiring process isn’t complete, at least some recruits will likely be offered jobs.
Linda Keena and Freeman, a University of Mississippi Professor who lives in Gulf Shores and assisted with the interviews, donated $1 million recently to the University of Mississippi Center of Evidence-Based Policing and Reform.
