When your attorney gives you advice, it’s usually a good idea to follow it. But that’s not the course of action the Natchez Board of Aldermen &045;&045; on a split vote broken by Mayor Phillip West &045;&045; took Tuesday.

Despite an admonition from attorney Walter Brown that their vote violates state law, aldermen chose to reinstate a police officer who had resigned seven years ago amid charges he tried to bribe an officer not to pursue a drug charge against a friend. The officer later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge, but it was wiped from his record in recent weeks.

But the fact is, it doesn’t matter why this former officer

resigned or the circumstances around it. What matters now is that the board has overstepped its bounds in dealing with a police issue.

The Civil Service Commission &045;&045; which is appointed by the Board of Aldermen &045;&045; has authority over police and fire department hirings and firings. It’s a good system because it removes politics from the equation.

But aldermen jumped headfirst into that political quagmire with their decision on Tuesday.

Even if no politics motivated the vote this week, it certainly sets a dangerous precedent for future decisions. And that’s a road the mayor and aldermen should not have taken.

The board members who voted for the reinstatement showed a disrespect for the rules and a disrespect for the board they appointed.

The officer was scheduled to show up for work this morning, but the Civil Service Commission needs to step in and take charge of this situation. If the commission decides he can go back to work, that’s fine.

But aldermen and the mayor need to learn what their responsibilities are &045;&045; and are not.