NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez has a new set of eyes on the lookout for code violations.

Natchez police officer Nicky Johnson is now serving as the city’s code enforcement officer.

Johnson was recently hired by the Natchez Police Department, where she worked several years ago. Johnson most recently worked as an officer for the campus police at Alcorn State University.

Police Chief Danny White hired Johnson and said he believes Johnson is more than qualified for the position.

“She’s very knowledgeable of her surroundings and knows the people in the community,” he said. “I think she’s the ideal person for the job. You have to be able to communicate with people, and she is a good communicator.”

Johnson replaces former code enforcement officer Willie B. Jones, who pleaded guilty to insurance fraud in September.

Johnson said she is happy to serve her community and is glad to be back working in Natchez.

The 37-year-old Natchez High School graduate said she initially applied for the code enforcement job because she is passionate about keeping Natchez clean.

“Natchez is a beautiful place,” she said. “And some people tend to not keep their property clean, and I want to make sure Natchez stays a beautiful place.”

Johnson will do regular police work, White said, when she is not tending to code enforcement matters.

The city has made an effort to crack down on city code violations in the past year, including abandoned vehicles, overgrown grass, litter and other offenses.

Mayor Butch Brown said having a sworn police officer serve as a code enforcement officer gives the position some teeth.

“The sworn officer acting as a code enforcement officer has citation privileges,” Brown said. “(Johnson) can write citations on the spot, whereas the (former) code enforcement officer had to have someone deliver the citations. This gives the officer more flexibility and quicker service and more resolution to the violation.”