The mayor of a small Georgian town made headlines on Wednesday by dismissing the entire local police department. This drastic decision came after allegations surfaced that officers had made “inappropriate comments” about his wife on social media, effectively leaving the town without a police force.
Mayor Ron Shinnick of Cohutta took the significant step of disbanding the Cohutta Police Department, which resulted in the termination of all 10 employees, as reported by WDEF.
By Wednesday morning, a notice was placed on the department’s entrance, stating, “The PD has been dissolved, and all personnel have been terminated.”
It remains unclear if the department’s staff were informed of their dismissal before the notice was posted or if they discovered it upon arriving at work that day.
This sweeping action occurred just a week after the mayor and police officers reportedly addressed their issues through “open dialogue and good-faith mediation,” according to reports.
The abrupt disbandment of the police force has sparked concerns over leadership, potential motives of retaliation, and the impact on public safety for the town’s approximately 1,000 residents.
“They’ll get a paycheck. We’re not that way, and I appreciate their service, okay? It is time for a change,” Shinnick said when asked about the decision.
The dispute appears to stem from last month, when officers filed formal complaints against former town clerk Pat Shinnick, the mayor’s wife.
A neighboring town’s police force will be stepping in while the entire Cohutta Police Department was fired. (Getty Images)
Pat Shinnick was fired from her position for allegedly creating a “hostile work environment.” According to the officers’ complaints, despite her firing, she was still working and continued to have access to personal information of the town’s 1,000 residents.
Following the complaints, Shinnick, Police Chief Greg Fowler and town attorney Brian Rayburn said during a press conference that the situation had been resolved using “open dialogue and good-faith mediation.”
One week later, the entire department was disbanded.
Following the police department’s firing, the town has scheduled an emergency meeting on Friday. (Getty Images)
“This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,” former Sgt. Jeremy May told WRCB-TV. “We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs.”
While the town is currently operating without a police department, the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies will take over law enforcement duties.
A town meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 8, with topics including reinstating the police department and a request for Mayor Shinnick’s immediate resignation.
Shinnick and the town’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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