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The mayor of a small town in Georgia fired the area’s entire police department Wednesday after officers allegedly made “inappropriate comments” about his wife on Facebook, leaving the town without its own police force.
Cohutta Mayor Ron Shinnick recently shut down the Cohutta Police Department, laying off all 10 employees, according to a report from WDEF.
As of Wednesday morning, a sign was posted on the department’s door, reading, “The PD has been dissolved, and all personnel have been terminated.”
It is not known whether employees were notified before the sign was posted or when officers arrived to work that morning.
ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIGNS AFTER TOWN’S ‘FAILURE’ TO MEET LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS: FORMER CHIEF
The town’s entire police force was fired one week after the police officers and mayor allegedly solved their problems with ‘open dialogue and good-faith mediation.’ (WZTV / Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
The move effectively dismantled the town’s entire law enforcement operation, raising questions about leadership, potential retaliation and public safety in the roughly 1,000-person community.
“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.
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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.
ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIGNS LEAVING SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY WITHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE
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.
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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 Digital’s request for comment.
