A disgruntled mayor of a small Georgia town reportedly fired an entire police department over a dispute with his wife.
Mayor Ron Shinnick allegedly shuttered the entire police department in Cohutta over “inappropriate comments” officers made about his spouse on Facebook, WAFB reported. The entire force, including the police chief, lost their jobs this week.
“The PD has been [dissolved], and all personnel have been terminated,” a sign taped to the department’s door on Wednesday read.
Former Sergeant Jeremy May said he believed the move stemmed from simmering tensions involving the mayor’s wife, Pam Shinnick.
“This all comes down to a personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,” May told WAFB.
According to the report, officers had filed a complaint last month concerning Pam Shinnick, who previously worked as a town clerk. She reportedly lost her job last year after allegations that she created a “hostile work environment,” but continued working for the town afterward.
The officers’ concerns reportedly centered on whether the mayor’s wife still had access to personal and classified information despite her termination.
“We took a stand for transparency, and end result, every one of them has lost their jobs,” May said.
It remained unclear Friday what Facebook comments the mayor was referring to. As of Friday, the Cohutta Police Department Facebook page was inaccessible to the public.
The mayor appeared unfazed by the backlash.
“Well, I don’t think it’s that dire at all. They’ll get a paycheck. We’re not that way, and I appreciate their service, okay? It is time for a change,” Shinnick told WDEF.
He compared dismantling the entire department to swapping out a football coach.
“It’s a guy thing. You know, occasionally, college football programs, you have to change the coach, and some people like it, some don’t. And that’s just kind of the way it happens sometimes, you know?”
For now, law enforcement duties in the town of fewer than 1,000 residents will be handled by the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.
“This transition ensures that those who live in the Cohutta City limits will still receive assistance from law enforcement personnel should they need it,” Whitfield County Sheriff Darren J. Pierce said in a statement. “This will not affect the residents of the city of Cohutta, nor will it affect response times to emergency calls.”
May, however, warned residents could ultimately pay the price.
“The issue is going to be response times,” May said. “Can a department that’s already limited, being the sheriff’s office, pick up an entire area that a full-time department was doing on top of what they were normally doing? The safety and security of the citizens and the constituents of Cohutta is going to suffer in response because of the retaliation from the mayor.”
The fallout may not be over. According to CBS, the Cohutta Town Council scheduled a Friday afternoon meeting with an agenda that reportedly included calls for the mayor’s resignation, reinstating the police department, and launching a third-party investigation into removing him from office.
