The entire police force of a small Oklahoma town resigned without explanation Thursday, leaving the place in turmoil and locals demanding answers.
The mass resignation, along with two city council members, was announced in a Facebook post in which locals were told that an acting police chief would still remain to police the small town.
Geary, with a population of about 1,000, is now covered by troops from neighboring Blaine and Canada counties.
But the announcement has left locals confused as the original statement shed little light on what was behind the massive strike.
Geary Police Chief Alicia Ford posted an announcement following the police resignation, suggesting the Geary City Council may have been behind her decision to quit
The entire police force of Geary, a small town in Oklahoma, resigned without cause on Thursday, leaving the place in turmoil.
“To the citizens of Geary. We regret to inform you, and we regret to say that our entire police force resigned at 10 a.m. this morning,” Geary Public Information Officer Terryl Allen said in a statement.
“Given this information, we were able to quickly appoint an interim chief of police so that the city of Geary is addressed without delay.”
Locals seemed stunned by the sudden dismissal and there was little to be gained from reading Facebook comments.
“But why did they all resign?” one asked.
“I think an explanation for what happened is what everyone wants. The city’s entire police force shut down at once, without any explanation?’ Robert Binswanger asked.
Geary, with a population of about 1,000, is now covered by troops from neighboring Blaine and Canada counties
‘Sounds like fun to me. You have to recall the mayor. All you have to do is pass a petition through the city. He sounds like a corrupt leader,” Houston Mitchell added.
Others suggested the city’s council could back the decision.
‘Most likely, the municipality would not let the head of the city rule and violate rights. When entire departments shut down, it tells you you had a gang and no police force. Good riddance and good work City Council!! Hire good agents now, if you can find them. Good luck with that!!,” wrote Thomas Cannon.
Another comment suggested the city was responsible for the stop.
“It’s the city council… has nothing to do with the police or their officers. Most of the time, the city council does illegal and unethical things, pushing the police into a corner. They are followers of the law. It’s not their fault. They are corrupt city officials,” said Emily Abernathy.
“Since I’ve lived here it’s been one tragedy after another and it worries me about this city, as if we have to build up and not collapse,” local resident Sonja Luquette told KOCO 5.
“We have to find out what the problem is and we have to solve it. It needs to be resolved and it needs to start at the top,” she added.
Geary Police Chief Alicia Ford also posted her own announcement after the resignation, suggesting the Geary City Council may have been behind her decision to quit.
The sudden announcement from Geary police was posted on Facebook on Thursday
“Thank you residents of Geary for allowing me (Alicia Ford) to serve as your chief this past year. It is with great sadness that I and the rest of the Geary police officers will no longer serve this community,” she wrote.
‘This choice was very difficult, but it was the right choice for me and the other officers. I have seen officers selflessly serve this community, working hard to protect and provide the best services possible. They were a great team who were always willing to sacrifice for this community.”
Ford, who took over in 2023, went on to share how she encouraged community members to “take the time to get to know your council members and be as involved in the city as possible, especially by attending city council meetings.”
“Your voices are stronger when you stand as one, and you all have the power to influence the change you want to see in your community,” Ford added.
Acting Chief JJ Stitt will take over Ford’s position in the meantime, although the appointment also raised eyebrows after Stitt was hired by the City Council to conduct an audit of the police department.
Ford took over in 2023 after former police chief Cecil Harrall was fired by the city following an affair.
Of the two city council members who resigned, Rocky Coleman said his core values were not in line with the direction of the city.
Councilwoman Kristy Miller said she resigned because she felt the mayor was not acting in the city’s best interests.