Oklahoma small town police chief and entire police department resign with little explanation
The police chief and three officers who make up the entire four-person police department of the city of Geary, Oklahoma, and two of the city’s city council members have resigned with little explanation.
Former Police Chief Alicia Ford did not elaborate on the specific reasons for Thursday’s firing, but wrote in a social media post that the decision was difficult.
“It is with great sadness that I and the rest of the Geary police officers will no longer serve this community,” Ford wrote, “but it was the right decision for me and the other officers.”
Ford, without elaborating, encouraged residents of the nearly 1,000-person city about 50 miles northwest of Oklahoma City to get to know the City Council “and be as involved as possible in the city, especially through City Council meetings at to live. ”
Ford did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Saturday.
A woman who answered a call Saturday to a number for Mayor Waylan Upchego said “not at this time” when a reporter asked to speak to Upchego about the resignation.
The city in a statement thanked the former chief and officers while wishing them well and said an interim police chief has been chosen and the Blaine County and Canadian County sheriffs will help patrol the city.
“We want our citizens to know that we are doing business as usual,” the statement said. “If you have an emergency, please contact 911 as usual and an officer will be dispatched to assist you.”
City council members Glen “Rocky” Coleman Jr. and Kristy Miller also announced their resignations, leaving the four-member board with just one member due to a previous vacancy.
Coleman wrote on social media that his values do not align with the city’s direction and said communication between the administration and the City Council was “significantly lacking,” but provided no further explanation.
“Council members are about the last to know anything,” Coleman wrote. “There are often times when I don’t know anything is planned before the meeting starts.”
Miller did not immediately return a call to a number listed for her.
The city did not identify the interim chief, but JJ Stitt — who described himself as a 27-year law enforcement veteran, county deputy, member of a task force investigating Internet crimes against children and a distant cousin of Governor Kevin Stitt. – told The Oklahoman he is the interim chief.
Stitt did not return a call to a number listed for him, but told the newspaper he hopes to add agents in the coming days. He said he has “the ability” to pick up the phone and have experienced officers come to town to help.
“I’ve been around the game for a long time,” Stitt said.
The dismissal comes more than a year after the entire police station from the small town of Goodhue, Minnesota, quit his job due to low wages.