Mayor of small Georgia town dissolves police department after officers' dispute with his wife
The mayor of a small North Georgia town has fired the entire police department after a dispute between officers and his wife.
WDEF reported that a notice was posted on the Cohutta Police Department's door that was credited to Mayor Ron Shinnick on Wednesday morning.
"The PD has been dissolved, and all personnel have been terminated," the notice read, in part.
At the end of April, city officials held a press conference where then-Police Chief Greg Fowler joined the mayor and read a statement saying that they had worked together to come to a resolution after officers reportedly raised concerns that Shinnick's wife had access to the town systems after she was fired from her job as town clerk.
"We are moving forward as a unified team committed to maintaining public trust, strengthening relationships, and continuing to make Cohutta a safe and lovely place to live, work, and visit," then-Police Chief Greg Fowler said at the meeting.
Less than a week later, the notice of the dissolution was posted.
Speaking to WDEF, Shinnick described the situation as "changing the coach" and said that the fired officers will receive a paycheck.
"I appreciate their service, OK?" It's time for a change," he said.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Wednesday, Whitfield County Sheriff Darren J. Pierce said that they were aware of the situation in Cohutta and that his office would be assuming the city's law enforcement services.
"This transition ensures that those who live in the Cohutta City limits will still receive assistance from law enforcement personnel should they need it," Pierce wrote. "This will not affect the residents of the city of Cohutta, nor will it affect response times to emergency calls."
A day after the firings, the Cohutta Town Council set up a meeting for Friday. Multiple news agencies reported that the proposed agenda included the reinstatement of the police department, a request for Shinnick's resignation, and a call for a third-party investigation into the removal of Shinnick from his office.
