A Georgia town is without a police department after Mayor Ron Shinnick fired the entire Cohutta Police Department, a move that comes amid a dispute involving the mayor’s wife and local officers.The abrupt decision has left 10 employees out of work, according to former Sgt. Jeremy May. May is raising concerns about how quickly emergency calls will now be answered in the town.Firings follow assurances from town attorneyLast week, town attorney Bryan Rayburn said he did not believe officers would lose their jobs over complaints they had filed.“My understanding is that a lot of the police officers heard through the grapevine that they were going to be terminated because of the letters that they wrote,” Rayburn said. “I don’t think them exercising their First Amendment right and filing complaints is a valid reason to fire anybody.”But within days, the department was shut down and all employees — including Police Chief Greg Fowler — were fired.Fowler said he was notified Wednesday morning and is now working to clear out the department and move equipment.Officers say dispute became personalMay, one of the officers who filed a complaint involving the mayor’s wife, Pam Shinnick, said he believes the firings were retaliatory.“This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,” May said.He said officers had been told their jobs were not in danger.“Official response from the town attorney: Nobody’s jobs are in jeopardy,” May said. “Here we are, less than a week later, nobody has a job.”The conflict stems from what Mayor Shinnick has described as “inappropriate comments” posted to Facebook by officers. After Pam Shinnick was fired as town clerk, officers raised concerns that she still had access to personal and classified information, May said.“We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs,” he said.Concerns over public safety growMayor Shinnick said the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office will take over law enforcement operations in Cohutta.Still, former officers said they worry residents could face longer response times.“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.”What happens nextA special meeting is scheduled for Friday, where the Town Council is expected to push to reinstate the police department and seek the mayor’s removal.
A Georgia town is without a police department after Mayor Ron Shinnick fired the entire Cohutta Police Department, a move that comes amid a dispute involving the mayor’s wife and local officers.
The abrupt decision has left 10 employees out of work, according to former Sgt. Jeremy May. May is raising concerns about how quickly emergency calls will now be answered in the town.
Firings follow assurances from town attorney
Last week, town attorney Bryan Rayburn said he did not believe officers would lose their jobs over complaints they had filed.
“My understanding is that a lot of the police officers heard through the grapevine that they were going to be terminated because of the letters that they wrote,” Rayburn said. “I don’t think them exercising their First Amendment right and filing complaints is a valid reason to fire anybody.”
But within days, the department was shut down and all employees — including Police Chief Greg Fowler — were fired.
Fowler said he was notified Wednesday morning and is now working to clear out the department and move equipment.
Officers say dispute became personal
May, one of the officers who filed a complaint involving the mayor’s wife, Pam Shinnick, said he believes the firings were retaliatory.
“This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,” May said.
He said officers had been told their jobs were not in danger.
“Official response from the town attorney: Nobody’s jobs are in jeopardy,” May said. “Here we are, less than a week later, nobody has a job.”
The conflict stems from what Mayor Shinnick has described as “inappropriate comments” posted to Facebook by officers. After Pam Shinnick was fired as town clerk, officers raised concerns that she still had access to personal and classified information, May said.
“We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs,” he said.
Concerns over public safety grow
Mayor Shinnick said the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office will take over law enforcement operations in Cohutta.
Still, former officers said they worry residents could face longer response times.
“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.”
What happens next
A special meeting is scheduled for Friday, where the Town Council is expected to push to reinstate the police department and seek the mayor’s removal.
