Police chief and entire department of small town all resign on the same day
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images/ Google Maps
An Oklahoma police chief and all the officers in her department have resigned with little to no explanation.
The four-person police department for Geary, Oklahoma, saw the shocking resignations, with former police chief Alicia Ford giving little away in her social media post.
She wrote: “It is with great sadness that I and the rest of the Geary police officers will no longer be serving this community.
“But it was the right decision for me and the other officers.”
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Ford previously looked after the nearly 1,000 residents of the town, which is around 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City, the Associated Press reports.
Ford added: "I have watched the officers serve this community selflessly, working hard to protect and provide the best quality of service possible. They have been an amazing team that was always willing to sacrifice for this community.
“I would encourage everyone of the members of this great community to take the time to get to know your council members and to be as involved as possible in the city, especially attending the city council meetings.
"Your voices are stronger when you stand together as one, and you all have the ability to affect the change you want to see in your community.
“It has been my honor to serve Geary, and I will forever cherish the people of this community.”
The city released a statement which thanked the former chief and officers and confirmed that an interim police chief has been chosen as a replacement.
It also stated that the Blaine County and Canadian County sheriffs’ offices will assist in patrolling the town for the time being.
“We would like to let our citizens know we are conducting business as usual,” the statement read.
“If you have an emergency, please contact 911 like you normally would and an officer will be dispatched to assist you,” it added.
City Council members Glen Coleman Jr. and Kristy Miller also announced their resignations on the same day (October 31), leaving the four-person council with one person left to man things following a previous vacancy.
Coleman wrote in a social media post that communication between the administration and council ‘has been significantly lacking’.
He wrote: “Council members are just about the last to know something.
“There are often times that I would not know something (is planned) until the meeting started.”
While the city has yet to disclose who the new interim chief is, JJ Stitt, a distant cousin of Gov. Kevin Stitt confirmed to The Oklahoman that he is taking over the role.
Townsfolk have been up in arms since the announcement and wrote on social media of their confusion.
One person wrote: “Maaaan, the whole Geary Police Department and 2 city council all resigned on the same day…..shortly after the announcement, the mayor already had an interim police chief appointed. Wth.”