The police chief and three officers that make up the entire four-person police department of the town of Geary, Oklahoma, and two of the town\u2019s city council members have resigned with little explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Police Chief Alicia Ford did not address the specific reasons for the Thursday resignations, but wrote in a social media post that the decision was difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is with great sadness that I and the rest of the Geary police officers will no longer be serving this community,\u201d Ford wrote, \u201cbut it was the right decision for me and the other officers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ford, without elaboration, encouraged residents of the town of nearly 1,000 about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City to become acquainted with the city council \u201cand to be as involved as possible in the city, especially attending the city council meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ford did not immediately return a phone message for comment on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A woman who answered a phone call to a number listed for Mayor Waylan Upchego on Saturday said \u201cnot at this time\u201d when a reporter asked to speak with Upchego about the resignations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 that the Blaine County and Canadian County sheriffs’ offices will assist in patrolling the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe would like to let our citizens know we are conducting business as usual,\u201d according to the statement. \u201cIf you have an emergency, please contact 911 like you normally would and an officer will be dispatched to assist you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City Council members Glen \u201cRocky\u201d Coleman Jr. and Kristy Miller also announced their resignations, leaving the four-person council with just one member due to a previous vacancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coleman wrote on social media that his values do not match the city\u2019s direction and said communication between the administration and council \u201chas been significantly lacking,\u201d but offered no further explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCouncil members are just about the last to know something,\u201d Coleman wrote. \u201cThere are often times that I would not know something (is planned) until the meeting started.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miller did not immediately return a phone call to a number listed for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city did not identify the interim chief, but JJ Stitt \u2014 who described himself as a 27-year law enforcement veteran, as a county deputy, a member of a task force investigating internet crimes against children and a distant cousin of Gov. Kevin Stitt \u2014 told The Oklahoman that he is the interim chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stitt did not return a phone call to a number listed for him, but told the newspaper that he hopes to add officers in the coming days. He said he has \u201cthe ability\u201d to pick up the phone and get experienced officers over to the town to help out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI’ve been in the game a long time,\u201d Stitt said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The resignations come more than a year after the entire police department<\/a> of the small town of Goodhue, Minnesota, resigned over low pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n