The entire command staff of a South Georgia police department and a few of their officers, the ones with “integrity,” all resigned en masse. They walked off the job in Homerville when “an interim chief was named following the GBI’s arrest of their previous chief.”
Officers walk off
Things are really tough for police officers in Georgia. The anarchists are winning and residents will be soon reduced to providing their own protection. The entire command staff of Homerville Police Department quit on February 25. Several of the patrol units walked away in solidarity.
The scandal erupted when “Homerville police Chief Dearin ‘Mack’ Drury, 40, was arrested last week after a February 19 incident during which evidence was improperly handled.” Apparently some happy grass from the evidence stash ended up in his pocket.
Properly, that allegation “was reported to the Clinch County Sheriff’s Office, which then asked the GBI to conduct the investigation.” They haven’t released a report but “Drury faces multiple charges, including theft by taking, possession of marijuana, false statements and writings and violation of oath of office.”
#Homerville #Georgia | Police department’s command staff and other officers resigned on Facebook live last night after an interim chief was named following the GBI’s arrest of their previous chief who was stealing drugs from evidence.
Woah. That was a lot to get in. pic.twitter.com/EAPSwWULnO
— Ｎｅｒｄｙ 🅰🅳🅳🅸🅲🆃 (@Nerdy_Addict) February 27, 2023
He accepted the responsibility and “turned himself in Wednesday.” The problem apparently came when his replacement was handed down from on high without any input from the rank and file. None of the officers appreciated that, especially the leadership team.
The sheriff’s office confirmed in a statement Saturday that “multiple officers resigned after the city appointed an interim chief.” The sheriff’s office also went public on social media to defend those who walked away, pointing out that “they could not be expected to follow orders from the governing body that hired the chief.”
Local outlets explain that the reason was “alleged actions by the City Council and city manager that disrupted work by the police department.”
GBI arrests South Ga. police chief; command staff resigns after interim placed https://t.co/QtsWbczQyq #Georgia #Homerville
— Omar Rodríguez Ortiz (@Omar_fromPR) February 27, 2023
Under no obligation
These members of law enforcement weren’t restricted by contract. “The officers were under no obligation to continue their employment with a city council and city manager who has repeatedly taken steps to undermine their positions, blatantly encourage unrest, attempt to bully them into not enforcing laws in the city, and obstruct investigations.”
That suggests there’s a lot more to the story than has been reported.
“Those officers have integrity and no law enforcement officer should be forced to work in an agency that will not allow them to do their jobs.”
What started as a team of 10 quickly dwindled to zero when members of law enforcement quit after the appointment of interim Chief James Herndon. https://t.co/Zt4MP32NTn
— WALB News 10 (@WALBNews10) February 28, 2023
It’s not clear what the beef is against the incoming temporary chief James Herndon, other than the fact that “Herndon unsuccessfully ran for Cobb County sheriff in 2020.”
Likewise, there isn’t a whole lot known about the offense committed by the outgoing chief. “The GBI’s investigation continues, and once it’s done, its findings will be turned over to the Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.”
Meanwhile, the Clinch County Sheriff’s Office “will answer calls for service until a resolution can be reached by the city administrators.“
