Gibson cited staffing shortages as one challenge that ultimately led to his resignation. The police department should have eight full-time officers, but had been operating with only five for the past few months. There are also three part-time officers.
But critics believe the issues go beyond personnel challenges.
“They don’t want to be led by anybody Black; that’s Kenly,” Cynthia Kirby, a longtime resident, who is also Black, told the News & Observer late last week. “They’re always harassing Black people. It’s racial.”
“One of my questions is, what happened between May and July? It takes time when you get a new boss,” Kenly resident Denise Bennett said to the local paper. “We just want to make sure that the process is fair, and this ultimatum of her-versus-him as a police chief is not a good process.”
The Kenly Town Council held a closed-door meeting on Friday, just two days after members of the department announced their resignation, to make sense of the swift changes, but it emerged with no decision on how to move forward.
Mayor Herbert Louis “Tooie” Hales II did not return multiple requests for comment from Yahoo News. Neither did the four town council members whom Yahoo News attempted to contact.
Supporters of the police department say the town should side with the people who have been there the longest.
“We have a great police department. [Jones] is not for our police department,” resident Christel McGowan said outside Friday’s meeting.
Kenly’s town attorney, Chip Hewett, told Nexstar’s WNCN, a local television station, that the current situation is unlike anything he has ever witnessed in more than two and a half decades representing cities.
“I’ve seen resignations from politicians and the mayors and the council members. I have seen employees resign,” said Hewett. “I’ve never seen a resignation where it’s an entire department.”
Mayor Hales said another emergency meeting will take place this week, either Wednesday or Thursday — and this one will be open to the public.
To ease public concern, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office has already said it will respond to calls in Kenly as needed.
“I will assign deputies to patrol the streets to ensure public safety if and when needed,” Sheriff Steve Bizzell told The Hill.
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Cover thumbnail photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Kenly Police Department, Getty Images
Article Appeared @https://news.yahoo.com/a-north-carolina-city-hired-a-black-town-manager-then-its-entire-police-force-resigned-224423896.html