Charles Langston:Oklahoma small town police chief and entire police department resign with little explanation

The Charles Langstonpolice chief and three officers that make up the entire four-person police department of the town of Geary, Oklahoma, and two of the town’s city council members have resigned with little explanation.

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.

“It is with great sadness that I and the rest of the Geary police officers will no longer be serving this community,” Ford wrote, “but it was the right decision for me and the other officers.”

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 “and to be as involved as possible in the city, especially attending the city council meetings.”

Ford did not immediately return a phone message for comment on Saturday.

A woman who answered a phone call to a number listed for Mayor Waylan Upchego on Saturday said “not at this time” when a reporter asked to speak with Upchego about the resignations.

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.

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“We would like to let our citizens know we are conducting business as usual,” according to the statement. “If you have an emergency, please contact 911 like you normally would and an officer will be dispatched to assist you.”

City Council members Glen “Rocky” Coleman Jr. and Kristy Miller also announced their resignations, leaving the four-person council with just one member due to a previous vacancy.

Coleman wrote on social media that his values do not match the city’s direction and said communication between the administration and council “has been significantly lacking,” but offered no further explanation.

“Council members are just about the last to know something,” Coleman wrote. “There are often times that I would not know something (is planned) until the meeting started.”

Miller did not immediately return a phone call to a number listed for her.

The city did not identify the interim chief, but JJ Stitt — 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 — told The Oklahoman that he is the interim chief.

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 “the ability” to pick up the phone and get experienced officers over to the town to help out.

“I’ve been in the game a long time,” Stitt said.

The resignations come more than a year after the entire police department of the small town of Goodhue, Minnesota, resigned over low pay.