A small Georgia town's police force has returned to duty just days after the mayor abruptly terminated every officer amid a dispute involving his wife. Cohutta Mayor Ron Shinnick dismissed all ten employees in the department on Wednesday, alleging that officers had made 'inappropriate' comments. Pam Shinnick, the mayor's wife, had been fired earlier this year from her role as town clerk after allegedly creating a 'hostile work environment,' following multiple complaints filed by police officers, according to Local 3 News.
Council Reinstates Police Force
On Friday, the Cohutta Town Council held a special meeting and voted to immediately reinstate the entire department, including providing officers with back pay. 'We want to have the ability to have a police department that can respond to our needs. Respond to us if we get into an emergency,' resident Larry Green told council members, according to News Channel 9.
The town hall was filled with dozens of angry residents who questioned Shinnick's future in office as the council placed new restrictions on the scope of his authority. Council members voted to bar Shinnick from firing the officers for the next 30 days, though the remainder of the agenda, including a proposal to remove him as mayor, was shelved. At one point, the council leader abruptly left the meeting, leaving Vice Mayor Shane Kornberg to take over.
Legal Violations and Community Response
County Attorney Bryan Rayburn noted that the council could revisit the issue after the 30 days were up. The council said they were compelled to step in after discovering evidence suggesting that Shinnick may have violated Cohutta's governing document when he axed every employee. Under the town charter, the mayor must notify the town council at least 30 days before firing an employee and must also provide a specific reason for the termination.
The fiery meeting followed after Shinnick fired the officers. Police Chief Greg Fowler told Local 3 News that the department was being emptied and equipment removed and packed into vehicles. Meanwhile, Rayburn told the outlet that he had reassured officers just days earlier that their jobs were secure. A sign posted outside the department earlier this week read: 'The PD has been dissolved, and all personnel have been terminated.'
The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office announced that its deputies would support the small community, which sits just south of the Tennessee border and roughly 100 miles northwest of Atlanta.
Dispute Linked to Mayor's Wife
The exact reasons behind Shinnick's decision have not yet been released, but it appears to be linked to a dispute involving his wife Pam and the formal complaints filed against her just last month. Former Sgt. Jeremy May, who was fired on Wednesday, described the move as a 'personal vendetta.' 'My understanding is that a lot of the police officers heard through the grapevine that they were going to be terminated because of the letters that they wrote,' Rayburn told Local 3 News. 'I don't think them exercising their First Amendment right and filing complaints is a valid reason to fire anybody,' he added.
In the complaints, officers alleged that Shinnick's wife continued working and retained access to residents' personal information after she was terminated. The mayor, police chief, and town attorney said the situation had been resolved through 'open dialogue and good-faith mediation' following the complaints, but the force was dissolved just one week later. Former Sgt. Jeremy May, who was fired on Wednesday, described the move as vindictive. 'This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,' May told WRCB-TV. 'We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs,' he added.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Cohutta Town Council, the police department, and Mayor Shinnick for comment.
