Representative image showing a police vehicle.
Credit: iStock Photo
Three officers and the chief of a four-person police department in a small city in Oklahoma abruptly resigned Thursday, as did two of its three City Council members, all with little explanation.
The sudden, mysterious departures in Geary, Oklahoma, which was a bustling trade center at the turn of the 20th century, have put the city, with a population of just under 1,000, in the spotlight as news of the mass resignations has gained national attention.
Terryl Allen, the public information officer for the city, which is about 50 miles west of Oklahoma City, said on the police department’s Facebook page that the officers and the chief resigned Oct 31 and that an interim chief had been appointed.
“We would like to let our citizens know we are conducting business as usual,” Allen said.
He did not say why the entire department had resigned. If Geary residents call 911, a law enforcement response will come from sheriff’s offices in Blaine and Canadian counties, he said.
The police department identified the acting chief as J J Stitt Stitt said on his personal website that he had worked in law enforcement for 27 years and was a distant cousin of the governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt.
Waylan Upchego, the mayor of Geary, could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday. Stitt and Ford could also not be reached for comment.
Also on Thursday, Glen Coleman Jr and Kristy Miller resigned as City Council members, the Fox 25 news station reported. They could not be immediately reached Sunday.
The station shared Coleman’s resignation letter, which said the City Council and the city administration “should not allow personal goals or agendas to affect the city.”
The City Council has four seats, but had only three members because of a vacancy. The third council member, Sandra Cleveland, could not be reached Sunday.
Days before the resignations in Geary, four of the five deputies at the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, another small law enforcement office in Oklahoma about 115 miles north of Geary, resigned without explanation.