Alabama town moves to dissolve its police department over texted racist joke

Lawmakers in a small Alabama city on Thursday moved to fireplace its police chief and dissolve your complete division after a racist joke was texted amongst officers.

The Vincent Metropolis Council, representing nearly 2,000 folks about 35 miles east of Birmingham, voted unanimously to start the method of ending metropolis police providers and contracting with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Workplace.

“I’ve thought lengthy and onerous about this. It isn’t a call that I’ve come to very simply,” Mayor James Latimer stated on the council assembly Thursday forward of votes to terminate the chief and assistant chief and finish the division.

“As all of you understand, I’ve all the time wished us to have the perfect police division doable. I believe in mild of current occasions, it is now not doable, not less than on this second, for us to proceed providers of the police division.”

Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego stated he backed the transfer.

“The Shelby County Sheriff’s Workplace was lately notified by the Vincent Metropolis Council and Mayor relating to the current allegations of misconduct throughout the Vincent Police Division and we equally condemn these actions,” the sheriff’s division stated in an announcement Friday.

“Sheriff John Samaniego stands with the Metropolis of Vincent in offering emergency regulation enforcement associated providers for the residents throughout this time.”

Police Chief James Srygley couldn’t be instantly reached for remark Friday.

Assistant Chief John Goss hung up the telephone when reached by NBC Information and did not instantly return voicemail and e mail messages.

Latimer, a police officer in one other metropolis in his day job, stated Friday that he knowledgeable Srygley and Goss of the council motion. The mayor declined to characterize their reactions.

“I do know the group is hurting proper now,” Latimer stated Friday. “I recognize their persistence and their understanding as we undergo the method of making an attempt to recuperate from this. It’s a nerve-racking time for all of us. It is a heartbreaking factor.”

The racist remark shared on textual content didn’t shock Vincent residents, stated Kenneth Dukes, president of the NAACP Shelby County department, who credited public stress for the council motion.

“This has occurred earlier than, they’ve had this sort of angle and conduct that is been displayed earlier than (by police),” Dukes stated Friday. “A variety of residents had been simply fed up and got here collectively in robust numbers.”

Helen Kwong contributed.