Chaffee police hit with series of resignations

Chaffee city and police officials are offering no explanation as to why three members of the police department have resigned since Dec. 15.

Three resignations are a major hit, considering Chaffee's police department has a staff of six.

On Wednesday, city administrator John Chadd received Sgt. David Ivester's resignation, five days after chief Larry Corn resigned and 30 days after Cpl. Wayne Hampton resigned.

Chaffee's city council will address the resignations at Monday night's city council meeting.

"Any issues that need to be addressed will be addressed Monday night," Chadd said.

A message left for Mayor Bill Cannon at his home was not returned Wednesday afternoon.

Corn said Wednesday that "for the sake of the community, the city and the department, I would prefer not to make any comments of anything going on."

Neither Hampton nor Ivester could be reached at their offices Wednesday afternoon, and both have unlisted telephone numbers.

Chadd said no reasons were stated in the officers' resignation letters.

"I don't know why each individual resigned; I just know what they told me," he said.

Chadd said he held a meeting Friday with the officers and discussed "some issues the officers may have had. It was nothing major."

Councilman Bob Sullivan said he didn't know the reasons the officers have resigned.

"I don't know whether it was health or matters within the department," he said.

Regardless of whether or not the resignations were related, the city finds itself scrambling to find replacements for the department.

A replacement has been found to fill the vacancy left by Hampton and that new officer starts Jan. 23. But the department will find itself down an officer and a chief when Ivester leaves on Jan. 28 and Corn departs on Jan. 30.

"We're recruiting for a chief right now," Chadd said. When asked how the staff would be able to function around the clock with only four officers, Chadd said, "To be quite honest with you, it's going to be pretty tough."

The city council will appoint an interim police chief, Chadd said.

Scott County Sheriff's Department Capt. Jerry Bledsoe said his department would assist Chaffee but such assistance has not yet been requested.

Bledsoe said that in 1996 the sheriff's department helped run the department while there was a void in the chief position.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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