Scott City police chief Rick Walter retires

Rick Walter, Scott City's police chief for the last 18 months and a former longtime Scott County sheriff, has retired.

Rick Walter

Rick Walter

According to city administrator Dustin Whitworth, Walter turned in a retirement letter to be effective at the end of September but due to unused leave time, he has already vacated the position.

Prior to his city service, Walter spent 12 years as Scott County sheriff from 2005 to 2017, losing a 2016 bid for reelection to current Sheriff Wes Drury by a 55% to 45% margin.

An effort by Walter to reclaim his old job in the Aug. 4, 2020, Republican primary was unsuccessful as Drury defeated Walter by a 4,870 to 3,278 tally. Since there was no Democrat running that year, Drury was effectively reelected to another four-year term as sheriff.

Walter had filed an ethics complaint against Drury, but Missouri Ethics Commission refused it.

"Your (submission) was filed less than 60 days before election and (it) alleges misconduct (but) the Commission is not accepting your complaint," MEC told Walter in a June 25, 2020, missive.

Third Ward City Councilman Victor Phillips saluted the veteran law enforcement official in his departure.

"Thank you, Rick, for your years of service to Scott County and most recently to Scott City. We wish you all the best in your retirement," noted Phillips in a text to the Southeast Missourian.

Of note

Capt. Chris Griggs, who has been with Scott City police for more than a year, has been named interim chief.

"We're going to lay low for a little bit and allow things to revolve around Chris and eventually the council will decide what the next step is," said Whitworth, who added Griggs had served in Scott City's police department as a patrolman for a period in the 1990s.