SCOTT CITY POLICE CHIEF ROB ELLEGE SUBMITS RESIGNATION TO CITY COUNCIL

SCOTT CITY -- Scott City Police Chief Rob Elledge submitted his resignation to the city council during a closed session Monday night for "partially personal reasons," he said.

"I'm still going to be the police chief -- at least until they (council members) find another one," said Elledge. "I'm not going anywhere in particular; I may even stay here and work."

Elledge, a 16-year veteran with the department, was appointed acting chief after Chief David Beck resigned in April 1992 to work in security in St. Louis. Two months later, Elledge was recommended by the city's police personnel board to fill the position permanently.

Before being promoted to chief, Elledge was a patrol sergeant in the department. He became a corporal after four years as a patrolman. Elledge lived in Cape Girardeau before moving to Scott City when he began working for the department.

In recent weeks, Elledge has come under fire from council members.

At Monday's meeting, Ward 2 Councilwoman Ladonna Phelps asked the chief about a $25.10 bill Elledge submitted for payment. The chief had hired a woman from Jackson to type an official document for the state; the document outlined hot-pursuit regulations of the city that were brought up to date with state standards.

"We have kids in our senior clerical classes who could have done this kind of thing for free, if not for much less," said Phelps. "This is way out of line.

"We've got to cut some of these expenses, not add to them," she said.

At the Feb. 21 regular meeting of the city council, members complained that Elledge had parked a patrol car in front of his home while he was on vacation.

When the council approved the purchase of a new patrol car at the Feb. 7 meeting, the members wanted to make one of the conditions of purchase that Elledge would be prohibited from driving it.

"The way it usually works is we buy a new car and the chief drives it back and forth from home to the department for a couple of years," said Ward 4 Councilman Terry Johnston at the meeting. "I think that if we get a new car, the officers working the street should get to drive it."

Scott City Mayor Larry Forhan on Tuesday called Elledge "a good man" and pointed out that the chief's decision to resign was his own.

Forhan said the city will advertise for a new police chief regionally, but will also consider the applications of current Scott City police officers.