Less than a week after the entire police department in Kenly, N.C., announced their resignation, elected officials from the town of about 2,000 residents have gone silent on a plan for law enforcement. The July 20 mass resignation of the department's police chief, four full-time officers and two town clerks, who are all white, came less than two months after the town hired a new town manager, who is black, leaving many critics to question whether race was at the core of
Justine Jones, who has worked for 16 years in local governments in Minnesota, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina, was selected to be the town manager. On June 2, she started her job.
Kenly is black, Hispanic and white.
The hostile work environment that Jones created made it impossible for progress to continue, according to a resignation letter written by the police chief. If Jones were to be fired, he would consider returning to work, but he did not expand on the alleged details.
On his personal social media page, he continued to say these things.
The whole police department was put in my notice. I don't think we can perform our duties and services to the community because of the new manager.
The two town clerks and other officers resigned because of their work conditions.
The employees did not expand on the working conditions.
The day-to-day operations of the local government are overseen by the town manager. The police budget is usually planned by a town manager for approval by the city council. A town manager and a mayor have the same responsibilities, but the mayor is elected.
Staffing shortages were one of the challenges that led to his departure. The police department had only five full-time officers for the last few months. Three part-time officers are available.
Critics think the issues go far beyond personnel challenges.
Cynthia Kirby, a long time Kenly resident who is also black, told the News & Observer last week that Kenly doesn't want to be led by anyone Black. They harass Black people. It's a race.
I want to know what happened between May andJuly. When you get a new boss, it takes time, according to Kenly residentDenise Bennett. This ultimatum of her versus him as a police chief is not a good process.
The Kenly Town Council held a closed-door meeting on Friday just two days after members of the department resigned to make sense of the changes.
The Mayor of Kenly, Herbert Louis "Tooie" Hales II, did not respond to many requests from Yahoo News. The four town council members did not reply to Yahoo News' attempts to reach them.
People who have been there the longest should be supported by the town.
The police department is very good. The Kenly resident said that Jones was not for the police department.
The current situation in Kenly is unlike anything he has seen before, according to the town attorney.
Politicians, the mayors, and the council members have resigned. Hewett has seen employees quit. I haven't seen a resignation where it's an entire department.
The meeting will be open to the public, according to Mayor Hales.
The sheriff's office said it would respond to calls in Kenly.
If and when needed, Sheriff Steve Bizzell will assign his deputies to patrol the streets.
There is a person with the name _____.
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