Why Did An Entire Police Force Quit? Colorado Town’s Squad, Including Veteran Sheriff, Resigns Overnight For Political Reasons

An entire police force in a Colorado town simply quit the force en masse. While the real reasons behind the sudden resignation of the town’s squad remain unclear, locals feel their sheriff of many years may not be happy with the change in the upper echelons of politics.

An entire municipal police force in a Colorado town handed in their resignations. Comprising of a sheriff and three deputies, the force may have been a small one, but it was all the town had to ensure law and order. Green Mountain Falls in Colorado doesn’t have a police force, and all calls for help made to the Green Mountain Falls Police Department will go unanswered.

Ann Pinnell, one of the many concerned citizens who remains baffled about the sudden departure of the squad, said, “Our marshal and three deputies quit, and that’s about all they said. We’ve had our hometown marshal for many, many years, so I sure hope we get another marshal in our town.”

The town was officially informed about the bizarre turn of events last week itself, but the people weren’t given any convincing reasons. Calls to the police station have gone unanswered and the police station seemed locked shut, reported the Colorado Spring Gazette. The town is sparsely populated. With a permanent population barely exceeding 700, Green Mountain Falls may not witness a lot of crime or criminals, but a town does need a police force. Interestingly, the town’s population does swell around the summers. If the past summers have been any indicator, the small town’s population could surge to 1,200 soon.

Green Mountain Falls' police force in Colorado suddenly quits https://t.co/PgMSfKis5H

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Until the situation is remedied, the town’s safety and security has been handed over to El Paso County Sheriff’s Department and the Teller County sheriff’s offices, confirmed the newly elected Mayor Jane Newberry. She assured residents that there’s no reason to panic.

“We will answer calls for service there just like we would with any other district in the county. I have every confidence in El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. I always have and there’s no reason anybody needs to worry. We are a small community and it’s one of our advantages is we all look out for each other.”

Since the chief announced his resignation on Thursday, April 14, with the three other officers following his lead, the town doesn’t have a police force to hear their grievances or take care of law and order. According to an anonymous source, the entire department quit on Wednesday over policy and unhappiness with the new mayor, who was sworn in last week, reported Fox News. The resignations went through this week after the town officially resumed business with the new political leadership.

Police chief Tim Bradley handed in his badge, allegedly without offering any reason. However, soon after Bradley tended his resignation, his three volunteer reserve officers followed suit without so much as a moment’s hesitation. While the official reason may surface soon, rumors suggest the mass walkout was due to a policy dispute with the hamlet’s new mayor, reported BPR Bizpack Review.

When the newly elected mayor was contacted, she appeared surprisingly nonchalant about the situation and attempted to play down the suggestion that her election could be the primary reason for the en masse resignation of the police force, reported the Huffington Post.

“In an election year there’s always some people who choose to stay and some people who choose to go and I think that happens at every level of government.”

A lone officer is understandable, but an entire police force, no matter how small, seems odd.

Quizzed about the same, she added, “Bradley is pursuing other opportunities as I understand and good luck to him but that’s not to say that we are without police coverage.”

[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]