Residents of Purcellville, Virginia, appeared to pressure the town council on Tuesday to betray their plans to dissolve local police.
Purcellville Town Council members voted on April 9 to remove the police department, citing multiple reasons, including staffing issues. They claimed that the move would save more than $3 million after it fell $50 million of debt to build a wastewater treatment plant.
“You four have taken away the items on the agenda at the end of the meeting and stripped me of my legal right to comment on them.”
The Town Council has supported the department’s removal regarding the fact that Purcellville is rated as one of the safest towns in the state, and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has already patrolled the town from 1am to 6am.
However, locals felt that the town council had created a plan to demolish police in a closed room and had not asked for their opinions.
“You four have taken away items from the agenda at the end of the meeting and my legal right to comment on them,” one resident told the council. wjla.
The sheriff’s office has been released statement It appeared to support residents’ concerns.
“Loudon Sheriff Mike Chapman has not consulted or agreed to the statements in documents posted in the Purcellville Town Council Meeting packet explaining the dissolution of the police station and replacing it with services provided by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office.” “Unfortunately, the published documents do not discuss anything with Sheriff Chapman or the LCSO leadership team.”
“The LCSO is willing to provide law enforcement assistance and services to the town of Purcellville, but the town council has no jurisdiction to place conditions or requirements on the LCSO if the police department is dissolved,” the Sheriff’s Office added.
An infuriated residents packed a town council meeting on Tuesday to express disapproval of the plan. Locals also launched a recall effort to eliminate several councillors and deputy mayor Ben Nett.
During the meeting, council members appeared to build a cave under community pressure and instead voted to fund police until next year. However, members will retain a Full budget session Consider the future of the department.
The vote to keep police was followed news that the Attorney General’s Office had confirmed the state police on Monday. Start a criminal investigation Net over potential conflicts of interest – While serving as deputy mayor, Net was also hired at Purcellville Police Station. He was fired from the troops earlier this month.
Commonwealth Attorney Bob Anderson It is listed The net “is prevented us from accessing all police department records, voting on all issues involving the PPD and attending all meetings that include discussions about the PPD.”
Anderson argued that net support to dissolve the division appears to be “retaliation” for his recent termination and “blatant conflict of interest.”
Nett did not respond to WTTF’s request for comment.
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