VARNELL, Ga. – An entire police department was eliminated Tuesday morning, without warning.
The Varnell City Council voted 3-1 to disband the agency, with the majority of the council members saying they believe the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office can properly protect residents. The meeting was advertised as an opportunity to discuss employees – namely, Chief Lyle Grant, whom the council suspended two weeks ago.
Instead, Councilman Jan Pourquoi made a motion to eliminate the entire agency, which employs five full-time officers and four or five part-timers. Councilman David Owens seconded the motion, and Councilwoman Andrea Gordy sided with them, tipping the scales. Councilwoman Ashlee Godfrey was the lone “no” vote, though Mayor Anthony Hulsey said he opposed the decision.
Owens later said shedding the department will save the city money and boost its reputation after some controversial cases. He told residents to expect more money for playgrounds and a community center coordinator.
“It’s going to free up a lot of funds for this council to use for quality of life purposes,” he said. “… There will be a lot of good to come back to citizens.”