Pubdate: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) Copyright: 2002 Chattanooga Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.timesfreepress.com/index.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/992 Authors: Candice Combs and Dick Cook MAYOR SAYS POLICE NEGLECTED TOWN'S NEEDS Gruetli-Laager Force Ignored Local Crime for Out-Of-County Busts, Officials Say GRUETLI-LAAGER, Tenn. - This city's new mayor said city aldermen voted on Aug. 15 to dissolve the Gruetli-Laager Police Department because it neglected local crimes in favor of investigations in nearby counties. "We weren't paying them to go out of the county and bust meth labs," said Mayor Donna Rollins. "We pay them to take care of our city." Former Police Chief Ferrell Hicks could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He has refused to discuss the issue since the vote put the four-person department out of business. On Wednesday, the Grundy County Sheriff's Department was patrolling this small mountain town. Mayor Rollins, who was elected in March, said she campaigned on a platform of reforming the police department. She and her predecessor, Wanda Hart, both said citizens were worried the police weren't paying attention to small-time crimes. "We wanted to see them busting Joe Schmoe the drunk driver," Ms. Hart said. A new statewide report on crime in Tennessee said only 25 criminal incidents were reported to the Gruetli-Laager police in 2001. According to the report compiled by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the department made 11 arrests for the year and cleared nine of the 25 offenses. Of the offenses reported, nine were drug or narcotics violations, the report stated. Department members trained with the Southeast Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force, said Capt. David Hamby of the Hamilton County Sheriff 's Department, the agency that disburses federal funds for the 22-county task force. But Capt. Hamby said the department's contribution to fighting the meth blight was slight. He said the Grundy County Sheriff 's Department was more active in the task force than the Gruetli-Laager police were. Mayor Rollins said the city could use the department's budget for other things. This year's $1.1 million city budget included $106,000 for police salaries and $68,000 for training. The salaries alone are "more than half of what the city takes in," Mayor Rollins said. "There are several buildings like the senior center and community center that are in disrepair and we'd like to maybe use the police money for bettering these." Jim Finane works for the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, a program of the University of Tennessee that provides operational expertise to small cities. Mr. Finane said it's typical for police expenses to dominate a small city's budget, and that sometimes the burden just gets too heavy. Rockford, a town of about 800 people in Blount County between Knoxville and Maryville, disbanded its force this year, Mr. Finane said. Coalmont, not far from Gruetli-Laager, disbanded its police department a few years ago. "We don't keep records, but I can tell you it doesn't happen often," he said. Mayor Rollins said she will talk to the aldermen about whether to contract with the Sheriff's Department to continue patrolling the town or to organize a new police department. Alderman Jim Layne, whose vote was among the four in favor of disbanding the department, said Tuesday the money that the city was spending on the police department could be used for other things. "We have stuff around here that needs fixing," he said. Alderman Wayne Grimes, the sole vote against disbanding the force, could not be reached for comment. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake