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. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake