Hawkins relies on one police officer

HAWKINS – The City of Hawkins is down to one police officer after the mayor fired three officers at the city council meeting on Tuesday, according to our news partners at KETK. Hawkins Mayor Debbie Rushing fired two patrol officers and one investigator because she said they were not properly hired and didn’t receive approval from the council. According to the city’s ordinance, “the police chief and mayor shall interview all applicants for the job of police officers and shall make their selection and present this selection to the city council for their approval.” These three officers were hired under former Police Chief, Paul Holland who resigned on Jan. 25, marking the third chief to step down in three years.

“Back when Paul Holland was first hired on as chief, the mayor told him that he did not have to seek council approval when he hired new officers,” lone Hawkins Police Officer Eric Tuma said.

Rushing said she doesn’t remember telling Holland he could hire officers without the council’s approval but is willing to admit it in order to move on. “I take ownership in any part I may have played in this situation and I am willing to admit it in order to do everything by the law and move forward,” Rushing said.

The mayor has been under scrutiny after she pushed to get the police department disbanded at the city council meeting in January where the council voted 4-1 to keep the department running.
Hawkins city council votes to retain police department despite mayor’s opposition

Owner of Action Sound in Hawkins Kelly Barber, who was kicked out of the council meeting on Tuesday for speaking out, believes that this is another way Rushing is trying to dismantle the police department.

Action Sound has been broken into multiple times and Barber worries his store is more at risk without a fully staffed police department. “We have people trying to break in here all the time and they tell us there’s no crime in town. Crime is rampant and they know it,” Barber said.

Tuma said he will be on duty as much as possible and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office will help until they hire more officers. From the sheriff’s office to the Hawkins Police Department, it is at least a 25-minute drive.

“I’m going to be on duty as much as I can, most likely Monday through Friday during the day. People will be able to get a hold of me if they have anything. When I’m not on duty, they’ll be able to reach out to the [Wood County] sheriff’s office for assistance,” Tuma said.

According to Tuma, two other officers were at the meeting and said they were devastated when they heard they were let go. Rushing said if the officers reapply, they can be hired correctly.