Hawkins mayor denies motions to reinstate 3 police officers

HAWKINS – According to our news partner KETK, a special city council meeting to discuss the reinstatement of three Hawkins Police Department officers ended in disagreement on Monday and the vote to re-hire them was called off. In Monday’s meeting, there were multiple motions on the floor to vote to grant the appeal and immediately reinstate the terminated officers, but the mayor refused to call the motions to a vote. Mayor Debbie Rushing repeatedly said it was an “out of order motion.”

According to the city’s ordinance, the council is required to vote on new police officers, which did not happen in the case of these officers. The police officers who were terminated are David Morris, Dale Lundberg and Vernon Polk.

Each officer was present at Monday’s meeting with their attorneys. One attorney said during the meeting that the hiring of the officers was lawful but the mayor still denied their motion.

When council started arguing within themselves, the officers and their attorneys left the meeting. Rushing admitted she and the former police chief Paul Holland decided to let him hire officers.

Now Rushing wants to right that wrong. She said she did not interview and approve the officers when the special meeting was called.

Hawkins resident, Amy Pack said she hoped the officers were reinstated but she is not surprised there wasn’t a solution.

“Every time we think something is going to get done, she finds another loop hole, she finds another reason not too, she finds something again,” Pack said.

Pack believes the council should not make any costly moves without the city having an attorney.

Rushing declined to comment.