LAKE MILTON, Ohio — The entire Craig Beach Police Department — including its chief — resigned during a village council meeting, citing a hostile work environment and lack of support from council members, WKBN reported.
Sgt. Renatta Griffith, visibly emotional, read from one of the resignation letters during the April 8 meeting.
“I love the community that we serve, and it has been an honor to work under Chief Pettus,” she said.
Tensions quickly rose as council members questioned the officers over missing inventory reports and the department’s need for more than two cruisers, according to the report. Officers responded that both cruisers had long-standing maintenance issues and lacked funding for replacements.
“Council has been very vocal about wanting our department to fail and refusing to support any efforts for us to improve,” Griffith added.
The resignations come months after the now-former chief Pettus was briefly laid off and reinstated following a social media post accusing the council of lacking support, according to the report.
Councilman Jamie Becker pushed back, referencing the department’s failure to submit inventory and implying that withholding such documentation was unacceptable.
“So, I’m supposed to accept the resignation of the entire department without any accounting of public property whatsoever?” he said.
After a heated exchange, the officers walked out of the meeting, refusing to answer additional questions. The council voted unanimously to accept their resignations.
It’s currently unclear who will take over law enforcement responsibilities for the village, according to the report. The Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office is a potential option, but Sheriff Jerry Greene said no final decision has been made.
