Hanceville suspends police department, begins search for new chief

The Hanceville City Council voted Monday night to suspend its police department until a new police chief can be hired. That chief will be tasked with building a new police department from the ground up. 

The decision came after a grand jury wrote last month that the department was so corrupt, it should be dismantled. It also indicted five Hanceville officers, including the police chief, and called the department as it exists today a public safety hazard.

The vote followed an, at times, unruly meeting in which a frustrated crowd disagreed on potential solutions and frequently interrupted the mayor and the council. Some even called for the councilors to resign or to fire the mayor in that very meeting. 

One resident, Daria Sullivan, argued that before the city decides what to do next, the Hanceville should hold a special council election to replace the current members. 

“You are not responsible for the running of the police department,” Sullivan said. “But you are responsible for knowing what is going on. And that did not happen.”

While some commenters stood in support of the grand jury’s recommendation to abolish Hanceville’s police department, the general consensus was that having a local law enforcement agency would help the city enforce its own codes. 

Mayor Jim Sawyer struggled to keep order at times. Many residents wanted to share stories of past wrongdoings by the Hanceville Police Department, and when he cut them short, the audience’s frustration grew. 

“My opinion is the whole police department needs to be abolished and so does this council,” resident Eric Maldonado said. “And it starts with you, sir!”

Sawyer asked security to remove Maldonado and one other commenter before abruptly closing public comment. 

The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office has been handling law enforcement in Hanceville since the mayor put the remaining officers on administrative leave last month. Sheriff Matt Gentry told those at the meeting that his department can only withstand a few months of covering law enforcement for the Hanceville. His deputies have been working overtime and he wondered if the city might be able to reimburse the county for the cost. Gentry estimated that cost might be close to $25,000 a month. 

When City Councilor Kenneth Cornelius made a motion to suspend the existing police department, some audience members objected. They noted that the officers currently on administrative leave are not involved in the ongoing legal proceedings. But Cornelius pointed out that the city would struggle to pay both the salaries for its officers and the $25,000 to the sheriff’s department. 

Ultimately, the council voted to suspend the department and create a committee that will select a new police chief. That chief will be tasked with rebuilding the police department. Councilors estimated that the process could take anywhere from six months to a year.