KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bates City could dissolve its police department and shift responsibilities to the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department, prompting nearly half of the town to attend a meeting and voice displeasure with the move.
The Board of Aldermen discussed on Tuesday night the possibility of eliminating the department, which Mayor Shawn Fox said was based on the town’s financials.
However, the information an alderman reviewed did not match what the city clerk had on record.
In the town of roughly 250 people, a majority of residents in attendance opposed dissolving the department and said they learned about it through Facebook. They also said they would like a public hearing due to confusion surrounding the issue.
A former mayor said it’s imperative for Bates City to have 24-seven local police protection, while a former police officer cautioned that dissolving the department would increase response times.
Even businesses like Bates City BBQ took issue with this move.
"I don’t really know what the purpose of that is, I don’t really agree with it," said Julie Lofquist, part-owner of Bates City BBQ.
After two and a half hours of discussion, the Board of Alderman pushed off the vote until its next meeting in September, as accusations surrounding the mayor came to light.
According to the Bates City police chief, the mayor is accused of many layers of discrimination towards females, using a racial slur more than a dozen times and yelling at co-workers.
