The Clarksville Metropolis Council voted to successfully shut down the Clarksville Police Division after firing its police chief and police sergeant for insubordination throughout a particular assembly Monday.
Brokers from the Legal Justice Info Companies division of the Texas Division of Public Security eliminated digital units Thursday from Clarksville Metropolis Corridor, residence to town’s police division.
“We at the moment haven’t any officers, nobody with credentials or something, right here proper now,” Mayor Ann Speeding stated. “On the level we begin hiring officers to return in, they’ll deliver them (the digital units) again. That’s my understanding.”
A press officer with DPS referred feedback to Clarksville police; nonetheless, there are none.
Chief Mark Gable and Sergeant Jerry Goodson had been each given dishonorable discharges after an investigation, Mayor Ann Speeding stated, earlier than the council voted to terminate the boys.
Solely Ward I Councilman James Ellis, and Ward II Councilman Lyntrevion Scott voted towards the terminations.
Town now should depend on a short-staffed Pink River County Sheriff’s Workplace for service, along with DPS, the mayor confirmed following adjournment.
“Proper now, we’re counting on the county to help us, as a result of, technically, the county is over the whole county anyway, so they’ll help us,” Speeding stated. “I’ve additionally talked to DPS to ensure if we’re going to be points or something they’d be listening to.”
Goodson stated he filed an oppression cost on Speeding with the sheriff’s workplace, however a dispatcher with the division wouldn’t verify whether or not any costs had been filed.
She as a substitute deferred all feedback to the Texas Rangers, who didn’t return a number of messages by press time.
Goodson selected to have his deliberations with the council heard in public session.
“I responded to a crucial incident, and because of that incident, I obtained rattled,” Goodson advised the council.
Goodson stated the incident prompted sleeping points and irritability at work, however had been later resolved after chatting with pastor Harold Massey.
After a psychological well being dialog along with his son, he stated he posted concerning the dilemma on social media two or three weeks later.
“I actually might have used a small keep in a mental-health facility,” Goodson wrote March 14 on Fb. “I went via a mental-health disaster with out searching for the assistance I wanted. I really feel small for that. My work and private life had been affected fairly negatively.”
Following the put up, Speeding stated she obtained a number of calls from involved residents relating to the writing.
Goodson was mentioned in an government session throughout an April 11 assembly, and the council voted unanimously to take no motion earlier than adjourning.
He stated the mayor positioned him on administrative go away a number of days later.
“I didn’t do something that warranted or justified being positioned on administrative go away,” Goodson stated Monday. “I took no challenge and by no means will take challenge with having a mental-health health for obligation analysis.”
He stated Gable, who had been on medical go away because of post-COVID problems, stated he didn’t see something fallacious with the social media put up and didn’t direct Goodson’s go away of absence.
One council member shook his head whereas one other laughed throughout Goodson’s remarks earlier than the council.
“It’s uncomfortable, as a result of it’s insubordination, which may be very arduous for me to do since I’ve labored with the police division and in a police division,” Ward III Councilmember Bonnie Snyder stated throughout Goodson’s overview. “However when the insubordination is blatant and repeated, and incorrect issues are stated, it’s slanderous and it’s not good for our metropolis.”
Synder stated she felt threatened and didn’t really feel secure because of Goodson’s repeated remarks concerning the metropolis on social media and his return to Metropolis Corridor with out an analysis.
Gable selected to have his deliberation within the government session, which lasted a number of hours.
When the council returned, votes had been solid to fireplace the boys for insubordination.
“I don’t agree with it, and there’s going to be litigation,” Gable stated after the assembly. “It falls underneath the whistleblower act.”
