Sheriff’s office begins managing Ashland patrol operations while city is without chief
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office took control Thursday of police operations in Ashland after Chief Gabe Edwards was suspended.
A special Board of Aldermen meeting will be called once the city identifies an interim chief. The Boone County Sheriff's Office will stop its onsite assistance at that time.
The City says it is looking for someone in the twilight of their career or who is recently in transition. they also want someone who has served as a lieutenant, captain or higher. It has already spoken with a few candidates
Edwards' paid leave was announced Monday. By Tuesday morning, Ashland City Administrator Kyle Michel was on the phone with Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey to seek help.
“The sheriff said it best and his lieutenant said it best this morning as well. ‘You know we are all in this together they’re here to help,'” Michel said. “We are Boone County, they’re Boone County, so this will honestly help provide some increased coverage.”
Sheriff's Office patrol lieutenants will split shifts in Ashland to help manage the patrol schedule. Deputies will also be assigned to help cover Ashland, when needed, Michel wrote in an email.
Lt. Lance Robbins will be the Boone County patrol lieutenant assigned to Ashland. Michel wrote Robbins has met with the Ashland patrol staff and reviewed the patrol schedule with Sgt. Adrian Worrall.
Staffing has been a problem for the Ashland Police Department for a while now. Over the last year and a half, their roster has taken hits from injuries and vacancies.
Per the city's budget, APD is authorized one chief of police, one sergeant and seven patrol officers.
The Ashland Police Department currently has five licensed law enforcement officers, including Edwards and patrol staff. The Board of Aldermen has approved the hiring of an additional patrol officer, who is attending the Law Enforcement Training Institute. He is expected to begin his field training in Ashland in September.
Even with that hire, the City still has two vacancies to fill. A special Board of Aldermen meeting will be called once the city identifies an interim chief. The Boone County Sheriff's Office will stop its onsite assistance at that time.
Michel is confident that Ashland can fill those vacancies, adding that they recently added a new hire on Tuesday evening.
“I notified this new hire as well as this officer we have in the academy that the chief will be going on leave just to provide some reassurance to them and see if they had any questions or concerns about working with Ashland and they didn’t express any concerns to me,” Michel said. “They are still excited about the opportunity to come work for us.”
