Ashland Board of Aldermen to hold hearing on possible removal of police chief on Dec. 7
ASHLAND, Mo (KMIZ)
The Ashland Board of Aldermen will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Dec. 7 to decide on the status of suspended Police Chief Gabe Edwards.
According to state law, a police chief can be removed after a written notice is issued to the chief no fewer than 10 business days before the meeting in which their removal is to be considered. The law indicates that a chief can be removed by a two-thirds majority vote from its governing body.
The Board reviewed a memo from Callaway County Prosecutor Ben Miller that was sent to the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Nov. 8 during a closed session on Tuesday.
The memo states that Miller felt Edwards could be charged with misuse of official information for getting information through the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System for non-work-related reasons.
However, Miller wrote in the memo that he had not filed charges because the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control had not submitted a probable cause statement. Miller said he asked the patrol for a probable cause statement on Oct. 4 but never received one.
City Administrator Kyle Michel told ABC 17 News that the city has yet to receive any additional information from the MSHP or Callaway County, when asked if they had received an explanation for why a probable cause statement was not sent.
In a Nov. 14 statement, Michel referred to the timeframe as an "unusual delay."
Miller wrote in the memo, "If a probable cause statement is submitted to my office by November 15th, 2024, I am open to reassessing the situation. However, any submissions after that date may risk the case not being filed due to the statute of limitations running."
Michel told ABC 17 News on Tuesday that the long process has angered some residents.
"I mean obviously the biggest complaint that we have likely received from residents is the fact that we have a chief and an interim chief on salary right now, which is a big expense," Michel said. "Obviously, with the grievance being published in a separate lawsuit there are residents who think the city should just outright or part ways with Chief Edwards.
Currently, the Ashland Police Department has two open positions it is trying to fill. The city says the status of its police chief has not deterred any recruits.
"We had one or two officers in the pipeline when we placed Chief Edwards on leave," Michel said. "We haven't lost any of those applicants. They have been able to move through the academy through field training and onto patrol, so applicants haven't slowed down as a result. We are going to try to keep trucking away to staff up."
Michel added that Interim Police Chief Scott Young has done a good job helping to keep the officers focused amid the uncertainty.
The attorney for the City of Ashland moved the case to federal court last week. The notice of removal stated Edwards’ claims include alleged violations of federal laws.
According to a previous press release, Edwards will be on leave until at least the end of MSHP's investigation. The Missouri State Highway Patrol opened its investigation in August.
Edwards filed a lawsuit against the city on Oct. 23 saying that the city removed him from the job illegally because he criticized the mayor on social media. Several days after the lawsuit was filed, the city released a statement saying that officials were aware of the lawsuit but clarified that Edwards was still employed.
In a separate lawsuit against the city, a former Ashland police officer claimed in court documents that Edwards was placed on leave three days after he reported alleged misconduct by the chief of police. Edwards was not explicitly named in the lawsuit; however, the timeframe aligns with Edwards’ tenure as police chief.
Check back for updates.
