Georgia Town Council Reinstates Police Force After Mayor Fires All 10 Officers

The Cohutta Town Council in Georgia voted Friday to reinstate the town's entire police force just days after Mayor Ron Shinnick fired all 10 officers, leaving the community of about 1,000 residents without law enforcement.

Vice Mayor Shane Kornberg told The Associated Press that the council acted during a special meeting, approving back pay for the officers and a measure to prevent the mayor from firing them for the next 30 days. The council tabled other items, including a proposal to remove Shinnick.

Shinnick shut down the Cohutta Police Department on Wednesday. A sign on the department door announced that the PD had been dissolved and all personnel terminated.

The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office said its deputies would assist the town, located just south of the Tennessee line and about 100 miles northwest of Atlanta.

The firings appear linked to complaints last month against Pam Shinnick, the mayor's wife and former town clerk. Officers accused her of creating a hostile work environment and continuing to work with access to residents' personal information after her termination.

Shinnick, Police Chief Greg Fowler and town attorney Bryan Rayburn held a press conference after the complaints, saying the matter was resolved through open dialogue and good-faith mediation. But one week later, the department was dissolved.

"This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that," former Sgt. Jeremy May told WRCB-TV. "We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs."

Kornberg said the town's attorney advised the council that the firings violated the town charter, which requires 30 days' notice before removing or suspending employees. The council discussed potential litigation in executive session and emerged without the mayor, who did not return. They then voted to reinstate the force.

Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor's office for comment.