Mystery surrounding the dismissal of the police chief and the suspension of all police personnel except one policeman

Police officers in a city in the US state of Georgia are stunned after all but one officer was ordered to surrender their weapons and badges with immediate effect and without much justification.

Officers in Warm Springs were told last month they would be suspended, while their boss, Emilio Quintana, was fired.

A Facebook post announcing the decision only deepened the mystery and raised further questions.

“The decision to fire Police Chief Quintana and suspend him from the police force was made after careful review of recent events and emerging concerns about the leadership and operations within the department,” the post said.

The force is currently being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, but officials are remaining tight-lipped about what the investigation is targeting.

However, the disciplinary action followed an anonymous tip that police officers – including former police chief Quintana – were using their patrol cars for private purposes, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

The sender, signed “concerned citizen,” also claimed that many Warm Springs police officers only take the job to secure a more lucrative pastime.

“Most officers who work for Warm Springs are there because they were hired solely to perform their off-duty police duties,” the email said. “This is a routine thing that the Chief allows to happen at the direction of the Chief of Police.”

Warm Springs has a population of 450, which means there is about one police officer for every 33 residents, compared to the state average of 164 police officers per capita.

Many police officers work only part-time or only take a few shifts here and there, which gives them the authority to make arrests.

Before this controversy, Warm Springs was best known as the pre-inauguration residence of President Roosevelt; the former president’s building was later dubbed the “Little White House.”

According to data from USA.com, the city’s crime rate is also below the Georgia average and below national rates, ranking it 87th among 336 cities in the state.

Mayor Robyn Pynenburg wrote a letter to Quintana outlining the allegations against him, and within a week Quintana was fired.

His employees were placed on leave, although it was said that this was not a disciplinary measure.

The only one of the 13 officers currently still in office is Aisha Al-Khalifa, who was hired as a sergeant in November and is now serving as interim chief.

However, the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office indicated that the suspensions have not had a major impact on daily operations, saying that officers in Warm Springs rarely appeared to be on duty when emergency calls came in.

In another strange twist, the anonymous email was sent just two days after a former Warm Springs official filed a lawsuit against Quintana and the City of Warm Springs for wrongful termination.

Sean Thompson said he was fired after trying to raise issues with another employee.

Thompson alleged discrimination, retaliation and a hostile work environment in the lawsuit.

He told 11 Alive that he was fired on May 20 for alleged insubordination after he expressed his opinion.

“You know, I feel like I’ve been completely ignored,” Thompson said, adding that his lawsuit was filed on June 10.

“I want my name cleared. I want my past cleared,” he explained.

“I didn’t think it would come to this, but like I said, some things were revealed, some other things were revealed, I guess it was just meant to be.”

The police are being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at their own request. In the case of the GBI, all allegations of a criminal nature are investigated.

Quintana is also being investigated by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, although the panel admits it is not sure what it should be investigating.

“At the moment, many things are not yet entirely clear to us,” said CEO Mike Ayers.

Locals are also baffled and are sharing their concerns on social media.

“What in the world is going on in Warm Springs?” wrote one woman. “I just saw on the news from Atlanta that the entire police force and the police chief were fired or suspended. Wow, something bad has to happen.”

“Who knows what’s going on here?” another person added. “They fired the entire police force, the damn police are in trouble, what the hell? This is crazy.”

“This is wild,” one person agreed.

“Our primary commitment is to the safety and well-being of our community,” said Mayor Pynenburg.

“We take these matters very seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation to resolve any issues within our police department. We ask for the community’s patience and support as we work toward transparency and justice.

“The city is committed to conducting a fair and thorough investigation and will keep the public informed of all significant developments.”

Mystery surrounding the dismissal of the police chief and the suspension of all police personnel except one policeman