Letter to suspended police officers in Georgia | Contents

WARM SPRINGS, Georgia — A town in Meriwether County announced Wednesday that it had fired its police chief and suspended its entire police force except for one officer.

On Friday, 11Alive received a letter from a source who said the letter was sent to Warm Springs Police officers who were suspended pending an ongoing department-wide investigation.

RELATED TOPICS: Georgia city fires police chief and suspends entire police force due to ongoing investigation

The entire department, which includes 13 officers, is suspended – with the exception of the police chief, who has since been fired, and the remaining officer, who has since been promoted to interim officer. The newly appointed interim police chief, Aisha Al-Khalifa, is currently the only person in the department who is active.

The letter begins by stating that the officers were not suspended for disciplinary reasons and that this is “not an indication of any presumption of guilt or misconduct on your part.” It states that the officer could be disciplined or fired if the investigation reveals a policy violation.

Suspended officials must now do the following:

1. Immediately surrender your ID card, your weapon and your service identification cards.

2. Officers are prohibited from performing any duties as police officers or impersonating any member of the Warm Springs Police Department during the entire investigation.

3. Officials may not interfere in the investigation process.

4. Officials must be available for discussions and communications related to the investigation.

5. All details of the suspension and the ongoing investigation are confidential and you are not permitted to discuss the investigation with anyone outside the department.

The letter also explains that full-time employees will continue to receive their salary and benefits during the suspension, but part-time employees of the department will be suspended without pay.

“We understand that this situation may cause concern and stress, and we assure you that this action is being taken to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the trust of the community we serve,” the letter said.

ON THE SUBJECT: 13 officers were part of the police force of this small town. 11 were suspended and the police chief was fired.

The city of Warm Springs is located in Meriwether County about an hour south of Atlanta and has a population of 450.

11Alive is working to find out more about what led to the police chief’s firing and suspension from police service.