Oakboro, North Carolina politicians vote to keep city police

The Oakboro City Council voted 3-2 to keep the police force. Monday’s meeting came after residents expressed concern that the city was running out of police officers, jeopardizing public safety. The authority says it is exploring all options to solve the problem.

Residents told WCNC Charlotte that there was a lack of transparency from the city, leaving Stanly County officials to fill the gap. According to the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, deputies have been covering Oakboro in place of Oakboro police. The county pays these deputies one and a half times their salary, which is paid back to the county by the city of Oakboro.

“I’m a concerned citizen,” said resident Andrew Mullis. “Since about May, they’ve lost about five officers and the police chief.”

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