Injunction Denied To Halt MPD Disbanding
Superior Court Judge William A. Prior denied a temporary injunction to cease action to disband the city of Monticello Public Safety/Police Department (MPD) on Tuesday after a court hearing.
After hearing from the plaintiff and the defendant, he said he had reviewed the record and read the petition and was in agreement with the defendant that this was a political decision voted on by elected officials thereby denying the temporary injunction.
As readers may recall, Monticello City Council members voted 3-2 on June 10 to approve the FY 2015 budget which included action to disband the MPD in an effort to help offset a $725,000 deficit. The action to approve that budget proposal was met with a plethora of contention from citizens.
The plaintiffs consisted of Jacqueline Smith, Martha Pompey and Doris Moore in their official capacity as duly elected officers of the Jasper-Monticello Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). They requested the court issue a temporary restraining order to cease action to disband the Monticello Police Department (MPD).
The defendants consisted of Monticello Mayor Brian Standifer, Mayor Pro-tem Bobby Jacobs, Council members Katherine Alexander and David Wease, and City Clerk Peggy Billerman.
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Ms. Smith, as spokesperson for the plaintiffs, accused the defendants of conducting secret closed door meetings, budget discrepancies, improperly directing the city attorney to prepare drafts, harassment, ethics violations, providing unsafe working conditions and unlawfully claiming powers and rights in direct contravention of the city charter.
Ms. Smith went on to suggest the absence of a police force in the city could result in increased crime and a loss to the community from the services they contributed.
Representing the defendants, City Attorney Joe Reitman, repudiated the allegations of the plaintiffs and added that the disbandment of the MPD was due to budgetary constraints and would take the burden off of the taxpayers of the city, and that the decision was a political one made by a 4-2 vote by elected officials.
He added that the burden of police protection would be implemented by the current location of the MPD being converted into a precinct or substation of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) and that an agreement with the county and the JCSO was already implemented.
