SPENCER, Okla. – A local suspended police chief was in court Wednesday.
Spencer Police Chief Virgil Green was suspended months ago.
But inside a courtroom many hope the battle between the city manager and police chief will end.
“It has actually been a long time coming, because the department itself has been in turmoil ever since was suspended,” said reserve officer Jamie Davis.
Davis says there’s been an ongoing power struggle where neither side is winning.
“The majority of the police department would like to function as a police department and we would also like have our chief back,” said Davis.
He says in five years, three different police chiefs have come and gone.
Some officers say the fault falls on city leaders.
Another major concern is the fact that Green has been on paid leave for the last seven months while the interim chief is also paid.
Officers say the department doesn’t have the money to pay an interim chief.
“Full time officers and some of the reserves have asked for pay raises. Those pay raises have been denied but yet we’re paying two chiefs,” said Davis.
Some residents also say taking this matter to court is a waste of taxpayer funds.
The city manager and city attorney didn’t comment after the hearing, but NewsChannel 4 talked to a spokesperson by phone who addressed the issues.
“It’s up to the city and the officials of the city to make sure to make the necessary budget adjustments to make sure they have an acting chief in place until this personnel matter is resolved,” said George Johnson.
He said by law the city has to have some form of a chief in place.
He also said an employee has to be paid unless an act was committed that calls for an immediate termination.
Several officers testified on Green’s behalf.
Green’s attorney says that’s indicative of the chief’s good work
“When you have your own officers that are part of your department that come in full force to support you, you can’t ask for anything else,” Attorney Ronald ‘Skip’ Kelly.
