By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• The Cohutta Police Department in north Georgia was dissolved Wednesday and all officers were terminated following an ongoing dispute involving town leadership, officials said.
• Mayor Ron Shinnick ordered the department’s closure, directing residents to rely on the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.
• The dispute stemmed from controversy surrounding the mayor’s wife, former town clerk Pam Shinnick, and allegations involving payroll and access to municipal records.
• Whitfield County Sheriff Darren Pierce said deputies immediately assumed policing responsibilities and that emergency response times would not be affected.
• Members of the Cohutta town council later called for the police department to be reinstated and for the mayor’s resignation.
COHUTTA, GA — The Cohutta Police Department was dissolved Wednesday morning and all officers were terminated following an escalating dispute involving town leadership and municipal operations, officials confirmed.
A notice posted on the department’s door stated the dissolution took effect at 8:30 a.m. May 6 under the direction of Mayor Ron Shinnick. Residents were instructed to contact the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.
Whitfield County Sheriff Darren Pierce announced his agency would immediately assume policing responsibilities for the north Georgia town, stating residents should not experience changes in emergency response times or service levels.
The closure follows weeks of controversy involving the mayor’s wife, former town clerk Pam Shinnick, who had previously been terminated by the town council. Complaints filed by police personnel alleged the former clerk retained access to payroll systems and confidential municipal records after her dismissal, prompting internal disputes and calls for outside review.
Hours after the department’s dissolution, members of the Cohutta town council announced plans for a special meeting seeking reinstatement of the police department and calling for Mayor Shinnick’s resignation. Officials have not announced whether the department will be permanently disbanded or eventually restored.