CORDELE, GA- Five officers with the Cordele Police Department say the city’s chairman and commission have made it impossible for them to do their job and because of that, they are quitting.
Thursday, Cordele Police Chief Mike Hathaway turned in his letter of resignation with four other officers following suit.
“He’s encouraging the public that backing law enforcement is no longer an option. Basically he’s leaving us out there to dry,” said Kevin Kendrick, former Cordele Police Officer.
South Georgia Television News was at Cordele City Hall Thursday morning as the five officers cleared their personal effects.
The former officers point to surveillance footage obtained by South Georgia Television News, showing Chairman Deriso removing the “thin blue line picture” inside the police department as one of the reasons why they are leaving.
“Basically the thin blue line is basically our coworkers in law enforcement. We have very few that support law enforcement. For whatever reason they think law enforcement is against them and we unite with a thin blue line to stick together, although the world is against us,” said Michael Telfair, Sgt., Cordele Police Department.
South Georgia Television also obtained Chief Hathaway’s resignation letter and that of his Patrol Commander, Captain Jalon Heard, hired just months ago.
In the Chief’s letter to City Manager Angela Redding, Hathaway wrote that he asked the chairman to address the officers of the Cordele Police Department over his reason for taking down the “thin blue line” poster.
“He declined to do that. He said that he had posted something on Facebook explaining his reason and they could basically read it off of that. There is just a difference in our philosophy. I think me moving out of the way would be the best thing at this point,” said Mike Hathaway,
Captain Heard said in his letter that he refuses to continue to work in such a tumultuous environment.
Other outgoing officers point to the chairman’s social media posts and rhetoric they believe is divisive and hostile to law enforcement.
“He’s basically putting things on Facebook and just tearing us down, it’s just not a win win situation for us,” said Kendrick.
Officers who followed Hathaway’s lead and quit, praised him Thursday for all of his work.
‘He loved God, he loved doing police work. He would give you the shirt off
his back if he could help you,” said Telfair.
South Georgia Television News asked Chairman Deriso for comment about Thursday’s walk off.
He told us, “The city will be alright,” said Chairman Josh Deriso, Cordele City Commission.
No word just yet on who will be the interim police chief.
