ALEXANDRIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — In roughly a one-week span, all three police officers in Alexandria quit.
Like just about everyone in the DeKalb County community, we want to know why.
Through my recent reporting about the water quality problems in Alexandria, I connected with now-former police chief Travis Bryant.
Bryant told me about his decision to resign.
"To just up and leave like I did, it bothers me. But it is just what I felt was in the best interest for myself, and I had to do that," Travis Bryant said.
Bryant resigned Friday, August 16 along with another officer. Then, the last officer standing resigned this past weekend.
Now, with none, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department stationed 25 minutes away is tasked with responding to calls.
"I come down here and let them know I've talked to the Sheriff's Department. He's still going to continue answering calls. I've talked to constables in this area, especially the ones for Alexandria, and the Liberty area. They all know what's going on. If needed, they can help answer calls as well," Bryant said.
During our candid conversation, the former police chief told me he couldn't work with Alexandria's new administration elected on August 1.
"This is my third mayor. The previous two I had no problems with. I could sit down and talk to them. When the new mayor came in, she tried to reassign our duties to the sheriff's department and then it was becoming a micromanaging issue where she wanted to try to control the police department and she has no experience," Bryant said.
After talking with Bryant, I went to Mayor Beth Tripp's office a few doors down. She wasn't there. This wasn't my first time trying to speak with her. I've been talking and texting with Mayor Tripp for days. The timing has never been good for her.
There is room for three police officers in the Alexandria budget.
"I still want to be involved, but I've got to make sure I don't get tied up in something I don't want to get tied up into," Bryant said.
In a text last week, the Mayor told me she was interviewing someone interested in being the next police chief.
There's a town meeting tonight at 7 o'clock. An item on the agenda is the police department's monthly report.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
