- Kimberling City Police Chief Craig Alexander resigned on August 23, with his officers and sergeant following suit within the next two weeks
- Alexander said he could not do his best under the current mayor, and Sergeant Aaron Hoeft cited poor pay and lack of staffing as he resigned
- Kimberling City Mayor Bob Fritz said he was left surprised by the sudden resignations and said he did everything to try and get the officers to stay
- The Stone County Sheriff’s Department will oversee law enforcement of the city until it can bolster its ranks again
A Missouri city saw its entire police force resign in the span of two weeks after its police chief, sergeant and three officers all quit, citing low pay and being unequipped to do their jobs.
Kimberling City Police Chief Craig Alexander tendered his resignation on August 23, with officers Shaun McCafferty, Rutger House, Caleb McCarty, and Sgt. Aaron Hoeft following suit.
‘It will be a struggle to fill the police department back up with qualified officers, but hopefully they can start working on that soon and get that accomplished,’ Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader, whose department will overlook policing of the city until the department is fully staffed again, told KY3.
Kimberling City Mayor Fritz called the resignations ‘unexpected and the short notice disappointing.’
The Kimberling City Police Department consisted of six officers. After one member retired in July, the rest began to submit their resignations in August and September
Kimberling Mayor Bob Fritz, left, said he was surprised by the sudden resignations of Sergeant Aaron Hoeft and Chief Craig Alexander. Both officers said they could not do their best under the constraints of Fritz’s administration, citing poor pay and lack of qualified personnel
Alexander, left, will move on from the Kimberling Police Department to the nearby Branson West Police Department. He is pictured with his wife, Marisa
Fritz said that Alexander had spoken to him about the resignation for 45 minutes as he discussed taking a position at the nearby Branson West Police Department to help ‘better himself’ and make a much-needed change in his life.
Alexander had first joined the Kimberling City Police Department in 2002, and was promoted to chief in 2013, Branson Tri Lakes News reported.
The city, with a population of 2,600, is about 250 miles southwest of St. Louis.
‘I tried to remain a servant to the people and the officers I worked with. I always wanted this department to be the best it could be,’ Alexander said. ‘But today is my last day. I am no longer able to do my very best under the current administration, and the citizens deserve the very best.’
Fritz claimed the discussion with Alexander was amicable, but he was surprised by the sudden resignations of the other officers.
He had reached out to Hoeft to ask him to take over as interim chief, but the sergeant later told him that without a police clerk or qualified officers for ‘at this pay rate,’ it would be impossible for Hoeft to do the job to the best of his ability.
Chief Craig Alexander, left, helped put out a dumpster fire with officer Caleb McCarty
The department, pictured in 2016, will lose all its current members in the coming weeks
Fritz, second from the left, said he had no early warning about the back-to-back resignations
In his letter of resignation, McCafferty informed the mayor that he would be joining Alexander at Branson West, and House and McCarty offered no explanation for their resignations, Fritz said.
A sixth member had retired in July and had not been replaced, leaving the department with only five officers.
‘It is unfortunate that the officers had to leave the city at this time. It is all unexpected.
I had no earlier warning that the officers were going to do this. I talked to the officers last week to try to encourage them and see what I could do as mayor. They said nothing.’
