Following an investigation, several members of a police department are resigning after the police chief was arrested and replaced.
The Clinch County Sheriff’s Office held a special city council meeting on Saturday to appoint the interim Homerville police chief, James Herndon. This came after the arrest of former Chief of Police at the Homerville Police department, Dearin “Mack” Drury, 40, for an incident on February 19th where he allegedly mishandled evidence at the department.
The Clinch County Sheriff’s Office then began investigating Drury’s alleged misconduct. During the meeting, Homerville command staff and other police officers turned in their resignations. In response to the resignations, Clinch County Sheriff Stephen Tinsley took to Facebook to address the incident and stated the newly appointed chief Herndon did not have the staff or equipment available to answer service calls for Homerville.
“He had neither the staff nor the equipment available to handle any calls for service within the City of Homerville. I assured Chief Herndon that the Clinch County Sheriff’s Office will answer calls for service until a resolution can be reached by the city administrators,” Tinsley said.
The Clinch County Sheriff’s Office has stated it will continue to serve all of Clinch County and will not affect how they conduct business. “We will continue to answer calls and enforce the laws throughout the county, including the City of Homerville,” the sheriff said.
The GBI has charged Drury with theft by taking, possession of marijuana, false statements and writing, and violation of oath. As of now, the city of Homerville is without a police force and will rely on the Clinch County Sheriff’s Office for police and enforcement services until an appropriate resolution is made.
