An entire police department in Kenly, North Carolina resigned last week. This comes months after the hiring of a new city manager who is African-American. The police cited a hostile or stressful working environment.
Justine Jones was chosen for the position after search which involved 30 candidates. Jones comes to the town of approx. 2,000 people with 16 years of municipal government experience in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Minnesota. However, about two months after Jones was hired, Kenly’s police chief, four full-time officers and two town clerks quit. Some specifically named Jones in their reasoning of why they resigned, according to The Raleigh News & Observer.
The Kenly Town Council held an emergency meeting before 50 residents last Friday but hasn’t announced its next steps after the resignation letters. Before the council meeting, some residents held their own closed-door session with Kenly Mayor Herbert Hales.
Kenly resident Denise Bennett says she doesn’t believe that Jones, who started her job on June 2 has been given a chance to build relationship.
“One of my questions is, what happened between May and July?” asked Bennett. “It takes time when you get a new boss. We just want to make sure that the process is fair, and this ultimatum of her versus him as a police chief is not a good process.”
Another resident Christel McGowan, carried a sign outside of the meeting reading, “Save Kenly, Fire Town Manager.”
“They’ve been here over 20 years. This woman comes in and I have a lot to say, but I can’t,” McGowan noted. “She sued Virginia, she sued South Carolina and I wouldn’t doubt it if she sues us.” She added, “We don’t need to … let everybody walk out because this woman has a hard time managing, and that I know for a fact.” McGowan did not share details on what makes Jones a poor manager.
Jones has two pending lawsuits against a previous employer for racial and gender discrimination after being fired in 2015 according to the News & Observer and WRAL.
Other residents, among them longtime Kenly dweller Cynthia Kirby, say that the entire issue is racial because the officers who resigned are white men, and Jones is a Black woman.
“They don’t want to be led by anybody Black; that’s Kenly,” Kirby said. “They’re always harassing Black people. It’s racial. I hope this doesn’t end in her quitting because that’s not right. You can’t judge anybody because they make you do your job.”
In a statement, Sheriff Steve Bizzell said the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office will protect and serve Kenly as long as the town needs.
Heather Johnson told The News & Observer she isn’t concerned about safety because the small town “only has one officer on duty most of the time.”
“I’m hoping they can resolve this in a professional manner where whatever changes need to happen happen,” said Johnson, “and we can walk away as a community and with no hard feelings and with nobody dramatizing or with an agenda. We just want to be safe in Kenly.”
Link to original The Black Detour