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The citizens of Hayneville are without their municipal police force tonight after the Town Council voted unanimously to disband the department.

Council members made the decision after more than an hour of executive-session deliberation. According to Mayor Jimmie Davis, the action is a temporary measure set in motion to give town leaders time to sort out internal issues plaguing the department.

“The [department] will be disbanded until Oct. 15,” Davis told citizens gathered in the town’s courtroom. “[Officers] will be on administrative leave and will be paid until that day.”

Davis explained that the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department would be asked to respond to calls within the town limits. When officers are needed for special duties — as in when they are summoned to court — each will be called into duty at that time.

Council members called the meeting to discuss “issues within the Hayneville Police Department along with taking necessary actions to correct them.” Davis said Town Attorney Michael Strickland provided council members with relevant details for possible actions.

The mayor told The Signal he recommended terminating Police Chief Kelvin Mitchell after claims made by Investigator Deardre Pinkett point to improper conduct by the town’s leading law enforcement officer. The action requires a supermajority vote and when the council failed to agree on the chief’s termination, they ultimately resolved to disband the department while an investigation takes place.

Pinkett expressed frustration with the decision, saying she doubts the council will do what it takes to unravel all the department’s deficiencies.

“It seems like [the decision] is a punishment to the whole police department,” Pinkett said. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Everything I did was legal. [Mitchell was wrong, so why is everybody being punished.”

Last week, after Mitchell suspended Pinkett, she submitted formal complaints with Alabama’s Ethic’s Commission, town leaders, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Attorney General’s Office. Three of the four state agencies responded to tell Pinkett they are looking into her claims. SBI said they do not have jurisdiction over the matter.

Councilman Marcus Lewis explained the reasoning behind the council’s decision.

“In order for us to properly dig through this, we need time,” Lewis said. “We don’t want things to continue to get worse. We felt like dissolving the police department, allowing them to still be paid, will give us the time that we need.”

Davis said that by Oct. 15, town leaders hope to reach a more permanent solution. In the meantime, Lowndes County Sheriff Chris West said his department will handle all calls within town limits. Whether the town will be asked to pay for deputy services is as yet unknown.