After the mayor and town council of Vincent, Alabama learned that the three members of their town’s police force had shared racist jokes via text message, their first reaction was wanting to fire all three, but couldn’t because of the town’s policies, USA Today reports.
After Mayor James Latimore learned from the lawyer for the town that the town couldn’t fire the officers because they did not have the required complaints and/or poor performance reports on file, the town council, representing Vincent’s 1,950 residents, decided to dissolve the police department, essentially laying off both remaining officers; the third officer had resigned hours before the council meeting.
People attending the town meeting were outraged that the city couldn’t outright fire the cops, but according to the town regulations, the officers couldn’t be fired because there was no previous complaint against any of them. So the town council decided it didn’t need their services any longer and disbanded the force. The officers will be able to apply for unemployment, but will no longer be affiliated with Vincent.