ENNIS — Ennis Police Chief John Moore announced in a Facebook post that he is stepping down after more than a decade in the role.
In his Facebook post, Moore wrote, “...Recent actions and decisions by the Town Commission have created an environment that led to the resignation of the department's remaining officer.”
Cory Hardy, commission chair and senior member of the town council, says this decision is controversial around town.
When asked for his reaction, Hardy said, “It’s budget season for us, currently, and the town has a handful of infrastructure needs that have just kind of been being pushed aside for a few years.”
WATCH: Ennis Police Chief John Moore stepping down after decade of service, citing lack of support
Those projects include repairing the water tower. Hardy said the town is currently 260 gallons a minute short of what the DEQ requires.
Projects aside, Hardy said Ennis is the only one of Madison County’s four incorporated towns with its own police department.
“That’s a relatively expensive endeavor to take on for a township, so they have had to defer to the county for services,” Hardy said.
When asked about the current role of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in Ennis, Hardy said, “They fill in where our Ennis police department has not been able to fill in just due to personnel or lack of personnel.”
In Moore’s letter, he wrote, “Without adequate staffing or meaningful support, our ability to provide the level of service and protection the people of Ennis deserve has been severely compromised.”
Around town, many residents would not go on camera about the controversy. Some welcomed the resignation, while others were disappointed.
Hardy included that safety is top of many minds, “Part of law enforcement is just about physical presence, people visually seeing them out there. I am praying that we can continue to provide something similar.”
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office provided the following statement:
We are currently in negotiations with the Town of Ennis regarding our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on law enforcement coverage. Rest assured, the Madison County Sheriff's Office will continue to provide uninterrupted law enforcement services to the Town of Ennis, as ensuring public safety is our top priority.
Hardy said, “I just would like to thank Officer Moore for his service.”
MTN attempted to reach out to Chief Moore; however, he was unavailable today. He will be resigning on August 17.
