Springfield Police Department vacant after every officer, including chief, resigned
Every police officer, including the chief, resigned at the Springfield Police Department this week.
A Friday announcement by the Baca County Sheriff’s Office and the town of Springfield detailed that, on Tuesday, both the town and county were informed about the “imminent resignation” of every officer, with one effective on Wednesday and the other two on Saturday.
The town’s website currently lists the chief as Katrina Martin and the officers as Dustin Martin and Jonah West.
Government officials met to assess the situation, and the town reached a unanimous agreement on Thursday that lets the Baca County Sheriff’s Office temporarily provide law enforcement services, according to the news release.
The news release, signed by Baca County Sheriff Aaron Shiplett and Springfield Mayor Tyler Gibson, concluded with advice to would-be criminals “thinking this is an opportune time to commit crimes or victimize anyone in Baca County.”
“We will warn you,” the two wrote. “The community is fed up with it, law enforcement will be here in force, they will exhaust every resource at their disposal in finding you, the lights are always on at the Baca County Jail and we still have a few bunks available.”
Springfield is located in the southeastern corner of the state – 30 miles from both Kansas and Oklahoma, according to the town’s website. It’s the seat of Baca County, with almost 1,500 residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2010.
