The April 5, 2022 election is coming upon us quickly, and as you may have heard, the City of Belle has a new item on the ballot, Proposition 1.
This year’s election will offer the unique opportunity to transition from an elected Marshal position to an appointed Chief of Police.
What in the world is the difference, you might ask? The Marshal is elected and the Chief of Police is appointed by the Mayor and Board of Alderman.
Though this isn’t the first time this issue has been placed on the ballot, the Mayor and Board of Alderman realize that in past attempts there was a lack of communication between them and the concerned citizens of the Belle community. The issue was simply placed on the ballot without clear reason and without explaining why this expected change from voters would be beneficial to the community.
This time around we hope to change that, providing you with complete transparency as to why this issue is back on the ballot.
Not only is it our goal to provide Belle citizens with complete transparency, it is also our goal to have whomever represents our law enforcement do the same. By appointing a Chief of Police vs. electing a Marshal, the Chief of Police will be required to provide complete transparency to the Mayor and Alderman, but most importantly, to the community.
By appointing a Chief of Police, another layer of accountability is added, once again leaving the door open for complete transparency to you, the citizens of Belle.
Click here to see the duties required by the Chief of Police.
One of the biggest questions asked is “Will the Chief of Police be protected like the Marshal was?” Yes and no. Just as a Marshall has to go through a lengthy process to be removed, the Chief of Police has various layers of protection as well.
But.. let’s break this down. Say the Marshall isn’t performing the duties he/she took an oath to perform upon election. After it’s proven she/he hasn’t followed through with the duties, the option to impeach the Marshal is presented. This is both lengthy and expensive and costs taxpayer dollars to hold the Marshal responsible for his/her neglect of duties. In the end, no one wins.
But what happens if the appointed Chief of Police is in the same predicament, taking an oath to perform his/her duties, but doesn’t follow through. The Mayor and Alderman must still present a good reason to dismiss the Chief of Police. At no time can city leadership fire the appointment position simply because they aren’t happy with the way he/she is doing her job.
According to Missouri statutes 84.490 & 106.273, though the Mayor and Alderman may dismiss the Chief of Police, it must be proven that they have committed an act keeping him/her from performing their job, and they must follow a strict process regarding the dismissal. Shall the Chief of Police be discharged without reasonable cause, he/she is allowed to appeal the decision.
As the City of Belle strives to rebuild the Police Department from the ground up, the appointment of a Chief of Police is a key strategy for successful implementation. And we can’t move forward in building a better, safer community without the support of its citizens, you.
If you have further questions, please join us on Monday, March 14, 2022 at 6:30 p.m., or Friday, April 1, 2022, at 6:30 p.m., at the Belle/Bland Community Center, for a public discussion.
Your voice matters. Your vote matters.