Andrews – This isn’t going to help the town’s reputation.
Giving credence to the notion that police chiefs don’t last in Andrews, Chief Joe Jones has tendered his resignation.
On Feb. 23, Jones told town officials he would soon leave the police department. His last workday is expected to be March 8.
As a 15-year law enforcement official, Jones served with the Cherokee Indian Police Department and Graham County Sheriff’s Office before joining Andrews Police Department as a rank-and-file officer in July. Town aldermen appointed Jones as police chief in December.
Two days after the appointment, two of Jones’ former colleagues from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office filed separate civil lawsuits against him. However, Jones said the litigation has nothing to do with his reasons for leaving.
“That’s not even a factor in this,” Jones said, adding that money isn’t a primary motive for resigning, either. “It’s going to be more money, but this is more about me taking a step back and getting a breath of fresh air from law enforcement.”
Jones became a police officer to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served several years with the Graham County Sheriff’s Office. He mostly joined to help people – “especially kids” – get out of “bad situations,” but society has changed dramatically over the past decade and a half.
“The court system today makes it hard to stay in [law enforcement],” Jones said. “Every officer you talk to is going to tell you how frustrating it is to deal over and over with the same person as they continue doing what they're doing every time they are released.”
While he stressed that the criminal justice system is not the primary reason for leaving the profession, Jones said the pandemic has exacerbated the situation. Moreover, the slow court process, coupled with national sentiment toward cops, make it difficult to retain officers, he said.
“We take people to jail and they’re pretty much automatically released, unless they committed a violent felony,” Jones said. “Plus, the pandemic has slowed the court system, and everything drags on to the point where a lot of stuff ultimately gets dismissed.”
Jones plans to continue living in Graham County, where he has obtained employment as a mechanic with a construction company. However, he didn’t rule out a return to law enforcement.
“I keep my options open. You never know,” he said.
Six different people have served as the town’s police chief in the three years since the new administration took office. That number includes Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer, who led the Andrews Police Department for about six months after former chief Michael Hobgood resigned amid accusations of micromanagement on the part of town lawmakers.
Jones said his experience with town officials was different than previous recounts.
“The folks at the town have been nothing short of amazing to me,” he said. “The residents in Andrews are beyond blessed to have those people representing them in government.”