Andrews – Town officials cut ties with the lone remaining officer involved in the security camera incident from earlier this year, while giving the new chief the green light to hire some familiar faces.
Former Andrews police officer Greg Shields was dismissed from the department last week. In a termination letter dated Aug. 10, town officials cited three incidents of misconduct that resulted in the decision to dismiss Shields from the agency.
Officials say Shields performed duties of a law enforcement officer for Andrews prior to being certified to do so. Shields started his law enforcement career with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in 2014 before being hired by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office later that year. After being hired by Andrews in February, he was required to achieve specific certifications through the Criminal Justice Standards Division before performing duties as a municipal cop.
However, Shields never achieved those certifications. Officials also cited Shields’ involvement in moving two security cameras and disconnecting the police department’s vehicle locators in April as reasons for dismissal.
Now that all four officers who were suspended following the security camera incident are officially gone, new Police Chief Rocky Burrell must recruit an entire roster of rank-and-file personnel. He recently posted an ad on social media touting an increased starting salary, benefits and perks.
The annual starting salary for Andrews police officers who have at least one year of experience is now $41,495, which is about $19 per hour based on a 42-hour work week. Benefits include free health, vision and dental insurance, plus a 401k retirement plan and state law enforcement retirement pension.
Going forward, full-time police officers will also receive a take-home patrol car. At the Aug. 10 meeting, the Andrews Board of Aldermen authorized the purchase of three additional vehicles to implement the new perk. Burrell purchased two cars and a sport utility vehicle Monday morning for $49,700.
“An officer will take better care of a car that is assigned to them only,” Burrell said, explaining how the perk benefits the officer and the town. “And if something happens, you know who to hold responsible.”
Last week, Burrell received permission to hire four part-time officers: Zach Shivers of the Cherokee Indian Police Department, James Bethea of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, plus Westley Farley and J.J. Wooten, both of the Graham County Sheriff’s Office.
Aldermen also gave Burrell permission to hire former Andrews police chief Joe Jones as a full-time officer. However, Jones will not begin work with the department for at least six weeks, as he is reportedly recovering from third-degree burns.
Jones suffered burns on his body during an explosion on July 2. He was in the process of burning down an old shed on West Fort Hill Road in Robbinsville at the time of the explosion.
The start date for the four part-time personnel has not been determined yet due to the officers’ commitments to other agencies and the need to achieve certifications required to be employed as a municipal officer.
Meanwhile, Burrell continues to review about a dozen applications he has received in the past two weeks. But he doesn’t plan to rush into any decisions. Burrell has enlisted help from leaders of the Murphy Police Department, who will attend interviews and provide feedback on potential recruits.
“I told the mayor that I’d like to take a little bit more time with the process, rather than hire them right away and have problems down the road,” Burrell said.