Chief Resigns–Meddling

The chief of the Smithville (Tenn.) police department has resigned, complaining that the town’s politicians were meddling in law enforcement matters, and made racial remarks to the Cuban-born chief. Agustin Clemente wrote a letter of resignation that outlined his complaints, including that mayor Taft Hendrixson, who also works as a 911 dispatcher, ” has placed calls from the dispatch center while working there to officers on the scene of a traffic stop or investigation in an attempt to sway the officers into not ticketing a violator due to the Mayor’s personal affiliation with the subject or family.” Hendrixson denied the former chief’s claims. Clemente is a former Miami (Fla.) police officer.