Redkey marshal quits (4/1/04)

REDKEY — A reorganized police force, perhaps with a neighborhood watch program, is in the works for this small community.

However, unless two new police officers are hired in the next nine days, there will be only one full-time, academy-trained officer on the department as of April 10.

Meeting in special session late Wednesday afternoon, Redkey Town Council members voted 3-0 to accept the resignation of town marshal Brenda Collett, effective April 9 at 6 a.m.

Also a member of the town council, Collett was not present at Wednesday’s meeting. She could not be reached for comment after the meeting. In her brief resignation letter, Collett informed council members that she was leaving the force and taking the remainder of her vacation time, through April 9.

Present at Wednesday’s session were town council president Violet Erlenbush and members Dixie Toy and Dottie Quakenbush. Toy made the motion to accept the resignation, and Quakenbush seconded the motion.

Town clerk-treasurer Brenda Adkins reviewed the three-sentence letter of resignation, saying Collett did not list any reasons for quitting in the letter, nor did Collett give any to her verbally. Other council members said they had not been provided with any reasons either.

When asked if Collett was considering remaining with the police department, but not as the marshal, Adkins said town officials are under the impression that Collett no longer wants to remain in law enforcement in Redkey.

Collett is the only Republican member of the town council, having been elected two years ago.

The Redkey Police Department will lose two of its three full-time officers April 9.

In addition to being the last day for Collett, April 9 also will be the last day for Sgt. John Hankins, whose resignation was accepted by the council on March 18.

The Redkey police force also includes about five reserve officers who work on a volunteer basis.

Sgt. Mike Daniels is the remaining officer on the force. He was present at Wednesday’s meeting, and afterwards said that he plans to apply for the marshal’s position. Daniels has been a full-time police officer with the Redkey department for about a year, graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in 2003. Daniels previously served as a reserve officer with the Redkey department.

Adkins said this morning that Collett has not turned in her badge, and is still on the police force. Collett joined the Redkey department about eight years ago, and has served as town marshal for approximately two years.

Adkins and Erlenbush said the town would start advertising in local newspapers for the positions of deputy and marshal as soon as possible. They said the advertisements should start running by the end of the week.

Erlenbush said she wants to fill the two positions as quickly as possible. “I hope to fill the spots by the ninth,” she said.

“We’re going to move forward,” she added after the meeting.

Also she said that without a full board being present, she didn’t want to handle any more town business Wednesday.

However, town council members did discuss the idea of establishing a neighborhood or community watch program in Redkey. Daniels said the Redkey Area Chamber of Commerce is considering sponsoring such a program.

Erlenbush, Toy and Daniels agreed to look into this program further. The Redkey council member in charge of supervising the police department is Erlenbush.[[In-content Ad]]