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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Crossville Police Chief Rod Shoap resigns--Politics appear to be to blame.



Rod Shoap addressed the Crossville city council about upgrading the emergency radio system at a recent council work session.  He resigned June 30, 2016

In a move that surprised many, Crossville police chief Rod Shoap tendered his resignation Thursday afternoon. The highly respected chief had given a new face to the Crossville police department and brought a variety of new ideas that strongly affected the local crime rate in a positive way.

Thursday evening Mr. Shoap said “I was tired of waiting for them.” Shoap said that 2 months after he was hired as interim, city manager David Rutherford had decided he wanted to hire him as the full time chief and had even put him in the retirement program.

According to Shoap, since Rutherford was fired, he'd tried working with the interim city manager Steve Hill on the matter but he kept getting put off. Shoap said initially Steve Hill told him it would be a month. That turned into two months, then waiting for the recall to be decided, then it became two and a half months and he was told it would be after the election.

Shoap said his question was, “Why?”

“(Steve Hill) admitted to me that the only issue is with Kerley, and no one else,” said Shoap, referring to councilman Jesse Kerley. Shoap said that Hill told him “Kerley has a problem with a couple of things you've done.” Shoap explained that those two things were that he wouldn't arrest a couple people that Kerley wanted arrested. Shoap added, “I just can't deal with that.”

Shoap continued, “Then (Hill) told me that they were going to meet this weekend to discuss it. I told him that he couldn't do that, “You can't have a meeting with those council people to discuss this unless you do an open records meeting.”

“I've been in law enforcement for 35 year years and I have never once heard anyone say that we had too many cops.” In so many words, that is what councilman Kerley said at the last budget work session proposing instead to take the funds out of the budget for an additional detective for the police department and use the money to build sidewalks.

“We're no longer the most dangerous city in the state, but were not that far from it,” siad Shoap A detective would be targeting criminals, not just patrolling. Shoap explained that the evening after he resigned he had people he didn't even know writing him and telling him how frustrated they were over this situation.

Shoap continued that he had found out another thing that Steve Hill had done. Shoap said he had planned on attending the state wide police chief's meeting. He said that the vendor's all come and that the department had saved $50,000 to $70,000 by attending last year. He got an email from the group recently saying that he was registered but they hadn't gotten the check for the fee. Shoap looked into it and found out that the city manager had canceled the trip without even telling him.

“I'll miss the guys, I love working there, but I'm tired of (the politics),” said Shoap. He added that he especially liked working with the younger guys and training the next generation of law enforcement. “I've worked as hard as I can work and the department has worked as hard as they can work.

He said in the last 2 months while he was waiting he had been contacted by 5 departments looking to hire him but he didn't even apply for those jobs. He said two of them were Murfreesboro and Lebanon.


He said he didn't have any specific future plans and that he and his wife bought a house and would like to stay here.

Long time Crossville police officer Mark Rosser has been named interim police chief for the time being. 

11 comments:

  1. This news REALLY disappoints me!! I've only lived in Crossville for three years but have had more dealings with City Hall than the other 60+ years of life put together. All I'll say is that I certainly question the ethics of what goes on there. On the other hand, Chief Shoap really impressed me when I met him during the Citizens Police Academy, and since then. In my opinion, Crossville is losing an excellent Police Chief who would have continued to make Crossville a better, and safer, place to live.

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  2. Shameful, our police and sheriff's departments have been doing a wonderful job. I have see more arrests, and more of a police presence in the last year than in my entire life.

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  3. This is just awful. Finally we get a police officer that is doing something about the crime here and again the city council messes up. We people in the county don't get to vote on the city council but what they do affects all of us. They are continually acting like a bunch of buffoons. They lose jobs by letting ficosa leave, they fire Rutherford, they act like a bunch of temper tantrum throwing 2 year olds, get into fist fights, and now lose a wonderful policeman. What else does it take to have a recall and start over.

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  4. Thank you Chief Shoap for telling it like is and for doing such a wonderful job.

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  5. I am very sorry to see you go, Shoap. Maybe Crossville's loss will be another city's gain. I applaud you for standing your ground and doing your job properly.

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  6. Very Sad, very sharp,experienced professional with lots of promise for Crossville gone.

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  7. The city of Crossville has made a serious mistake allowing this Chief to leave. Not only is he an honest man, but his experience is unmatched for this size department. Public outcry should force the hand of the city government to ask for the resignation of these two politicians...... and the reinstatement of Chief Shoap. Deputy Sheriff

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  8. I don't really understand this article at all. Its kind of poorly written. Was it Kerley that wanted a detective, or Shoap? Is a detective a bad thing? Why did Shoap not want to meet with the councilmen? "I just can't deal with that." What does that mean? I wish this was cleaned up so I knew what was going on.

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    1. Kerley was not in favor of a new detective and instead wanted the funding for sidewalks. The meeting was not between the Chief and council members but between the city manager and council members and if they all met together that would be a violation of the sunshine law.

      Shoap said he couldn't deal with being ordered to arrest people by Mr. Kerley when there was not adequate evidence to file charges. Hope this helps.

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  9. Thank you, Chief Shoap. God will continue to bless you and direct your path. We will pray that He continues to use you to mentor others who care about the people and communities where they serve.

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  10. Once again an abomination! Chief Shoap was doing an excellent job in Crossville! The city council needs new blood. Just like every political position WAY TOO MUCH POWER and it interferes with our City's positive growth and the citizens lives!

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