Fairland Police Department Down To 3 Officers After Chief, Others Resign

The town of Fairland in Ottawa County is down to three police officers, after the chief, assistant chief and most of the officers resigned this week.

There are now only three officers left to cover the entire town.

Police Chief Aaron Richardson turned in his resignation on Wednesday.

His resignation letter said it’s due to a hostile work environment, plus, slanderous allegations made about him by a Board of Trustees member.

He didn't say what the allegations were, but said, it "made it unattainable for me to continue to serve the town."

The assistant police chief and eight other officers also quit. One officer wrote in a letter, there was a lack of support for the police department, and he didn't feel his position was safe or supported.

Assistant Chief Heather Carstairs felt the same way, saying it's sad “a thriving department has been torn apart.”

“I'm proud of Fairland and I think Fairland could do a lot better,” said Christian Goode, who has lived in Fairland for six years.

"I like our chief. We have a good chief. We have good officers,” Goode said.

Russ Mudge Jr. has lived in town for a few years, and said he's not concerned about his safety.

"Being in Fairland, it's a pretty small community,” Mudge said. "People look out for each other in our neighborhood at least."

Mayor Trever Berger said he's been in contact with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department and the Wyandotte Police Department to cover the calls.

He declined to comment further.

You can read the full resignation letter from the former Chief here.