The police department of a city in the state of Alabama has been abolished.
According to foreign media, the police chief and assistant police chief have been removed from their positions and the department has been disbanded over the exchange of racist text messages between police officers in Sher Vincent, Alabama.
Screenshots of the exchange of racist messages between police officers reportedly went viral on social media, prompting the Vincent City Council to meet to decide on the matter.
Before the city council meeting, local police chief James Sargley said his department is conducting an internal investigation and that appropriate action will be taken against those responsible.
But on August 4, it was revealed that one of the two officers who had actually exchanged racist messages was James Sergley, after which he and his deputy, John L. Goss, were fired.
The city council later voted to abolish the entire department.
In a statement, the Shelby Sheriff’s Office condemned the racist messages sent by police officers, saying, “We respect the City Council’s decision to allow our officers to provide emergency services to citizens.”
The city has a population of 2,000, of which 392 are black.