SOUTHPORT, Ind. — For the first time, Southport's mayor is sharing why he decided to terminate longtime police chief Tom Vaughn.
Monday's decision is creating a growing divide in the south side city.
Mayor Jim Cooney called a news conference Wednesday morning to clarify his reasoning.
"The actions I took here were in full compliance with the law," Cooney told reporters outside city hall.
Cooney defended his decision to fire Vaughn, who spent 11 years leading the Southport Police Department.
Cooney said he removed Vaughn for not following orders.
"I have to have a police chief that will be following instructions, and that's not what happened," Cooney said.
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Cooney read off statutes and ordinance language at the news conference, after questions about who can legally fire the chief in the city. He maintains that state law supersedes city ordinance giving him – not the Southport Board of Public Works – the authority to terminate the police chief.
He said Vaughn's dismissal Monday, Aug. 12 came after things soured in the last month.
"Most recently, it's been a strained relationship," Cooney said.
The mayor said he asked Vaughn for documents on Southport's 30 or so reserve officers: names, hire dates, discipline records, background checks.
He said he wanted that information so he could draft a potential new ordinance, changing the way reserve officers are hired in Southport — no longer by the chief but rather by a board.
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"I wanted to create a resolution to have the Board of Public Works and Safety approve the hiring of all those officers," Cooney said.
Cooney said when Vaughn wouldn't hand the documents over, he terminated him as chief and reduced his rank to unpaid reserve.
"When the chief refused to provide the documents, my options were kind of closed," Cooney said.
Vaughn is fighting the firing.
He told 13News Tuesday that he questions the decision and the termination's timing.
"I think it's retaliation and a power grab," Vaughn said.
Vaughn said the termination email came two hours after he said he filed a grievance against the mayor.
Vaughn also told 13News that Cooney wasn't allowed to see those sensitive documents on reserve officers because they require CJIS certification to view, and he said Cooney let his certification expire in the spring.
The mayor said this is not about power.
"I'm doing this for public service. It's not a power grab. It's all about following state statute," Cooney said.
But two city-council members call the firing a gut punch.
Joseph Haley and his wife, Jennifer Haley, both serve Southport and both attended the news conference Wednesday morning.
"I'm just disappointed and distraught because Tom Vaughn has done so much for this city," Joseph said.
They also question the mayor's motivation.
"I have seen some overreaches in the last few years, which were a little troubling," Joseph said.
The drama over Southport's top cop is not over.
13News is told that several members of the Board of Public Works may try to overturn the mayor's termination at its Wednesday night meeting.
The board has five total members.
Cooney is one of them.
Vaughn plans to be in attendance when the meeting starts at 7 p.m.
(NOTE: on Aug. 15, 2024, Chief Vaughn was reinstated as Southport Police Chief.)