SOUTHPORT, Ind. — The fallout in Southport continues after Mayor Jim Cooney abruptly fired the police chief and reduced his rank to an unpaid position, all after the chief filed a grievance against the mayor.
During a Board of Public Works and Safety meeting Wednesday, Aug. 14, the community showed up, hoping for Tom Vaughn to get his position back.
According to an attorney, the mayor is the only person who can give Vaughn his position back.
It was standing room-only at the Wednesday night meeting in Southport, but that didn't stop the community from attending.
Cooney said the move was because Vaughn was "not following orders." The decision blindsided board members and upset some community members.
"We were called after the fact. There was never any discussion that there was something so egregious that it would require this action. No council, no board member. No one knew anything. I find that it's a dark day for Southport," one board member said.
"You should be outraged. Every person here should be calling for his resignation. We don't want you. We want him. You are a fool," said Heather Newport, vice president of Southport's Redevelopment Commision.
During the meeting, countless people stood up in support of Vaughn and told personal stories about how he has made their lives better, safer and built the police department into what it is today.
"He is the person that is talking to every person and treating every person as if they are his best friend. That is not an act. He really has so much care for this community," Newport said.
The board adjourned without Vaughn getting his position back, but Vaughn said he still has hope.
"It's hard for someone to say 'I'm going to rescind it' or 'I was wrong.' Hopefully, he listens to his constituents and listens to what they want," Vaughn said. "Hopefully, he'll have a day or two to think about it, and maybe we can sit down and work out our differences and see where we can go from there."
But Vaughn said he's hoping to deter other officers from walking out of the department before this gets figured out. In the meantime, Vaughn said they're going to keep doing their job as best they can.
"We are still doing what we do. We are going to go out and protect. We are going to serve. That's what they are made of. That's their passion," Vaughn said.
Southport leaders are planning to continue the discussion Thursday at a special council meeting at 7 p.m.
Cooney held a press conference Wednesday morning to clarify his reasoning for firing Vaughn.
"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.
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.
"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.
RELATED: Southport mayor fires police chief after 11 years, wants to take department in 'different direction'
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.
(NOTE: on Aug. 15, 2024, Chief Vaughn was reinstated as Southport Police Chief.)