Cohutta, GA, Mayor Ron Shinnick shut down the Cohutta Police Department and terminated all employees on Wednesday morning, according to local affiliate WSFA News.
The reason? For allegedly offending his wife.
Pam Shinnick, the mayor’s wife, had previously served as the town’s clerk. She was fired earlier this year for creating a hostile work environment, but allegedly retained access to personal and classified information after her dismissal. Officers also raised concerns about delayed paychecks, according to the outlet.
Georgia mayor fires entire police force for upsetting his wife https://t.co/Hpa6D7ntwM pic.twitter.com/My9u4ViSXD
— New York Post (@nypost) May 8, 2026
The firings came less than a week after a meeting between the mayor and the department aimed at resolving issues related to Pam Shinnick. Mayor Shinnick cited “inappropriate comments” officers posted on Facebook as his justification for the dismissals.
The officers tell a different story. The former police chief says the officers lost their jobs after raising transparency concerns.
The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office is expected to take over law enforcement for the area. Former Police Sgt. Jeremy May warned that the sheriff’s office, already stretched thin, would struggle to absorb Cohutta’s workload, putting residents’ safety at risk.
The town council has responded by seeking to reinstate the police department and remove the mayor from office.