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Show Popular Escalante Police Chief Resigns After Only Seven Months On The Job ESCALANTE Escalante' s police chief abruptly resigned her office April 16 in a letter to Mayor Wade Barney with copies for each member of the City Council. Chief Sandie Hitchcock, who had been serving as police chief for just seven months would say only, "I will not compromise my integrity and reputation as an officer." She declined to elaborate elabo-rate further and provided no details de-tails leading up to her decision . Nor would she disclose the contents con-tents of her letter of resignation. Mayor Barney said he had no comment. He said no special meetings of the council have been set and the council will not meet until its regular meeting date of May 6. One council member said he had read the letter and was surprised. He said he had personally been "very pleased" with Hitchcock's performance and that she had also obtained grants for new equipment and funding for a most of the costs of hiring a second officer who began serving this month. Hitchcock had been instrumental instru-mental in events leading up to recent drug arrests and appeared to have good rapport with townspeople, including the community's com-munity's youth. Before moving to Escalante with her husband Ron and family when Ron accepted a position as Escalante High School principal, Sandie Hitchcock served as a police sergeant on the 19-member Payson Police Department. She was responsible for investigations there, handling felonies and all child abuse and sexual abuse cases. She served as firearms instructor as well, and came to find her fluency in the Spanish language ever more useful on the job. Hitchcock said she will seek employment in a different line of work. Earlier this week, the official police telephone was installed in the residence of Esca-lante's Esca-lante's new police officer, Ryan Horton. |
