Blue painter’s tape and handwritten notes blocked the doors to the Demorest Police Department early Friday. They were placed there on Thursday after a series of personnel changes that set off a firestorm in the small Northeast Georgia community.
Demorest City Manager Kim Simonds fired police chief Robin Krockum following a disagreement over how to handle a disciplinary matter. Mayor Rick Austin, who witnessed the firing, says Simonds appeared “extraordinarily nervous” and stated, “…I need to keep my job” as she was firing the chief.
Krockum says he was completely caught off guard as Simonds told him “it was a long time coming.”
The highly-regarded police chief was let go at 1:30 p.m. on April 16. Six hours later, in an odd twist of circumstances, Greg Ellingson was sworn-in as the new police chief. Krockum took over the job from Ellingson in 2016 after the city council at that time voted not to reappoint him.
The Demorest City Charter gives the city manager authority to remove department heads, but Krockum says “I still don’t even know why I’ve been fired.” Simonds has not yet given him a formal separation notice which is required before the appeals process can begin.
Krockum says he will appeal her decision.
WATCH Demorest mayor reacts to police chief’s firing
Canned over trash cans?
Austin calls Krockum a “stellar” employee who, to his knowledge, had no disciplinary record on file. “If there was something Robin had done, that’s fine, bring it forward and let’s discuss it,” says Demorest City Councilman Sean Moore. The city manager did not inform Moore or Austin of her decisions.
Simonds fired Krockum following an email exchange on April 15 in which she asked him to write up an employee for making “negative” comments about the City. The officer posted comments about the city’s new trash cans. Krockum responded that, while he didn’t agree with how the officer handled the situation, the officer’s comments are protected under free speech. Less than 24 hours after that exchange, Krockum was told to turn in his gun and his badge. He packed up his belongings and left the station as two Habersham County Sheriff’s deputies stood by. Austin says someone from the city had requested the deputies be there.
READ Demorest police chief fired; former chief sworn-in to replace him
While Simonds may have been within her rights as city manager to fire a department head, questions remain about the apparent lack of due process and the reasons for which she fired him. Additionally, it does not appear she had the legal authority to hire Ellingson.
According to section 3. 10e of the Demorest City Charter, department directors are to be nominated by the city manager and confirmed by the city council. Given that the city manager did not notify two of the city’s four elected officials of her decisions and no formal meeting was held, it’s questionable whether Ellingson’s appointment can stand.
The mayor only found out about the hiring late Thursday because he was tipped off that Ellingson was being sworn-in. “There’s no way you pull that together so quickly,” says councilman Moore. “It’s like this was pre-planned or choreographed.”
Councilman Davis called Habersham County Probate Judge Pam Wooley and asked her to swear-in the new police chief, which she did. Demorest City Attorney Joey Homans says Judge Wooley did not act out of bounds.
“The Probate Judge (or any officer swearing a city official) merely provides the oath the city official undertakes and does not have a duty to investigate before providing the oath, but certainly may do so if he or she chooses,” explains Homans.
Usually, oaths are taken during city council meetings. Now that meetings are constrained by the global pandemic and the council is down one member due to Bruce Harkness’s resignation, it calls into question the timing of the personnel changes.
Similar concerns were raised on March 31 when Simonds and Councilman John Hendrix insisted on pushing through with a meeting about merging the Demorest Fire Department with Habersham County Emergency Services against the mayor’s request. That meeting was canceled just hours before it was scheduled to take place.
“It’s like a dictatorship”
The decision to dismiss Krockum upset many in Habersham and beyond. Under his leadership for the past three years, the Demorest Police Department has been recognized by the Governor’s Challenge Awards program as the best small police department in the state. Supporters also say Krockum, who holds a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, has saved the city money by securing tens-of-thousands of dollars in grant money for the department each year.
“If they’re doing a good job why do you get rid of them? ‘Hey you’re doing a good job. Number one in the state. You’re fired.’ That makes zero sense to me,” exclaims Moore. “I’m sure a lot of other departments would love to have him and are standing in line.”
While he also disapproved of how the previous council handled Ellingson’s dismissal in 2016, Moore says he’s worried about where all this might lead.
“If they can do that [fire without cause or council’s approval] it’s like a dictatorship. They can fire Bryan [Popham – Demorest Public Works Director], they can fire the fire chief. Hell, they can fire everybody!”
Strong public support for fired chief
There’s been a groundswell of public support building for Krockum ever since Now Habersham broke the news of his firing.
Thousands of people have latched onto social media campaigns such as “Support Chief Krockum” and #keepkrockum. Some Demorest residents have even posted pictures of the campaign logos on their city-owned trash cans.
“I want to thank the citizens of Demorest and the community for their overwhelming support. I don’t regret my decision and would make the same decision again,” Krockum says regarding his decision to stand up for his officer. “To be an effective leader the people that work with you need to know that they can trust you. I have to balance the interests of the city, while at the same time protecting the rights of my officers.”
“…makes the city look like a bunch of morons!”
Early Friday, Simonds introduced Ellingson as the new police chief during a meeting with patrol officers and Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) employees. Now Habersham was there along with the mayor and a handful of people from the community. Due to social distancing requirements, Mayor Austin suggested that Simonds hold the meeting outside so that the public and media could hear what was said. Instead, she divided the employees into two groups and met with each group separately inside.
The mayor was allowed to attend.
Afterward, Simonds did not offer any public comment. She also still has not responded to Now Habersham’s request for information about what led to Krockum’s firing and Ellingson’s hiring.
Councilmen Nathan Davis and John Hendrix also have not responded to Now Habersham’s request for comment. But those disturbed by how the situation was handled, have plenty to say.
“We need to have some dialogue about why this is happening,” insists Moore. “It’s like the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Councilman Moore recalls the days when Demorest was riddled by scandal over the theft of more than a half-million dollars from city water department funds. “We’re not moving forward,” he says, “we’re moving backwards.”
Former city council member Florence Wikle agrees. She says she’s stunned by what has happened.
“They timed it perfectly when people couldn’t come and protest. That’s the hard part,” Wikle says, “the deviousness of it.” Moore adds, “If nothing else, it makes the city look like a bunch of morons.”
