Alabama PD temporarily disbanded after racist texts between officers surface

Vincent, Ala., adopted an ordinance on Thursday temporarily disbanding the city’s police department after the discovery of racist texts between officers.

An unidentified officer texted a joke about a “pregnant slave” to a co-worker in June, according to Birmingham-based news site AL.com.

Vincent Mayor James Latimer (R) claimed at a Thursday public hearing that the police officers involved in the situation could not legally be fired because of a policy requiring two formal complaints and a verbal warning before removal.

“Based on our personnel policies, we cannot terminate them,” the mayor said.

In addition to Latimer, 18 community members spoke out on the issue at the hearing, according to the local outlet.

However, the city council vote to disband the police department means that the officers who engaged in the racist conversation will be removed from the city payroll and are not required to be rehired once the department is reestablished.

The suspension of the whole police department was necessary for the officers to be kicked out, Latimer said. According to AL.com, the ordinance will be finalized on Friday, and the city will contract officers from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office in the Vincent officers' stead. Shelby County had previously provided replacement law enforcement to the city.

A motion for the dissolution of the Vincent Police Department was first made at an emergency city council meeting on Aug. 4, where the mayor and five council members voted unanimously in favor of drafting an ordinance to dissolve.

The Hill has reached out to the Vincent City Council for comment on the ordinance.

Updated 11:41 a.m.