St. Paul, Va., Police Chief Ousted

By Debra McCown
Reporter / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: July 1, 2008

ST. PAUL, Va.—With newly elected town council members now in office, the panel voted at an organizational meeting on Tuesday not to re-hire Police Chief Scott Brooks.

It is the second police chief to be let go in a year in this politically divided town on the Russell-Wise county line.

The council appointed Police Lt. George Robinson as acting chief until they determine whether to hire a new chief from within the six-member department or advertise the position.

Brooks was offered a choice between a job as an entry-level patrolman or a severance package that includes a month’s pay—and the council voted that Brooks had to decide Tuesday which option he would take.

Brooks said it would probably be the severance package.

Read Wednesday’s edition of the Herald Courier to learn what he and others had to say about the latest round of politics in St. Paul.