BY SHEILA McLAUGHLIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SOUTH LEBANON -- Two months after council disbanded its police force in the wake of scandal, the village police chief has quit.
Derrick Hollon offered his resignation letter at a special meeting called by council.
Mr. Hollon, a 13-year veteran, had been kept on the village payroll as marshal after council in August signed a contract with the Warren County sheriff's office for protection.
Council approved a $12,000 severance package for Mr. Hollon, which included a month's salary, as well as accumulated sick and vacation pay, Village Solicitor Jack Quinn said Tuesday.
The resignation, tendered Friday, was effective immediately. Mr. Hollon would not comment Tuesday, saying he wanted to contact his lawyer first.
His resignation comes after a decision by council to cut his job next year to part time, with a monthly salary of no more than $500. Since sheriff's deputies began policing South Lebanon, Mr. Hollon was stripped of his authority and delegated to serving cleanup orders and working as bailiff in the magistrate's court.
"Everyone left on good terms. No bridges were burned," Mayor James Smith said Tuesday. "After his department was changed over to the sheriff's department, we came to mutual terms."
Asked whether council requested Mr. Hollon's resignation, Mr. Smith said:
"The only person that ever talked to Mr. Hollon was me. We've had some private talks, and that's as far as it goes. I've known him for a long time and our families went to school together, so this is tough."
Documents obtained by The Cincinnati Enquirer -->on Tuesday show that Mr. Hollon was under fire for alleged shoddy police practices. In an Oct. 6 letter to village officials, Sheriff Tom Ariss detailed a list of problems uncovered by his officers during the transition. Among the highlights:
No offense reports were made on a drug raid, a vandalism case and a burglary just before the sheriff's office took over.
The property room next to the village meeting room was not secured, and some evidence was stored off-site.
Marijuana was stored unsealed in the property room, and it lacked a report saying where it came from.
Evidence reports identifying the origin of many items in the property room were missing.
Police matters came to a head this summer amid allegations of missing police property and sexual misconduct by an officer, prompting council to disband the department.
The village is paying the sheriff's office about $190,000 a year for police protection. The contract can be renewed annually.
