DAYTON, Ky. — Police Chief Greg Aylor announced his resignation Wednesday to take a patrolman's job with Erlanger.

        “Due to certain decisions and interference by various members of the legislative body in the day-to-day operations of the police department, it has made it extremely difficult for me to do my job as chief,” Chief Aylor said.

        “As a result of decisions and individual comments made by certain members of the (City Council) and lack of support in policing efforts, good officers desiring to work for a professional city have or are in the process of seeking other employment,” he said.

        When Chief Aylor took over the department in October 1999, there were 10 officers. Wednesday night's resignations of Chief Aylor and Sgt. Gary Linn leave five officers in Dayton. Chief Aylor said four of them have been looking for new jobs.

        Because of the shortage, Chief Aylor said, community programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education have been eliminated.

        Chief Aylor declined to give an example of any council interference with police work. Dayton Mayor Ronald “Ron” Gunning was attending a council meeting Wednesday evening and couldn't be reached for comment.

        The 33-year-old Aylor, who grew up in Florence, will start in Erlanger this month. He will make between $30,000 and $35,000. He made $43,000 as chief in Dayton.

        “We are quite pleased to hire him,” said Erlanger Police Chief Greg Sandel.

        The departure stands out because Chief Aylor helped impeach the former mayor of Dayton.

        Former Mayor Bobby Crittendon was removed from office in December 2000 after allegations that he tried to pressure Chief Aylor to promote the mayor's son-in-law, a police officer; ordered parking tickets voided at least seven times; and prohibited a Dayton police officer from issuing speeding tickets to tenants of property the mayor owned.

        While the jobs of big-city chiefs are usually protected by contracts and civil service boards, small-town chiefs serve at the will of a mayor.

        Turnover among chiefs has been reduced over the last five years as the job has become less of a political appointment, said Craig Birdwhistell, the executive director of the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police.

        Tom Collins, who retired as Ludlow police chief in September, said one problem small-town chiefs run into is that city administrations can change every two years. As chief for 12 1/2 years, Mr. Collins went through six mayors, six councils and five administrators. The last administrator is suing the city.

        “I'm not surprised Greg Aylor is leaving,” Mr. Collins said. “Any chief's job is difficult. You have a lot of different sources you have to please. No. 1 is the community. Then you have to try to please the mayor, city administrator, council and then the officers that work for you.”

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