Parma, M O Elects Black Female Mayor - Police + Several City Admins. Quit

[gatekeeper]

Most of the police force and several officials resigned after the small town of Parma, Missouri elected its first African American woman as mayor, reported KFVS.

Tyrus Byrd, a former city clerk, was officially sworn in as mayor on Tuesday after beating incumbent Randall Ramsey. Ramsey had served as mayor of Parma for 37 years under two terms.

The outgoing mayor said five of the city's six police officers submitted their resignation, citing "safety concerns." Parma's city attorney, clerk and water treatment supervisor also quit.

Some Parma residents say they aren't worried about safety now that the police force has shrunk. "I think it's pretty dirty they all quit without giving her a chance," resident Martha Miller told KFVS. "But I don't think they hurt the town any by quitting, because who needs six police for 740 people."

At her swearing in ceremony, Byrd said that she is looking to getting things in order for the city.

News blurb at link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/19/parma-police-resign-black-female-mayor_n_7097110.html

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[Forensicwx]

Wait.....the former mayor served for 37 years under two terms?! 18 &1/2 yr terms?

Well. Five out of six cops quitting means they're new jobs available in this podunct town.

Good for her.....<3

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Thanks @gatekeeper ! I wanted to find out if there was any chatter in Parma about Byrd before I cemented my reaction. Most sites are carbon-copy to what you posted, but St Louis Today did a piece that attempts to shed light on Parma's history with Ramsey and events that may have influenced Byrd's election. It doesn't make out Byrd to be a bad person at all, and it seems she really wants to turn Parma around, but it does help explain why so many people resigned.

From the article:

About a month before the election, a white part-time Parma police officer used a Taser on a 17-year-old black youth.

Shatekia Thatch — a cousin of the new mayor — said her son, Christopher Ward, was walking down the street when the officer approached him about prank phone calls that had been made to the police department that evening.

Thatch said that when her son refused to speak to the officer, the cop shot him with his Taser, arrested him and booked him at the police station.

Rich Medley, a former assistant police chief, said the officer acted within his bounds and only used his Taser when Ward tried to flee.

“He acted within procedure,” Medley said.

The incident prompted a small crowd of African-American residents to show up at the police station that night to find out what had happened.

In the April 7 election, 122 people voted for Byrd. Ramsey received 84 votes. It was about double the typical turnout.

Byrd said she walked into City Hall a week later to pay her water bill and tried to say hello to the mayor and other city employees, but was met with silence.

[...]

Medley, the former assistant chief, said that officers had run-ins with many of Byrd’s relatives. After her election, Medley saw several Facebook postings by people with whom officers had issues, celebrating her victory, he said. The most concerning of those mentioned Medley by name and the city where he lives, he said.

He added that he resigned out of fear that he would not be able to do his job.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_94def193-962b-5cc4-9815-37387cd9d176.html

 

[BostonBurns]

Racist and backwards much???

There's a general consensus among the comments to the article that the shattering of a 30 plus years of a "good ole' boy network' had many employees heading for the doors because they figured the good times were over.

 

[gatekeeper]

Thanks @gatekeeper ! I wanted to find out if there was any chatter in Parma about Byrd before I cemented my reaction. Most sites are carbon-copy to what you posted, but St Louis Today did a piece that attempts to shed light on Parma's history with Ramsey and events that may have influenced Byrd's election. It doesn't make out Byrd to be a bad person at all, and it seems she really wants to turn Parma around, but it does help explain why so many people resigned.

From the article:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_94def193-962b-5cc4-9815-37387cd9d176.html

Oooooh, excellent detective work, Inspector Kittyskyfish! That definitely adds perspective, doesn't it?

I only pulled up one other source that, as you mentioned, basically said the same thing, but when I first read it, I was actually smhlol and rolling my eyes because it was so outrageously blatant. I thought to myself, "Well, 'in-your-face' racism is still alive and well in Small Town, USA. Elect a "black" female mayor in a small, midwestern town with the same "white" male mayor for almost 40 yrs. and half the town's public servants quit."

This makes a lot more sense now considering previous racial tensions and her family members' ongoing issues with the cops. But, no matter how it pans out with their new-hire police force of six (+/-) and their new city attorney, a new day is definitely dawning in Parma.

ETA: I wonder since the old mayor's gone and the public servants who quit also cited they had "safety concerns" over her being mayor, if they're going to try and make anything "alarmist" out of it. Since this little snafu already made HuffPost, I guess we'll be reading about it if they do.

 

[Just my luck sucks]

Article I read quoted a shop keeper questioning why they even needed a force of six full time police and two part timers for a city of 740 residents. As she had been robbed nine times and never saw a police presence. Sounded like the old Mayor allowed paycheck collecting instead of doing a real job.

 

[Muriel Schwenck]

Doesn't sound like racism as much as small town big fish in a little pond and now they are leaving because the ole boy network crashed.
Probably would be the same result if a new reform minded white male had won the election.
But really? The outgoing mayor enjoyed two terms over 37 years? And still such a small voter turnout!
Most importantly, I want to see the new mayor succeed honorably and honestly. Not just set up a new crony system of her own.

 

[Krystal]

I get more of a bunch of "good ole boys" being pissed off over a woman- *gasp*- doing something other than being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen vibe than I do racism. I'm not discounting a race issue as much as I'm saying I think the males are pissed that a woman is infiltrating the "boys club".

 

[cubby]

Medley, the former assistant chief,

added that he resigned out of fear that he would not be able to do his job.

Doesn't sound much like he was doing his job to start with, sounds like he's afraid he's going to be caught out and retired (fired) anyway.

 

[rod2pop]

Well! It will be interesting to see what transpires in this town now...

 

[gatekeeper]

I'd also love to see the city's books and the bank accounts of the "quitters". Something about this also screams, 'Look who's been on the city's private payroll.'

 

[Krystal]

Well! It will be interesting to see what transpires in this town now...

I'm guessing not a whole lot. The town has a population of around 700. According to the crime stats I could pull up from 2002 to 2012 they had zero murders and zero rapes. Their biggest problems are thefts and burglaries, pretty typical for small towns. They should be able to survive just fine without all 6 cops.

Here's the link for their crime stats:

http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Parma-Missouri.html

 

[rod2pop]

OR...will the same thing happen all over again with a different set of cronies? That's what I'm wondering.