Town left without police chief

ODESSA - The town last had an active police chief present in late November. Police chief Leslie Jimerson's last day of employment was Friday, Nov. 25.

The news was shared with The Record-Times a few weeks after Jimerson's resignation due to the council not wanting a rise in crime.

"Our last officer quit and gave two weeks' notice, working only eight days out of the two weeks given," town clerk Meri-Jane Bohn said. "His family had relocated out of state, so he decided to join them."

When asked why the public was not immediately informed, Bohn cited council's concerns with public safety.

"This should be a super simple explanation as to why the public was not informed and we do not want the entire general public to be informed until our new police officers start," Bohn said. "Odessa is a small rural town 40 miles away from larger cities."

Bohn also said the decision not to inform the public also came from not wanting a "criminal free-for-all."

"We chose not to 'advertise' that the police force is lacking currently for a short time," Bohn said. "The budget was increased this year to bump police salaries up so we could get more interest."

Bohn said it is difficult to find a police force in rural communities because the income is lower than in bigger cities. As a result, she said only one person has applied to the police department in the last year.

"The Town has had another police officer job advertised over the last year and a half, with only one person inquiring about it," Bohn said. "The town has experienced a substantial spike in drug problems with overdoses and theft over the last year, including armed robbery, multiple break-ins and drug overdoses."

Lincoln County Sheriff Gabe Gants offered contracted services, but the town denied him due to the cost.

"The new Sheriff contacted the town only two days after our last officer left and wanted to know if we were signing a contract with the county," Bohn said. "I informed him that the town does not want to go that route."

A contract with the county would cost $200,000 and is outside the town's budget, Bohn said.

"The town of Odessa pays about $25,000 to the county for communication services only," Bohn said.

The Sheriff's Office has been responsible for patrolling the Odessa area since Jimerson left, Gants said. He said he was never told by the town of Jimerson's departure, and instead learned he had left shortly after Thanksgiving when he dispatched deputies to a local call and couldn't reach Jimerson for assistance.

"This is about one of the strangest things I've ever seen," Gants said. "They never told us (Jimerson left)...I know they didn't want word getting out so that the crime wouldn't go up, but you'd think they'd at least tell the county Sheriff."

Mayor Bill Crossley had a different version of the story, saying the town never hid the fact Jimerson left.

"Most people knew by that first Monday," Crossley said. "The town never tried to hide that we didn't have a police presence."

Crossley said his main concern was public safety, sharing Bohn's sentiments.

"We were not interested in the $200,000 contract with the county," Crossley said. "I care about the well-being of my town. We did not try to hide that."

Crossley said they have had two applicants and are going through the correct procedures to ensure employment.

"We are hoping to have a better handle on this by the end of the month," Crossley said.

Jimerson was sworn in almost three years ago in Jan. 2020 after former Police Chief Brent Dell handed in his resignation.

Prior to his work in Odessa, Jimerson served in the military before becoming a security officer at a college.

He then moved to Colorado to take care of his elderly father, where he worked as a corrections officer for two years. Jimerson also served as a deputy in Colorado Springs for a year and a half. He had already completed police academy training and had experience under his belt when he came to the area.

Jimerson could not be reached for comment by press time.