Barrackville, West Virginia, a town of about 1,200 residents, is without a police department after the mayor and town council relieved the community’s two police officers of duty following a dispute over police operations and an evidence room.

The Barrackville Police Department announced on Facebook that “the entire Barrackville Police Department has been relieved of duty by the Mayor and City Council.”

The department thanked residents for their support and said it had been “an honor and a privilege to serve and protect this town.”

The Hill reported that former Barrackville Police Sgt. David Hunt told Nexstar’s WBOY he discovered Tuesday morning that someone had entered the department’s evidence room.

Hunt said he called a meeting with Mayor Tom Straight and the Barrackville Town Council because town officials had previously discussed conducting an inventory of the department without officers present.

He also alleged Councilmember Alex Neville acknowledged taking a set of police keys.

The dispute follows the resignation of former Barrackville Police Chief Zachary Freeburn less than a week earlier.

In a letter written before the officers were relieved of duty and posted by WBOY, Freeburn said he resigned because he believed the new town council was attempting to exercise authority over police operations that conflict with West Virginia law.

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