WARM SPRINGS, Ga. — A Georgia city has fired its police chief and suspended its entire department amid an ongoing investigation.
The City of Warm Springs, located in Meriwether County about an hour south of Atlanta, announced in a release on Wednesday that it had suspended its entire police force and the chief of police, Emilio Quintana.
The entire department, which includes 13 officers, is on administrative suspension -- with the exception of the now-fired police chief and the assistant police chief, who was promoted to interim. Newly appointed Interim Police Chief Aisha Al-Khalifa is the only person in the department who is active at this time.
The city cited the "decisive action" was taken due to the "initiation of a comprehensive departmental-wide investigation."
"The decision to terminate Chief Quintana and suspend the police force was made after careful consideration of recent events and emerging concerns regarding the conduct and operations within the department. The investigation aims to ensure the integrity and accountability of our law enforcement officers and to restore public trust in the Warm Springs Police Department," the release said.
Al-Khalifa will oversee the Warm Springs Police Department's operations, while the community will still be given essential police services with the help of police departments from neighboring counties. The city said it would keep residents informed of significant updates on the investigation.
"Our primary commitment is to the safety and well-being of our community," Warm Springs Mayor Robyn Pyneburg said. "We take these matters very seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation to address any issues within our police department. We ask for the community’s patience and support as we work towards transparency and justice."
The population of the city is 450.
11Alive has reached out to other nearby jurisdictions to see if they have been asked to support Warm Springs while the suspension exists. The Meriwether County Sheriff's Office provided the following statement Thursday:
"The Meriwether Sheriff's Office has previously provided backup to the city of Warm Springs along with every other city in Meriwether jurisdiction and will continue to regardless of whether there is a municipal officer on duty or not."
11Alive is working to learn more about what led to the termination of the police chief and suspension of the police force.