Paw Paw mayor asks for chief

Brian Sites has been relieved of his duties as Paw Paw's police chief, said Town Councilman Jeff Palmer, a former Paw Paw mayor.

Palmer wasn't sure of the exact date of Sites' last day as police chief, but it was more than a week ago.

Mayor Kenneth Crites said last Thursday that Sites had been asked to resign in lieu of termination. Sites admitted in a phone call last week that he was no longer on the job, but declined to say more.

Neither Crites nor Sites returned later calls for further comment.

Palmer said the Town Police Committee held a special meeting to discuss their list of grievances, so they could give Sites a chance to set things right.

Their meeting was posted, said Palmer, who is one of the commission members.

Palmer said Mayor Kenneth Crites called Sites in to discuss some issues. In that private meeting, it was agreed that

Sites would resign, said Pal-mer.

Palmer didn't think that

Sites had seen the written list

of grievances before he resigned.

Rumors going around town about the reasons for Sites' dismissal were not true, said Palmer.

"There were issues above and beyond the rumors," Palmer said.

The position of police chief has to be posted and will be advertised, Palmer said. If a good candidate emerged for the job, Palmer thought town council should hold a special meeting and get them on board right away.

Palmer said additional police coverage is being provided

by two county deputies in their off-duty hours and by state police troopers patrolling the town.

"They're doing a great job for us," he said.

Palmer said Paw Paw doesn't need police all the time, but their presence is a deterrent. Other times they'd like to have two to four additional policemen, but the town has a limited budget, he said.



He wasn't sure if there were any possible state sources for additional police in small towns or rural counties. Their hands are tied with where the majority of municipal funds have to be spent, Palmer said.

Morgan County has its own issues that are different from other West Virginia counties because of its proximity to the Washington metropolitan area, said Palmer.

He thought Morgan County needed more police in general.