LYONS, Kan. — On a 5-2 vote with one member absent, the Lyons City Council voted Monday night to remove Police Chief Justin Holliday for cause. Holliday had been placed on paid administrative leave on Feb. 17 by Mayor Alicia Hommon, which was extended to March 2 at the request of the Council pending further administrative review.
Prior to a 30 minute executive session before that vote, a letter addressed to the Council was read in open session submitted by Rice County Council on Aging Executive Director Alice Prester and Intake and Assessment Coordinator Donna Grizzle, in which they outlined issues they had with the department in connection with three cases of suspected elder abuse which they felt the Police Department did not handle properly.
The letter outlined a local task force dealing with elder abuse in the 20th Judicial District which includes Rice County, and statements Holliday made to them in relation to certain of these cases in which he dismissed the concerns.
Also speaking was former Police detective Casey Schrag, who defended Holliday and his focus on addressing drug issues in the city, and prosecutions that resulted from at least one of those suspected cases.
Schrag devoted a portion of his remarks to the improvements Holliday made in the department since his hiring, including increasing officer salaries, improving equipment and building a strong team of officers who care about protecting the community and are at times willing to operate short staffed rather than lowering his standards.
He added that because of Holliday’s leadership, Lyons is a safer community than it was several years ago, citing a decline in crime and other factors in saying the Lyons Police Department is something to be proud of. Schrag said Holliday’s suspension was the reason he made what he called the very difficult decision to resign from the department, closing by asking that Holliday be reinstated.
Council members Shirlene Cook and Debbie Metzger voted against Holliday’s termination with member Sheila Spielman absent.
