NASHVILLE, Ind. — A recent letter from attorneys representing the Nashville Town Council claims the former police chief was removed because of safety concerns over inadequate staffing and her living over 60 miles outside town limits.

Removal of Nashville Police Chief

The Nashville Town Council unanimously voted to remove Police Chief Heather Burris during a meeting on Monday night. Burris had served as the chief since 2022.

The council proceeded to name Sergeant Daniel Scott Bowling as the department’s interim police chief while the department begins the search for a new permanent police chief. As of Wednesday, Burris is now classified as a merit officer within the department’s ranks.

At the time, officials did not provide a specific reason for removing Burris. Town Council members said Monday that Burris did not have a current contract with the town.

“We have determined Chief Burris does not have a current contract. We are a very small department and a small town and over 60% of our budget goes to the police department,” the council said during a recorded audio of Monday’s meeting. “We cannot afford to do anything that is not helping the residents of this town and right now, we don’t feel the residents are getting the best protection.”

The council went on to state that an investigation into Burris’ performance has been ongoing for the last “six to eight months” but did not go into the specifics of the reasons for Burris’ termination.

Burris’ contract with the Nashville Police Department expired in December of last year as the council decided not to renew the contract during Monday’s meeting.

Reactions to removal

After the removal, Burris said that she would not let it affect who she is as a person.

“I want everyone here to know that no matter the outcome of this, this will not change who I am at the core,” Burris told FOX59/CBS4. “Without the community and without the support I wouldn’t be able to be successful.” 

New interim chief Bowling described the decision as a “shock.”

“What her issues were – I have no idea,” Bowling said. “She was well-loved in the community. She did a lot of community policing. She was great at it.”

Now, FOX59/CBS4 has obtained a letter sent earlier this month by an attorney representing the Town Council outlining the issues that reportedly led to Burris’ removal. A full copy of the letter can be found at the bottom of this article.

“People feel they are not safe”

In a letter sent by Attorney Wanda E. Jones on Aug. 13 to Burris and her counsel, the Nashville Town Council pointed out several concerns regarding the Chief’s leadership of NPD. These issues included inadequate staffing.

The first issue outlined in the letter is that of the Town’s local police presence. Council members claim that they have “repeatedly” asked Burris to provide officer coverage for the town on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays – days they say “virtually all of the visitors come to Nashville.”

However, the Council argues that Burris “consistently” scheduled officers to patrol the town from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with “no coverage” on the evenings or during weekends.

“This is a huge problem because there is not a Town officer on duty to respond to calls, and residents feel they do not want to call the police because there is no one to respond,” the letter reads. “People feel they are not safe, and that there is no Town police presence in the town.”

According to the Council, there have been instances where shoplifters have been caught “red-handed” at local businesses and the Town police did not follow up. The letter said these are “serious accusations” that Burris has largely ignored.

Finally, the letter claims that Burris has ignored Council requests to have officers patrol the town on foot during their shifts to “give the residents a sense of security.” Rather, the Council claims Burris allowed reserve officers to stay in squad cars and take them for personal use.

Personal use of cars and extra OT

Another issue raised in the letter is the allegation that reserve officers for NPD are using squad cars for their personal use and logging unexplained overtime.

“The Council has asked that Burris forbid reserve officers from taking reserve vehicles outside of the County regardless of the reason,” the letter reads.

The letter goes on to say that the Town has become responsible for paying “enormous” gasoline and vehicle maintenance costs – expenses that the town budget cannot accommodate for officers.

“This problem has also not been rectified,” the Council said.

The Council also raised concerns that officers had been logging large amounts of overtime without a sufficient explanation.

“Burris said this would change when we got a third FT officer, however the OT took place when there were three full-time officers on shift and those three incurred the OT,” the letter reads.

Chief’s main residence

The final concern raised in the letter by the Town Council is that of where Chief Burris lives.

Council members claim that Burris does not live in Nashville but rather in New Palestine – which is approximately 68 miles from the Town limits. Officials said they initially agreed to this arrangement, but that the agreed-upon timeframe had expired.

“The Council orally agreed to Burris remaining in her residence at the time of the hire until her son graduated from school, which he did this spring,” the letter reads.

The letter goes on to say that the Council has requested Burris move to a home within 20 miles of Nashville, but that she has appeared unwilling to do so. The Council even claims that Burris has suggested moving to a city as far away as Indianapolis.

Final conclusions

The Council concludes in the letter that it would “be in the best interest of Burris herself as well as the town” if she were to resign effective immediately. This evidently did not happen, causing the Council to publicly remove her during Monday’s meeting.

The letter adds that Burris would be offered to return to duties as a patrol officer if she were to resign. She has since accepted a similar offer and is still on staff at NPD as a merit officer.

“If Burris were to resign immediately, the Town would provide her with a reference for future employers,” the letter ends by saying.

Aftermath

The Council’s letter provides no further evidence beyond their allegations, providing no specifics on which people or businesses raised concerns or felt unsafe.

FOX59/CBS4 has reached out to the Town Council, NPD and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office for further information on the allegations. It is currently unclear whether the Sheriff’s Office was providing patrols in the Town on the weekends.

This article will be updated with more information as soon as it becomes available. To read a full copy of the letter, click here.