Bardstown Police Chief Rick McCubbin was blindsided by Mayor John Royalty's recent decision to restructure the Police Department without consulting him.
In an April 4 email to Royalty that The Kentucky Standard obtained through an open records request, McCubbin said the restructuring took him completely by surprise.
He asked the mayor to reconsider his directive, which included the demotion of two officers and promotion of two others.
McCubbin was at home recovering from surgery when he emailed Royalty about the moves the mayor had made without his knowledge. He said he understood the mayor has the authority to make the changes. However, he added: "I would be remiss if I did not reach out to you to express my displeasure with the disrespect and unprofessionalism displayed towards me as chief with your directive."
McCubbin said he was surprised because he and the mayor had discussed in detail the promotion process, and Royalty had twice approved a new command structure the chief had presented him, which included creating four sergeants' positions.
It was obvious, McCubbin said, that "things have been discussed behind my back, thus leaving me completely in the dark."
"Please let me state in layman's terms, an implosion" within the Police Department "is on the horizon," he said.
"It is obvious my position is invalid and unnecessary due to others having your ear and completely removing me as the department head, however; I care too much for the men and women of the PD to turn my back."
McCubbin told Royalty "it will fall on my shoulders to upright a sinking ship."
Royalty informed McCubbin in a March 29 email that he had "made some modifications" that included making McKenzie Mattingly assistant chief of police with the title of major and promoting Brad Gillock to lieutenant.
The directive also included demoting to patrolman both Tom Roby from captain and Chris Brandon from lieutenant.
However, in an interview with the Standard last week, Royalty said Mattingly's rank would be captain, not major, and he would not fill Maj. Ray Lewis' position when he retires in May.
Roby had intended to retire July 31, but after Royalty demoted him, he announced that Roby's retirement would be effective April 24.
Royalty, in the interview last week, said Roby's spring retirement was "voluntary."
His retirement is voluntary, but he had not planned on retiring so soon. After he was informed that he was being demoted, he chose to retire this month. He had previously planned for his last day in uniform to have been July 31.
"I was going to retire this year anyway. I guess that's what bothers me the most," he said. "Three and a half more months and I would've been gone."
Roby said several police officers could leave the department as a result of the decision. He said several have come to him personally to tell him they are "actively seeking other employment."
"Their exact words were, 'If it can happen to you, it can happen to me,'" he said.
The captain, who has been a police officer for 27 years, also said he and other officers were troubled by the "disrespect shown to Chief McCubbin" who, he said, has "held us together" during "the most troubling time" in the department's history.
"I hope that Bardstown doesn't lose a great police chief," he said.