On Sunday, Aug. 10 Ennis Chief of Police John Moore posted his letter of resignation on Facebook citing what he sees as efforts by the Ennis Town Commission to dismantle the police department among the reasons for his departure. The resignation comes eight days after the town’s other police officer, Phil Fortner, left his position.   Moore also attributes this resignation to the environment created by the town commissioners in his letter. The resignation means that after Aug. 17 the town will not have any active duty police officers.   

“The town will immediately begin the search for a new police chief. Details of the processes involved will be made available as they happen,” said Mayor Nici Haas in a statement to The Madisonian. 

“I’m confident the Madison County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) will provide services as needed in the meantime and I will do whatever it takes to ensure public safety is priority number one in this situation,” she continued. Madison County Sheriff Duncan Hedges assured residents that  MCSO will provide law enforcement services in Ennis until a new police chief can be hired. 

“Rest assured, the Madison County Sheriff's Office will continue to provide uninterrupted law enforcement services to the Town of Ennis, as ensuring public safety is our top priority. We appreciate your patience during this transition,” said Hedges in a public statement. The statement also referenced ongoing negotiations between the MCSO and the Town of Ennis regarding funding the services provided by the MCSO in addition to the efforts of the Ennis Police Department. 

During the July Ennis Town Commissioners meeting, options were discussed that included adding a third officer to the EPD, keeping the same level of staffing and support arrangements with the MCSO currently in place and eliminating some or all of EPD and contracting with the MCSO for law enforcement services. 

 “My decision has been shaped by a combination of ongoing events, not solely by that single discussion,” said Moore. 

“While the repeated attempts to defund the Ennis Police Department played a significant role, it was only one of several contributing factors,” he continued. “These also include ongoing challenges within the working environment and the Commission’s continued efforts to dismantle and defund the department, despite voters choosing to add a second police officer. The Commissioners, along with a few citizens, appear to believe they know better than the voters of this Town and can act as they please. Collectively, these circumstances have made it clear that remaining in my position would no longer allow me to effectively serve the community.”

Moore's conflict with the council dates back at least to September of 2024 when the commissioners attempted to remove Haas from the office of mayor after she approved an MOU for the town to continue to provide a student resource officer for Ennis School District without the  commissioners’ approval. Haas was not removed from office, but three of the five Commissioners involved resigned from office in the aftermath. 

At the time of that incident Moore went on record saying the then Commissioners had created a hostile work environment that resulted in the resignation of officer Matt Fisher from the force. He has cited the hostile work environment as a reason for Fortner's resignation as well. 

“Unfortunately, recent actions and decisions by the town commissioners have created an environment that led to the resignation of the department's remaining officer [Fortner,]” wrote Moore in his resignation letter. He added to this sentiment in his interview with The Madisonian by saying, “The repeated hostile environment created by the Commissioners makes it impossible to retain, let alone hire, an officer who would want to work for the Town.”

Commissioner John Way, who was appointed to his position prior to the 2024 incident, is uncertain as to what Moore has seen that has led to his resignation. 

“At this point I am surprised that Officer Moore resigned.  There has been no decision made by the commission as to the future of policing in Ennis,” said Way. “All we asked for is an honest transparent discussion about all the options available along with the associated costs so that we could make an informed decision on what is the best option to protect the people of Ennis.”

“I have never experienced hostilities towards the EPD,” he continued. “In fact I believe John Moore has done a good job with limited resources. This is why we had two options on the table to increase the size of the police force in Ennis,” he said, referencing the options the commissioners are considering during their negotiations with the MCSO. 

“The only thing that I wish he did differently is report to the commission on a monthly basis,” said Way. “All other department heads report in person and Mr. Moore has refused to report to the commission in the past as he reports only to the Mayor. This may be where the perceived hostility comes from,” he conjectured. 

Commissioner Cory Hardy, who was elected to his position, echoes the sentiment about Moore reporting to the commissioners. 

“I feel his absence from Town meetings for department reports has caused a slight disconnect between the council and EPD,” said Hardy.  “Having tough conversations in town meetings can be very challenging. All parties must be very tactful and how they conduct themselves and how they phrase their questions.”

Hardy goes on to speculate about what Moore's resignation could mean to the decision the council has to make regarding law enforcement moving forward.

“I do believe this will result in a reduction in funding for the police department as we will be outsourcing our police services,” he stated citing the Town of Choteau, Mont., who he says is dealing with a similar decision. 

Sources close to the situation have raised concerns about the legality and processes involved with defunding the department since the funding for the second officer is provided by a voter approved levy. The town commissioners are scheduled to address the issue at their Aug. 14 commissioners meeting. There is a negotiation scheduled between the Town and the MCSO on Aug 12. 

In the meantime, Haas has expressed her regret at losing a dedicated public servant. 

“I am deeply grateful for Chief Moore's 10 years of dedicated service to the Town of Ennis,” she said. “His leadership has been key in making our community a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. I am going to truly miss his expertise and experience. I wish Chief Moore all the best in his well deserved retirement from Ennis Police Department.”

She goes on to give her reaction to some of the comments being made on Facebook about the situation. 

“It takes exceptionally shallow moral character to be happy about the resignation of such a dedicated public servant,” she states. 

More information will be provided about the ongoing search for a police chief and the negotiations between Ennis and the MCSO as they become available.