The tiny town of Parma, MO. has a new mayor and only one police officer. That’s because the police force quit en masse after Tyrus Bryd became the first black woman to be elected mayor.
Byrd, a former Parma city council member, won the election by just 37 votes in a town with a population of 700.
Five white police officers tendered their resignations when Byrd won the election last week. They were followed out the door by the city attorney, the clerk, and the water treatment supervisor.
Byrd won the election against Mayor Randall Ramsey, who held the office for 37 years.
The departing officers cited “safety concerns” as their reasons for quitting.
According to news station KFVS, the officers’ resignation letters could not be found, and all city computer hard drives were wiped clean.
Byrd, who was sworn in as mayor last week, promised to crack down on city government corruption.
Parma is about 150 miles south of Ferguson, MO.
