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WHO SAYS HE WAS FORCED OUT - AFTER NEARLY TWO DECADES OF SERVICE. <LEIGHTON - CROYDON HAS A POPULATION OF ROUGHLY 760 PEOPLE...IT IS SERVED BY A ONE MAN POLICE DEPARTMENT...THAT WAS UNTIL A DECISION BY THE SELECTBOARD LAST NIGHT> <DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS HAPPENING? NO ABSOLUTELY NOT> RICHARD LEE IS OUT OF A JOB AFTER THE CROYDON SELECTBOARD UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TUESDAY NIGHT TO GET RID OF "ONE MAN" POLICE DEPARTMENT IN TOWN.. <RICHARD LEE / FORMER CROYDON POLICE CHIEF - THE CITIZENS THAT WERE UP FRONT WERE ALL SUPRISED AND SHOCKED. ONE WAS VERY ANGRY, SHE HAD A CASE PENDING BEFORE THE COURT THAT'S NOW NO GOOD CAUSE I CAN PROSECUTE IT> THE FORMER CHIEF SAYS HE HAS ALREADY TURNED IN HIS CRUSIER KEYS AND UNIFORM... <RICHARD LEE / FORMER CROYDON POLICE CHIEF - I DISROBED AND I LEFT MY OFFICE IN MY UNDERWEAR, BOOTS AND HAT> WALKING HOME FROM FROM HIS PART TIME JOB THAT HE HAD FOR 2 DECADES AND NOW...SOME RESIDENTS ARE NOW WORRIED... <STEVE BURKHAMER / RESIDENT - I'M PROTECTING MYSELF RIGHT NOW, SO, AND MY WIFE IS PROTECTING HERSELF> ALTOUGH...THE TOWN SAYS NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE POLICE WILL RESPOND TO CALLS. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THERE HAS BEEN AN ATTEMPT TO OUST THE FORCE LAST SPRING...THE TOWN HELD A SPECIAL TOWN MEETING DECIDING TO KEEP THE DEPARTMENT <STEVE BURKHAMER / RESIDENT - WE VOTED TO AMEND TO KEEP HIM THERE LAST YEAR. I PERSONALLY NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE POLICE HERE OR THE POLICE ANYWHERE> A DRAFT OF MEETING MINUTES OUTLINES A NUMBER OF CLAIMS... INCLUDING HOW MUCH THEY PAY FOR COVERAGE <RUSSELL EDWARDS / SELECTBOARD CHAIR - PART OF THE DISCUSSION COVERED THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T FEEL WE WERE GETTING THE VALUE OF THE MONEY BEING PAID TO THE CHIEF VERSUS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR THE STATE POLICE COVERAGE> AND WITH THE TOWN WITHOUT IT'S OWN FORCE...THE FORMER CHIEF HAS A MESSAGE FOR THE COMMUNITY HE SERVED FOR DEACDES <RICHARD LEE / FORMER CROYDON POLICE CHIEF - I WISH THEM LUCK AND SERIOUSLY GOOD LUCK. I WOULDN'T WISH ANYBODY ILL IN THE TOWN> <LEIGHTON - LEE SAYS HE WI

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A New Hampshire community no longer has its one man police department after the board of selectmen disbanded it. A motion "abolishing the Croydon Police Department" passed unanimously Tuesday night according, to a draft of the meeting minutes."The citizens that were up front were all surprised and shocked. One was very angry; she had a case pending before the court that's now no good 'cause I can prosecute it," said Richard Lee, the now-former chief of the department.He was the only one on the force, part-time, joining the department in 2000. "At the selectboard meeting of Feburary 18th, 2020, the Croydon Selectboard voted to dissolve the Croydon Police Department. The minutes of the meeting are public record and available at the Town Clerk's office and at the Coniston store in Croydon. This was a well thought out decision made last night and we have many issues to decide on what we have to do so this is as much of (a) comment we're going to give at this point," said selectboard chair Russell Edwards.Lee said he turned his cruiser keys and uniform."Well, my cruiser is my way home cause it's a take home cruiser and I don't keep any spare clothes in the office so I did what I was ordered to do by the selectboard to turn that stuff over immediately, so I disrobed and I left my office in my underwear, my boots and a hat," Lee said."Some citizens offered to give me a ride home and I said, 'Nope it's not your responsibility to do that. This is something the selectboard did, this should be all on them. There was no offer from the selectboard to give a ride home," Lee said.The former chief said his wife picked him up "probably about three quarters a mile away from my office." Some residents are now worried."I'm protecting myself right now, so, and my wife is protecting herself," said Steve Burkhamer, a resident and friend of Lee.The town said New Hampshire State police will respond to calls. The motion made was to "increase coverage by the State Police from 81% to 100%," according to the draft minutes."Part of the discussion covered the fact that we didn't feel we were getting the value of the money being paid to the chief versus what we have been paying for the state police coverage," Edwards said.This is not the first time there has been an attempt to oust the force. Last spring, the town held a special Town Meeting, deciding to keep the department."We voted to amend to keep him there last year. I personally never had a problem with the police here or the police anywhere," Burkhamer said.Lee said, "That vote obviously was ignored by the selectboard this time because the overwhelming majority of people that showed up for the special town meeting voted to keep me and these three people voted to disband the police department."According to a draft of the meeting minutes, "a motion was made to provide a severance package of one month's payment for Richard Lee. The motion passed unanimously."Lee said he will no longer work in law enforcement. He had a message for the people of the community."I wish them luck and seriously, good luck. I wouldn't wish anybody ill in the town," he said.