Problems for Pound continue to pile-up with town police force dissolved

The town of Pound, Virginia is facing potential legal action from neighboring Dickenson County over its sewage plant leak and now more controversy is brewing in the Wise County town near the Kentucky border.

Town council members have voted 3-2 to dissolve its police department. That includes the job of Chief of Police Tony Baker and his other officers.

Pound resident Michelle Mullins and several other citizens said during a public comment session that the town’s police force has never been reliable.

“We couldn’t get a hold of a police officer when we needed one. We’d have to call (the Wise County Sheriff’s Office) anyway. And most of the time, the Wise County police officers responded then 30 minutes later the town cops would show up,” Mullins said during the council’s recent session on Tuesday.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Chuck Slemp is asking Pound town leaders for clarification on current and future law enforcement due to existing cases that could be jeopardized due to possible contaminated criminal evidence that no longer has any oversight.

Slemp confirmed in August that the Virginia State Police was investigating several aspects of Pound’s town operations due to complaints from residents.

(AUDIO: Courtesy of the Town of Pound, Virginia / Facebook (public file))