Pembroke Police Chief Mark Crowe was terminated Tuesday, Mayor Mary Warnell said Thursday afternoon.
Warnell declined to reveal the cause for the termination stating that she wished to wait until the city’s attorney, Richard E. Braun Jr., who is currently out of town, had the opportunity to review information contained in a press release before it was made public.
Thursday’s announcement of Crowe’s termination is somewhat confusing as a June 10 press from the city of Pembroke had stated that “Mark Crowe resigned from the department after having served for four year as Chief of Police,” and that Sgt. Stacy Strickland had been named interim chief.
However, later that day Crowe said he had not resigned, did not plan to resign, and that it was his intention to report for duty Tuesday as a star corporal in accordance with an offer made to him by the city in a meeting that morning.
Early Tuesday afternoon, Warnell said she did not know if Crowe had reported for duty, but that she had not received a resignation from him. “…I have not heard if he has reported or not. I have a meeting a little bit later on with Chief Strickland and Bill Collins (Pembroke public safety director). At that time, I will know if he showed up for work today or not. I know he has been downtown, but I have not seen him, he has not been by my office.”
Crowe said at 2 p.m. Tuesday he had attempted to report for duty but had been unable to.
“I haven’t received a schedule, new equipment, a car or new badge number,” he said. Crowe added that he had been in contact with Strickland three times but Strickland was waiting for someone to let him know how to proceed.
“I fully intend to report to work, or at least until my attorney advises me not to," Crowe said.
Warnell said Crowe was terminated at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Attempts to contact Crowe were unsuccessful.