Elsberry Police Chief Out, Interim Chief Named Following Closed Session Meeting

Elsberry, Mo — Chief Walter is out, and Billy Sutton is now in as interim chief following a closed session meeting held last night, as the Elsberry Police Department faces sudden leadership changes and staffing shortages.

Lincoln CountyWatch has confirmed through city sources that Police Chief Walter has resigned. Two additional officers have also stepped down, leaving the department short-staffed.

Billy Sutton, who has been with the department since 2021, has been named interim police chief.

City officials say the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, which already assists with calls for service, will be helping more during this interim period as the department works through the transition.

The city also confirmed they are actively accepting applications for police officers and are looking to fill positions as soon as possible.

The department’s Facebook page has also been taken down. City officials say the page was not controlled by the city, but by the police chief. No further information has been provided regarding that situation.

These developments follow last night’s closed session meeting, which came after questions were raised earlier this week about the status of the department.

At this time, it remains unclear what led to the resignations or whether additional changes may follow.

Lincoln CountyWatch will continue to follow this developing situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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If you have any information related to this situation, contact Lincoln CountyWatch by calling or texting 636-377-0201 or emailing tips@LincolnCountyWatch.com. We are not law enforcement, but we work to keep the community informed as accurately and responsibly as possible.

This story was written by John Eads.

Sources: City of Elsberry.