28-02-2025
WATCH: Hanceville City Council meets in wake of police department corruption scandal to decide its future
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Hanceville City Council will meet Thursday night where, among other things, they will discuss the future of its police department.
The council, which will hold their meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, is expected to hear from many citizens following indictments that were handed against five officers with the Hanceville Police Department, including former Chief Jason Marlin, involving drug distribution, tampering with evidence and using their positions for personal gain.
As part of the indictment, a grand jury requested that the department, which employs roughly nine people and was recently approved for a nearly $1.5 million budget, should be disbanded.
'A badge is not a license to corrupt the administration of justice,' District Attorney Champ Crocker said last week. 'These Hanceville Police officers' actions undermine the hard work of the entire law enforcement community across our great state.'
Currently, the entire department has been placed on leave while the Cullman County Sheriff's Office handles emergency calls for the town. On Thursday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he would not get involved in the case.
The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. with its official public meeting starting at 5:30 p.m.
Hanceville, which is located in Cullman County, has a population of over 3,200 people, according to the latest U.S. Census results.
Watch the full press conference here.
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