Jonesboro police chief, assistant chief have resigned, officials say

JONESBORO, Ga. - DeKalb County’s police department isn’t the only one undergoing leadership changes.

Jonesboro Police Chief Todd Coyt and Assistant Chief Audrey Dunlap abruptly resigned around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Jonesboro police chief resigns

What we know:

The city's mayor says this development is not political and she had nothing to do with her police leadership stepping down.

Interim Chief Christopher Cato says their departures leave the Jonesboro Police Department with only nine officers, when it should have at least 18.

Chief Todd Coyt (LinkedIn)

In January 2024, Jonesboro Mayor Donya Sartor fired then-Chief Tommy Henderson, who had been chief for about 3 years. At the time, the mayor said it was her right to do so and Henderson said he was given no reason. 

In November 2024, FOX 5's I-Team reported about a screaming match caught on camera between Jonesboro's mayor and the city council as they battled for power over the city. 

Before Coyt took over as chief in Jonesboro, he had a long career with the Atlanta Police Department and rose to the rank of assistant chief. 

Assistant Chief Dunlap's letter was more specific. She said she believed her "experience, knowledge, skills, and education will be better served in an environment where the traits of trust and respect are reciprocated."

Dunlap was with the East Point Police Department before joining Jonesboro PD.

Jonesboro mayor reacts to chief resignation

What they're saying:

The mayor says the police department is working on recruiting and has a $7,500 bonus in place for new hires.

"The first thing my citizens are going to want to know is, are they still safe in the city and I can assure them 100% that they are safe," the mayor replied. 

Jonesboro Mayor Donya Sartor says she has nothing but praise for the work Police Chief Todd Coyt did for the brief ten months that he served Jonesboro. The mayor said the law enforcement veteran who worked for 30 years at the Atlanta Police Department is exercising his right by stepping down. His assistant chief Audrey Dunlap resigned Wednesday as well.

"I hired him. He was highly recommended, and I am proud of the work he did in the 10 months he was here. We also had an opportunity to have an African American woman, the first in a high command position. I enjoyed the time I had to work with her," the mayor said.

"I contacted Chief Coyt, and he told me it was time for him to go in a different direction. He went on to say he had no hard feelings towards Jonesboro and everything is fine," said the mayor.

The mayor said her city is no different from anywhere else. "Jonesboro is 2.6 square miles, we are down officers, but everyone across the country is down officers. I want the public to know, no calls will go unanswered," Mayor Sartor emphasized.

One council member said that these resignations amount to a public safety crisis. The city manager confirms the department is now being reduced to nine officers but is budgeted for 24.

The other side:

Some of the mayor's critics say they are concerned with the constant turnover in the police department. They point to the mayor firing two officers and a previous police chief in 2023. 

What's next:

The mayor and city council will discuss the resignations during an executive session Monday morning at 11 a.m.