UTICA, Ind. — A week after council members in an Indiana town voted to suspend its police reserve program, the municipality’s top law enforcement official says the town isn’t safe.

Until a week ago, the police department in Utica, Indiana, a town of about 800 along the Ohio River near Louisville, was comprised of seven volunteer officers and two paid, part-time officers, including the town marshall, Eric Balingit. But allegations of misconduct had been swirling around the department in recent weeks.

At a recent town council meeting, council members voted to suspend the police reserve program, meaning six reserve officers were removed from the department, leaving only one reserve officer (Richard Clark), Balingit and his chief deputy on staff.

Balingit said without regular patrols, the town is not being kept safe.

“Anything can happen,” he said. “Everybody knows that Utica does not have the reserve program anymore, so I think that’s a strong liability issue that we have there.”

Efforts to reorganize the police department began after councilman Hank Dorman said he received complaints that police officers were unnecessarily ticketing drivers for not stopping at stop signs. Dorman previously told the Jeffersonville, Indiana News and Tribune that he also believed officers were profiling drivers.

Dorman said he witnessed one instance last month in which an officer wrongfully ticketed a driver for not stopping at a stop sign. Dorman confronted the officer at the time, but he denies allegations that he pinned the officer against the patrol car. 

Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull confirmed Wednesday that he has received a report from the Indiana State Police regarding the incident. The alleged charge is battery to a law enforcement official, but formal charges have not been filed. Mull said his office is still reviewing the report.

During a special council meeting on Jan. 20, Dorman made a motion to “reorganize” the police department. At the time, Dorman said Balingit should be terminated from his position for poor management of the reserve program. 

After follow-up meetings and more discussion — which included Balingit’s attorney — efforts to remove the town marshal were abandoned. Instead, the council voted 3-2 to suspend the reserve program.

Town Council Vice President Jimmy Carter, councilwoman Martha Whetsell and Dorman made up the majority vote. When asked if Dorman should recuse himself from the matter given the allegations he assaulted a Utica police officer, Carter said he did not consider it a conflict of interest. Dorman did not return a message seeking comment.

The ordinance also states that given “a series of serious reports” regarding the department, an investigation is “necessary.” Carter said it’s likely the council will request the sheriff’s office to conduct an investigation. But, he said, he doesn’t suspect any criminal activity.

“I think it’s just a lack of doing their duty,” Carter said. 

Carter said he’s personally received complaints that officers aren’t patrolling the town. He also says Balingit isn’t putting in the required 20 hours a week.

A second ordinance outlining Balingit’s responsibilities was passed unanimously at the Feb. 9 meeting. Balingit is now required to deliver “verified work and service reports” detailing his work to the council each month. 

The town of Bunker Hill in northern Indiana — a community similar in size to Utica — recently spent two months without a police force after its town marshal and four reserve officers resigned in protest of the council’s alleged mismanagement of the department, along with other complaints. That conflict drew national media attention from outlets including the Washington Post, Buzzfeed and the Huffington Post.

The Jeffersonville, Indiana News and Tribune contributed to this story.