Clayton councilman criticizes using officers to protect police chief's home
A town councilman wants to put a policy in place for how to handle threats against public officials after Clayton spent $3,600 to provide police protection to Police Chief Blair Myhand last month.
Posted — UpdatedMyhand noted in a recent question-and-answer session on the police department's Facebook page that he had received threats.
"We have had some officers threatened here, myself included," he said without elaborating.
Myhand couldn't be reached Tuesday for comment, but Clayton spokeswoman Stacy Beard said the chief received a threat against himself and his home in early June. The threat, which came at the height of violent protests following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, offered a sum of money to anyone who carried out the crime, Beard said.
As a result, an officer was assigned to guard the chief’s house around the clock from June 3 to June 7.
Town Council member Jason Thompson said he supports Myhand but doesn't support using public funds for private security.
"I felt like it was not a wise use of taxpayer money to provide protection to someone who can afford it on his own," Thompson said. "It sends a bad message if we are just providing that to the chief and not anyone else."
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