Two longtime police officers in Brown County, husband and wife, have resigned from their jobs, leaving staff shortages and unanswered questions about their departures.
On March 20, Nashville Town Marshal Stephanie Hess submitted her resignation to the town council, which convened a hasty minute-long Friday night meeting, after a closed-door executive session, to accept her letter. The council president said there would be no public comment on why Hess left.
Hess, 41, is officially employed and being paid by the town through May 13, when her personal-time leave days run out.
A month earlier, on Feb. 23, her husband resigned from the Brown County Sheriff’s Department. Sgt. Jeff Hess, who had nearly 16 years on the job, cited personal reasons for his departure.
Hess, who worked mostly on child abuse cases, was hired by the sheriff’s department in 1999.
Under Indiana law, sheriff’s deputies must complete at least 20 years of service to be eligible for a full pension. Officers working fewer years receive less in retirement, determined by how long they were employed.
Brown County Sheriff Scott Southerland did not respond to a phone message inquiring about Jeff Hess’ unexpected resignation.
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