Indiana town council votes to remove police chief

NASHVILLE, Ind. — The police chief in the town of Nashville, Indiana , has been removed from her position following two years in the role.

The Nashville Town Council unanimously voted to remove Heather Burris during a meeting Monday.

The council proceeded to name Sgt. Daniel Scott Bowling as the department’s interim police chief while the department begins the search for a new permanent police chief. Burris served as the city’s police chief since 2022.

The exact reasons behind Burris’ termination were not provided by town council members during Monday’s meeting. The regular meeting followed an executive session that took place behind closed doors.

“We have determined that Chief Heather Burris does not have a current contract. We are a very small department and a small town and over 60% of our budget goes to the police department,” the council said during a recorded audio of Monday’s meeting . “We cannot afford to do anything that is not helping the residents of this town and right now, we don’t feel the residents are getting the best protection. We have little precious resources to spend and we have to ensure that they are spent carefully.”

The council went on to state that an investigation into Burris’ performance has been ongoing for the last “six to eight months” but did not go into the specifics of the reasons for Burris’ termination.

The council also referenced a letter that was sent by the town’s attorney to Burris outlining the reasons why Burris has been removed from the role. As of this article’s publication, NewsNation affiliate WXIN has not obtained a copy of the letter.

According to the Nashville Police Department , Burris began her career in law enforcement in 2008 when she was hired to work as an EMT/volunteer firefighter. Eight years later, Burris was a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s 12th recruit class.

The next regular Nashville Town Council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 19.

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