Beggs Interim Police Chief Resigns as Oklahoma Attorney General Agents Step In

Beggs Interim Police Chief Resigns as Oklahoma Attorney General Agents Step In

The Beggs interim police chief has resigned, leaving the small Okmulgee County community relying on agents from the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office while city leaders work to rebuild the police department.

Beggs City Administrator Steven Diamond told KOTV reporter Sam Carrico that interim chief J.W. Mobley stepped down after determining the job of rebuilding the department was larger than he was prepared to take on. Mobley had been appointed only weeks earlier.

Diamond said Attorney General agents are now providing 24-hour law enforcement coverage in Beggs under an initial 60-day agreement while the city searches for a permanent police chief and additional officers.

Beggs Interim Police Chief Resigns Weeks After Appointment

Mobley was brought in as an interim chief while Beggs worked through ongoing staffing problems within its police department.

Diamond said Mobley helped the city secure assistance from the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office before leaving the position approximately two weeks ago.

The city administrator said an Attorney General agent is now serving as interim chief, with other agents helping operate the department and providing around-the-clock coverage.

Beggs entered into an initial 60-day agreement for the assistance, although Diamond said the timeline is flexible and could be shorter or longer depending on how quickly the department can be rebuilt.

The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office includes law enforcement agents who conduct investigations and assist other law enforcement agencies across the state.

Diamond said similar assistance has been provided to other small Oklahoma communities struggling to maintain adequately staffed police departments.

Beggs, with a population of roughly 1,200, faces a significant disadvantage when competing with larger communities for officers.

Diamond said the city simply cannot match salaries available in places such as Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Sapulpa, McAlester or nearby Okmulgee.

Beggs Police Department Turnover Part of Larger City Staffing Challenge

The Beggs Police Department has experienced repeated turnover involving both officers and police chiefs.

Diamond acknowledged the long-running problem but said staffing challenges are not limited to law enforcement. Beggs also struggles to recruit qualified workers for other municipal departments because of its limited resources and budget.

The city is simultaneously dealing with what Diamond described as friction between city government and the Beggs Fire Department.

According to Diamond, the fire department had operated largely independently for years, while the current city administration is seeking greater oversight and accountability over departmental operations and spending.

He stressed that the effort is not an accusation of wrongdoing but an attempt to ensure the city understands how taxpayer money is being spent.

Diamond said conversations with fire department leadership are continuing and that city officials are working to repair the relationship.

The turnover comes as a relatively new leadership team attempts to address longstanding problems throughout Beggs. Diamond said the mayor took office last year, while he became city administrator about six months ago.

Beggs Infrastructure Problems Add to City's Rebuilding Effort

The resignation of the Beggs interim police chief is only one of several major challenges facing the community.

Diamond said the city's potable water treatment plant is approximately 10 years beyond its expected service date, while its wastewater treatment plant has not operated since flooding shut it down in 2019.

The city is working to restore the wastewater facility at an estimated cost of approximately $2 million, with a goal of having it operational by December 2027.

That project does not include other aging infrastructure, including a pump house, water storage tank and portions of the city's 100-year-old clay and steel sewer system.

Diamond said Beggs is seeking outside assistance and working with agencies including the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality as it looks for financing, engineering expertise and other resources.

For city leaders, rebuilding Beggs will require addressing those infrastructure problems while simultaneously stabilizing police and fire services.

Diamond said his long-term goal is for Beggs to become an example of how a small Oklahoma town can confront longstanding problems, rebuild essential services and eventually attract new businesses and economic development.

For now, he emphasized that despite the latest leadership change at the police department, Beggs residents continue to have 24-hour law enforcement coverage while the search for a permanent chief moves forward.

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