LAHARPE — LaHarpe Police Chief Joe Stotler has resigned, LaHarpe City Council members announced Wednesday.
It’s too soon to tell how soon, or even if, a replacement will be hired.
Mayor Mae Crowell said she would recommend to Council members to hire a replacement, at least on a part-time basis.
Stotler, who had been with the city for about seven years, also serves as a police officer in Erie. He formerly was a deputy with the Allen County Sheriff’s Department.
With no police presence, law enforcement for LaHarpe will fall under the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, which can patrol for traffic or criminal infractions, but cannot enforce city ordinances.
That enforcement will be handled solely by Penny Miller, LaHarpe’s code enforcement officer.
There was no indication his resignation was related to a recent lawsuit settlement over a 2021 tasing incident.
