Community of Wymore losing its police chief

BEATRICE – Wymore is losing its Police Chief, just months after he came to the area from Sidney.  Bobby Martinez, who took the job last summer, has given his two-week notice to city officials.

Wymore Fire Chief Mark Meints, who has been a back-up officer to Martinez, says the Chief is leaving to lead a police department in Valley, Nebraska.

Meints says Wymore has struggled to find police officers who want to work in a smaller community and has faced difficulties finding housing for them.  

The Wymore Mayor and Council will be meeting Wednesday night to discuss the situation.   Meints says Martinez had handled some 300 police calls himself this year.  Meints says it may be time the community take another look at a contract arrangement of some kind with the Gage County Sheriff’s Office, to provide law enforcement coverage.

Gage County Sheriff Millard Gustafson says his department’s deputies will assist with calls for service and state law violations during the interim, but would not be able to provide full coverage to answer minor calls or complaints.

Martinez was sworn in as Wymore Police chief in early August of last year.  The U.S. Navy Veteran had come to the community from the Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office, in Sidney.