BASTROP — BASTROP, Texas -- After considering an appeal Wednesday night during its executive session, the Bastrop City Council held firm on the decision to terminate Public Safety Director and Police Chief Steve Adcock, a city spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
Adcock was fired earlier this month by the City of Bastrop after the City Manager said she had grown "increasingly concerned" about his ability to manage the department.
Adock challenged the City Manager's decision by filing an appeal with the City Council.
“Please accept this letter as notice that I would like to appeal the city manager’s decision to terminate my employment as per the policy manual,” Adcock said in a letter to the City Council. “I would ask that I be allowed to have the appeal in executive session at the April 24 council meeting.”
According to our news partners at the the Austin American-Statesman, City Manager Lynda Humble told the Advertiser she gave Adcock a year to demonstrate his abilities as a manager but fell short of her expectations.
Adcock was hired as police chief in January 2014. He was named public safety director in 2015, a position that allowed him to remain police chief, but also charged him with overseeing the city’s fire department, which got its first paid full-time fire chief in January 2016, according to the Statesman.
On Tuesday April 10, Assistant Police Chief Altgelt assumed his new role as Interim Director. Altgelt served Bastrop as the Assistant Chief of Police and Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator since 2014.
Adcock told the Statesman that Altgelt is “very qualified” for the job.
Altgelt will serve as Interim Director of Public Safety until a permanent selection can be made, the city said.
“We greatly appreciate Steve’s service and contributions to the City of Bastrop, as we continue to face the City’s challenges head on, we are confident that Chief Altgelt’s demonstrated leadership and communication skills will help guide the organization and the Public Safety teams during this very important period of transition,” Humble said in a press release.
