Editor’s note: Lisa Mills, contributor to The Grand Prairie Herald, is the author of this report.

The Prairie County Sheriff’s Office is now enforcing laws and responding to emergency calls in DeValls Bluff after the city’s mayor fired Police Chief Jeremy Murphy. 

Speaking by phone with The Grand Prairie Herald, Mayor Darlene Connor said Murphy was terminated on Monday, May 11 for “insubordination.” She did not offer further details. 

Murphy said in an interview, “I really don’t have the faintest clue for the reason, because I wasn’t given one.” Murphy said. “She just said, I’m letting you go.” 

Murphy said he first learned about the claim of insubordination from a report by Little Rock TV station KARK-4. The only recent conflict he had with Mayor Connor, Murphy said, was the week before he was terminated. Murphy said he posted on Facebook that the city was hiring a part-time police officer and claims Connor asked him why he made the post. Murphy said he responded by telling her he needed another officer to better patrol the city. Murphy claims Conner then said, “I’m the mayor and do all the hiring and firing, so I want to be part of any interviews you do.” 

Murphy said he told Conner that since he had done previous hiring for the department, he thought his post was appropriate. “All the police departments I’ve worked for in the past, and all the departments in this area work like that. The chief answers to the mayor, and officers are hired by the chief and answer to him,” Murphy said. 

He said he doesn’t feel what was said to Connor could be viewed as insubordination, but acknowledged she might have felt it was. He questioned why she then waited a week before firing him.  

Murphy said he doesn’t have bad feelings toward Connor and isn’t planning to fight his termination. His priority is the safety of the community, Murphy said.

Zach Mulligan, who says he had been hired by Murphy in 2024 as a part-time officer, said he spoke with Connor, offering to continue working until a new chief was hired or other decisions were made about the police department, but said Connor told him he wasn’t needed.

Connor said in her interview with The Herald that the police department had “two auxiliary officers, but they haven’t really been used in a long time.” When asked if auxiliary officers were volunteers or paid she said they are paid around minimum wage. 

Mulligan said he was paid $14 per hour and worked as needed. He had most recently worked last month, he said, which contradicts with what Connor said.

On Thursday, May 13, the DeValls Bluff City Council held a meeting, which included the mayor. An Ordinance was approved requesting and authorizing the Prairie County Sheriff’s Department to provide regular patrols and write tickets enforcing state laws and city ordinances.