Fort Valley Police Chief faces officer resignation claims

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Fort Valley Police Chief DJ Flores is facing scrutiny after an anonymous letter, sent to Councilwoman Juanita Bryant, alleged a pattern of officer resignations and a problematic work environment within the department. 

The letter, which Bryant referenced at a recent city council meeting, claims that 19 officers have resigned since Flores took office less than a year ago (June 2024) and accuses Flores of making unfulfilled promises of promotions and pay raises. All allegations currently remain unproven, and Flores has not been found of any wrongdoing related to these claims.

At Tuesday’s work session meeting Bryant publicly questioned Flores about the reported turnover, challenging his assertion that officers were leaving primarily for higher pay elsewhere. 

“When you say they’re leaving because of pay, that’s not true at all,” Bryant said, adding that some former officers allegedly accepted pay cuts to work in other departments. 

“I don’t get involved in every individual that’s leaving … but people that I’ve had an opportunity to speak to, I say, ‘What’s your purpose for wanting to leave?’ They say for more money,” he said. 

The anonymous letter further alleges that Flores retaliated against officers and created a hostile work environment, leading some to fear retaliation if they spoke out. Bryant cited a conversation with a former officer who she said declined to be identified for fear of reprisal. 

The letter also claims the department is critically understaffed, with only three officers assigned to daytime patrol shifts, which Bryant said could jeopardize public safety. 

“Something is wrong because crime is so high … now that we have such a small force, which endangers the ones that are out there working,” she said.

Mayor Jeffrey Lundy addressed the allegations during the meeting, saying the allegations are a personnel matter not appropriate for public discussion. Wednesday, Lundy told 13WMAZ he could not confirm the number of officer departures but said he had confidence in Flores’ leadership and public safety remains a top priority. 

Lundy also added that staffing shortages are a nationwide issue for law enforcement and said the department is working to build community trust.

Flores has not responded to recent requests for comment regarding these allegations. When asked about crime rates in Fort Valley in December, Flores told 13WMAZ that crime was dropping, but public records requests for those statistics have not yet been fulfilled.

Flores is currently serving a two-year probation imposed by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) for ethics violations in previous law enforcement roles, unrelated to the current allegations in Fort Valley. 

Despite the probation, Flores remains eligible to serve as chief, provided he complies with POST’s terms.