HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — The Evansville Police Department shared details on their investigation into former Evansville Fire Chief Paul Anslinger.
According to documents, the investigation concerns missing tools from the Evansville Fire Department. Documents list the crime as theft/embezzlement. No other information was shared.
Last week, Joe Atkinson with Evansville’s Mayor’s Office confirmed Anslinger’s retirement.
Atkinson said Anslinger was presented with a notice of discipline the morning of April 16. Anslinger submitted his intent to retire from the Evansville Fire Department that afternoon, effective the next day.
Just days later, police confirmed they were investigating a matter involving Anslinger.
Anslinger was interim fire chief for a few months following former chief Mike Connelly’s abrupt departure.
The mayor’s office was unable to comment on the specifics of the incident. However, Eyewitness News asked Mayor Stephanie Terry how her administration plans to prevent situations like these in the future, and she provided the following statement:
I’ve identified strong people to lead these departments, and the first part is having a solid relationship with those individuals. But then also having open communication on a regular basis and being sure that we have put systems in place for checks and balances is also critical. And then sharing as much as we possibly can with the community along the way.
Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry
Mayor Terry also said she doesn’t believe recent headlines represent the men and women that go out everyday on the city’s behalf, and she’s proud of the work the current leadership is doing to ensure a stronger department in the future.
