Tyrus Byrd was sworn in as mayor of Parma, Mo., on April 14, and the African-American woman already has a list of issues to fix, the most pertinent being to hire a police force.
According to CBS Missouri affiliate KFVS12, Parma is being kept safe by only one police officer because the five others resigned, effectively immediately, after Byrd was elected as the first African-American woman mayor of the small town.
Along with the police officers, the town's waste water treatment plant supervisor, attorney and clerk also resigned. In their resignation letters, all three wrote that "safety concerns" led to their decisions.
Byrd beat Randall Ramsey in the election by only 37 votes. Ramsey had been mayor for a combined 37 years over two different terms.
Prior to becoming mayor, Byrd, who was born and grew up in Parma, was a city clerk.
One resident does not think the lack of police presence will hurt the town.
"I think it's pretty dirty they all quit without giving her a chance," Martha Miller told KFVS12. "But I don't think they hurt the town any by quitting, because who needs six police for 740 people."
