Harvey Mayor Christopher J. Clark announced Friday evening he requested that the city's police chief step down as he pleaded for assistance from outside agencies in fighting corruption within the police department.
At a news conference, Clark noted that some progress has been made since he took office, including implementing body cameras and arming police officers with tasers.
But the mayor believes more should have happened under the leadership of Chief Joseph Moseley, who took over as chief of the Harvey Police Department this summer.
"I do not feel like we are moving as quickly as we need to be," the mayor said.
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Corruption has been a longstanding problem in the police department, with multiple incidents reported since 2010.
That year, the FBI raided the Harvey Police Department following a sting that snagged more than a dozen police officers accused of helping drug dealers.
In 2019, the department was raided again as part of an investigation of alleged corruption in Harvey government. At least six people faced charges in the probe, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Clark, who was elected mayor in 2019, said his administration has been proactive in fighting corruption, but is in need of assistance.
"So once again, I am calling on my friends in law enforcement and government local and higher for help," he stated. "There is a culture of corruption that has to be stopped. Enough is enough."
The city is also launching a national search to find new police department leaders.
"We need officers who share my priorities and we need the resources to pay them," the mayor said. "The change starts this week and people of Harvey need to know, their streets will be safer, and I will take every step that needs to taken to do that."
