A “temporary” police chief has been appointed to lead the Carlyle Police Department after Mark Pingsterhaus was placed on paid suspension amid an FBI investigation, the city’s mayor said.
The city council on Monday approved Mayor Judy Smith’s appointment of Officer Jason Herzing to lead the department while Pingsterhaus, the longtime chief, is being investigated.
“The investigation being conducted by the FBI centers around one individual,” Smith said in a statement. “That individual has been placed on paid leave for now.
“I want to make clear that the Carlyle Police Department is not, and I repeat, not under investigation,” she said. “Services provided by the police department will not be interrupted, and under new leadership the police will continue to serve the citizens of Carlyle.”
In an interview Tuesday, Smith said she could not disclose a reason why the FBI was conducting an investigation.
“Once the FBI has concluded its investigation, the city will act accordingly,” Smith said in her statement, which she read during the city council meeting Monday night.
Smith said the decision to put Pingsterhaus on suspension was a “joint decision” between herself and City Administrator Brad Myers. She said Pingsterhaus has been chief since 2012.
Pingsterhaus could not be reached for comment.
A spokesperson for the FBI in Springfield declined to comment on the case.
Pingsterhaus announced earlier this year that he is running for the Republican nomination in the Clinton County sheriff’s primary, scheduled for March 17.
Dennis Perez, acting deputy chief of the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, also has filed to run in the GOP primary for sheriff.
Pingsterhaus and Perez are running to succeed Sheriff Dan Travous, who chose not to run for reelection.
Editor's note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat. Mike Koziatek is a reporter for the BND, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
