NEW ROADS - New Roads Mayor Theron Smith admits the city's police department is short-staffed.

"We typically operate with eight full-time officers. We have five right now. So that puts us in somewhat of a challenging position. What we normally do is supplement those shifts with part time officers," he said.

WBRZ reported about the resignations of two police chiefs, as well as the departure of two veteran officers. On Tuesday, the Investigative Unit obtained internal police department emails that show the bigger picture.

There are six in total, each showing an officer resigning or asking to be moved down to part-time.

The resignations date back to May. None of the emails provide a reason for wanting to step down, but all have a positive tone, expressing gratitude to the department.

We're told it's common for officers to move around departments to get better pay or hours.

The volume of departures could explain Chief Cedrick Epps' sudden exit last month, which NAACP President Dr. Monica Fabre alluded to in our report on Monday.

"I can't tell you exactly what the circumstances are, but I can imagine if I'm working, I'm the chief, and I don't have anybody working for me and I'm having to pull all the duties myself. It's dangerous for the person. It's dangerous for the city," she said.

The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff tells me he had a conversation with Mayor Smith this morning about providing deputies to help fill the gaps. He says he is willing to help, but it will be up to his deputies whether they want to work overtime.