Small Colorado Department Shut Down Via Text Message

Town leaders in Kiowa, Colorado reportedly informed the two of the three members of the small town's police department via text message that the doors had been shuttered, the locks had been changed, and that they were all laid off.

According to ABC News , Town Administrator Joe Racine informed the police chief in person of the department's closure and then sent a text message to the town's two other officers—a part-time employee and an unpaid reserve officer—stating that "all operations of the Kiowa Police Department have been suspended, effective immediately."

Racine said that the town of 750 people has a limited tax base and has struggled to maintain revenue to provide services for residents.

Policing duties have reportedly been transferred to the Elbert County Sheriff's Office, which is also based in Kiowa.