Kansas town reverses decision removing 'In God We Trust' from police cars after uproar
The Haven, Kansas City Council tried to remove 'In God We Trust' from police cars to separate church and state
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The city council of Haven, Kansas, voted 3-2 on Monday to reverse a unanimous decision they made May 2 to remove "In God We Trust" decals from the city's police cars, following an uproar from some in the community.
The city attorney said the Haven City Council's previous decision emerged from a desire to maintain a separation between church and state, according to local KWCH.
The follow-up vote on Monday was not on the original agenda of the city council, which had to move their biweekly forum to a nearby community center because of how many attended. Seven people spoke at the typically uneventful meeting, where all but one supported the decals.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The original motion was introduced by council member Sandra Williams, who expressed concern to Haven Police Chief Stephen Schaffer regarding both the "In God We Trust" decals on the police cars, and a Bible quote on the Haven Police Department Facebook page, which was later removed.
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Williams advised Schaffer that the city council did not want the police department to be a forum for discussing God, which was a sentiment echoed by Mayor Adam Wright, according to the Salina Post.
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"I firmly believe in separation of church and state," Haven city council member Mark Robinson told Fox News Digital. "However, the people made clear what they wanted. And we went with it."
Neither Schaffer, Williams, Wright nor any other member of the city council immediately responded to request for comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Line-up of police cars (frankysze via Getty Images)
Some Haven residents who were incensed by the city council's initial motion indicated that the city council was not reflecting the will of Haven's people.
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The U.S. and Kansas flags wave in the breeze prior to the game between Sporting Kansas City and the LA Galaxy on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, at Childrens Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"I hope that the council and the mayor see that they’ve done something unilaterally that the citizens of the town they represent didn’t go over well with the citizens they represent," said Haven resident Mary Andresen, in an interview with local KWCH.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wright, who emphasized the decals were not paid for with city funds, claimed to a local outlet that he received more than 100 emails on the issue, all but two of which supported the decals. The only two who were against them were not residents of Haven.