Crothersville Chief of Police Matt Browning, who has been suspended since early March, tendered his resignation to the Crothersville Town Council last Monday, June 22, during a special meeting.
The town council officially charged Browning with violation of police department rules, being absent without leave, conduct unbecoming an officer, neglect of duty, conduct causing harm to the public peace & welfare.
Specifically the investigation by the State Board of Accounts showed that in 2025 Browning consistently over-reported the time he worked which resulted in pay of $10,395.71 for over 300 hours he did not work.
Crothersville K-9 Police Officer Luna, the partner of Browning, was officially retired during the council’s April 7 meeting due to medical reasons.
The investigation showed that Browning had been compensated for the K-9’s maintenance and training but failed to utilize the dog for police work for over a year and a half. Browning also failed to attend K-9 training that was approved and paid for by the town, according to the disciplinary charging document.
The settlement agreement allows that in return for Browning’s resignation from the department the town would withdraw all charges and not seek restitution for the over payment of wages from the former police officer.
Browning agreed that the town will not pay him for unused time off, vacation, sick time, personal leave, compensatory time and any other accrued benefit.
According to the agreed order, Browning admitted no wrongdoing.
The town has spent $11,897.50 so far on attorney fees, said clerk-treasurer Danieta Foster.
“As much as I hate this, it is way more fiscally responsible to the taxpayers,” she said. “ We could ever get back what we would spend on a hearing.”
She added that the town cannot file criminal charges against Browning. “That would be up to the State Board of Accounts (which performed the investigation) to pursue with the prosecutor,” she said.
In the past, a former county auditor and a township trustee in Jackson County were criminally charged as a result of SBOA findings.
Browning was chief of police since July 2018. Jonathon Tabor who had been appointed the acting Police Chief since Browning’s March 3 suspension, was appointed as Chief of Police by the town council. Tabor has been a Crothersville police officer since January 2020.