East St. Louis regulatory chief is out

East St. Louis Department of Regulatory Affairs Director Robert Betts was dismissed Thursday morning and the department was locked up.

Neither Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks nor the city manager would comment. Betts, carrying a box, was escorted from City Hall by interim Police Chief Felix Arnold. Officers were searching through a city truck.

Betts said he was dismissed, but said there was not a specific reason. His department was locked and the employees were absent Thursday morning.

Jackson-Hicks previously said she was reviewing all city functions and making changes so City Hall was more responsive to city residents, more transparent and more efficient. She previously dismissed the police chief and the city manager who served Mayor Alvin Parks Jr.’s administration.

This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 2:04 PM with the headline "East St. Louis regulatory chief is out."