In a packed city commission meeting on Tuesday evening, City Manager James Slaton backpedaled his decision to remove the city's police chief. The police chief of Lake Wales was suspended without pay on Monday by the city manager over accusations of nepotism and lack of transparency, according to a letter sent to Police Chief Chris Velasquez. One day later, that decision was reversed. "I am rescinding my memorandum dated March 11, 2024," Slaton said during Tuesday's meeting. Slaton wrapped up his comments by stating the community needs stability and that he is working alongside the chief to address the concerns. Once the announcement was made, clapping and cheers filled the room. Chief Chris Velasquez then took a moment to address the situation. "I just like to say thank you, and I'd like to apologize for any type of challenges that we've gone through as a city," Velasquez said. "But I want to thank you for your support. For 31 years I've put this uniform on and every day I've been proud to wear it. I'll continue to do that. I'll continue to serve. And I'll continue to do my job with honor and integrity..." MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/polkcounty/lake-wales-police-chief-suspension-replacement/67-c70e0611-1331-42f7-bc41-6d42e5319f7d ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►X: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay