BALLWIN, Mo. – Douglass Schaeffler is no longer the Ballwin Police Chief. He has been terminated from the role, nearly two months after the city’s board of aldermen voted to put him on leave.

FOX 2 learned Thursday that Schaeffler was fired in a closed-door meeting without explanation, and residents want to know why.

Schaeffler was hired to lead the department back in 2019. He had been collecting checks for nearly two months while on leave.

Some Ballwin residents feel the city owes taxpayers an explanation for the decision.

“The citizens of Ballwin have the right to ask the question and get a solid answer that they’re comfortable with,” said Sonya Straight, who recently moved back from Atlanta.

She says while she’d like to know why the chief was fired, she also understands the city might not want certain details to come out.

“All I can say is there’s probably more to the story than we all know, so you might just have to dig in there and find out what’s going on,” said Straight.

According to our news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Schaeffler made $130,000 last year. That mean’s he’s collected north of $20,000 while on paid leave.

Clara Evans, who has lived in Ballwin for more than two decades, says she’s noticed police aren’t patrolling her neighborhood as much as they used to. That couple with Schaeffler’s dismissal has her feeling uneasy.

“It’s a little unsettling,” said Evans. “I wish they would let us know what happened, because since I’ve been here, he’s been chief.”

The city says Captain John Bergfield is now the acting police chief “until further notice.”