<p>Fired Cobb County Police Chief Lee New has reached a settlement with the county that gives him a $26,000 severance package, the county announced.</p><p>But on the same day as Tuesday's settlement announcement, county records were released that showed New was fired for several indiscretions that made county officials question his judgment.</p><p>Reached late Tuesday by the Marietta Daily Journal, New said he could not discuss the settlement. But he said he was "OK" with it.</p><p>"I love the Cobb County Police Department," New said. "I was very good to them, and they were very good to me."</p><p>County Manager David Hankerson, who fired New last month, said the settlement agreement was made as a way to close the issue and focus on the future of the police department.</p><p>County documents showed New was fired for a number of incidents such as hiring a volunteer for the police who had a criminal record, inappropriate content in a police yearbook and using money from a charity to pay for the yearbook.</p><p>"These just came together all at once," Hankerson said.</p><p>Hankerson said New's firing came in the last of three meetings that were held between Oct. 27 and Nov. 23 with Hankerson, New and Public Safety Director G.M. "Mickey" Lloyd.</p><p>One of the issues discussed was New's decision to change the police department's slogan in the yearbook. Hankerson said New had been previously told not to make the change, making his decision to do it anyway an act of insubordination.</p><p>"Ignoring my clear instruction, you nonetheless seized an opportunity upon the publication of the 2004 Yearbook to change the seal/patch and thereby promote your own agenda," Hankerson said in New's termination letter.</p><p>Hankerson also was displeased with the yearbook's content, which Hankerson said he did not get a chance to review before it went to print. Several of the yearbook's candid snapshots and captions, Hankerson said, did not reflect "our professional police department in this county." Examples cited by Hankerson included a suggestive caption that went with a picture of male police officer hugging a female officer.</p><p>New's termination letter also said he knowingly hired a man who had a criminal record to serve as a SWAT team medical volunteer. Joseph DiCorpo, who had two charges of driving under the influence and one charge of soliciting prostitution, was hired at New's direction in April 2001, according to county documents.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x2865a50)</p>
