Georgetown Police Chief Greg Reeves was relieved of his duties Thursday for reasons that are unclear.

Georgetown City Council member Brad Penn, who is on the city's police committee, confirmed that Reeves was relieved of command.

"I don't believe there's any wrongdoing," he said. "We've had issues within our police department for some time. Sometimes it's just good policy for a management change."

The councilman said he did not know when a new chief would be named. "We have not made it that far in the process just yet," Penn said.

Georgetown police Lt. Robert Swanigan, spokesman for the department, declined to comment.

"All communications regarding anything to do with him will have to come from city hall," Swanigan said.

Reeves and Georgetown Mayor Everette Varney could not be immediately reached for comment. The police chief serves at the pleasure of the mayor.

"It's his call," said city council member Marvin Thompson. "We do not have any involvement on personnel as far as hiring and firing."

Council member David Lusby said the reason Reeves was relieved was "the question of the hour" late Thursday afternoon.

"Honestly, I have no details whatsoever," Lusby said. "It took me by surprise and apparently quite a few other people."

Reeves has been chief since March 2004, when he succeeded Bernard Palmer. Gov. Ernie Fletcher appointed Palmer to be the Kentucky State Police's branch manager of facilities security.

Reeves, a Bryan Station High School graduate, joined the department in 1983 after a stint in the Army. He worked on patrol, in narcotics investigations and as a detective, and he spent five years as assistant chief.

The Georgetown police department has 43 sworn officers and seven trainees. With a 2010 population of 29,098, Georgetown is Kentucky's ninth-largest city.