The argument for a new policing model.
Here is the statement I tried to read at the November 18, 2024 council meeting. Obviously it was difficult to hear because of all the shouting. So for those interested I offer the following:
Tonight's debate is not about removing police protection from the village. It's about a different form of policing. Specifically about whether we should close the village police department and outsource to the sheriff.
Times have changed since Covid. Officers are retiring quicker than new ones are hired. Everywhere. This creates openings in large police departments for young officers who don't need to start out in tiny villages like Saint Paris anymore. Which means policing is now very expensive. Experienced officers are nearly impossible for a tiny village like ours to recruit and retain. If we try, we're swimming against the tide, so we'll be left to hire a revolving door of well-paid yet inexperienced rookie officers. I'll never agree to that. That leads to inconsistent policing. We can do better for our residents.
In January we discussed with the sheriff a plan where a sergeant would be assigned to Saint Paris. His or her "beat" would, by contract be Saint Paris. The sergeant would be assisted by at least one deputy, maybe more depending on our budget. The hours of coverage would be slightly less than the 94 weekly hours we've been getting. But it could be enhanced with the hiring of part-time deputies. Depending on our budget. AND -- don't discount this! -- by turning the village's building into a sheriff's outpost, we'll have law enforcement nearby at all hours. This plan offers professional, consistent policing within our budget.
I realize there's opposition. I respect that, which is why I asked the mayor for a few moments to speak. Thanks for listening.
I realize people think we here on council are the ones who aren't listening. Sometimes I think all we do here is listen. As for me, I'm hearing that people just want policing. They don't care if it's the village police, the township police, the county police, the state police or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police! Just police. Nearby, professional and responsive.
I believe we have that plan.
We need to be honest with ourselves. If we want to keep the village police because of nostalgia or personal relationships, then be advised: we cannot fund an unworkable four hundred thousand dollar operation because of relationships or longing for the good old days. Times have changed.
And now for some of the specific protests we've heard:
1. I've consistently said that the turnover problem is nobody's fault. So of course this triggered some to blame it on the mayor and me. We've been accused of mistreating officers. To which I will say: If I or anyone else in village government said anything untoward or harsh to any officer, it should have been handled at that time by the police supervisor and his supervisor the mayor. That's how professionals do it.
2. We're not lying about the numbers. I've posted a spreadsheet, and held it open to public scrutiny. And I've reminded everyone that pricing is a snapshot based on the facts at the time. Now I mention that because we don't know exactly what a sheriff contract will cost until after the new collective bargaining is signed. But there are more leaks at the sheriff's office than in a rusty pickup after a hard rain. So we have an idea of what those numbers will be. And our budget committee, Tony and Linda, have a secret weapon. Called Excel. They'll be close.
3. We're not rushing this through. It's been openly discussed for nearly a year. Now's the time to consider it because we need to pass a new budget.
Which leads to the next argument: We don't know for sure how the sheriff contract will play out. All I can say is we're fortunate to have a mayor who has excellent relationships with both the incoming and outgoing sheriffs. God has favored us.
So let's go with what we DO know for sure:
1. What we're doing now doesn't work. The tiny-village-full-service policing model is a relic. Seventeen resignations in two and a half years. We have no patrol officers and, as the mayor told us in September, no applications in the pipeline.
2. If we go with the sheriff, then we will know who was right.
3. If we are wrong, then we still own the cars, building and equipment. We can reconstitute some sort of village-sponsored policing. Something that works hand-in-glove with the sheriff.
And finally:
We -- specifically I -- have been accused of putting the village through unnecessary stress. Actually the stress has been caused by those who spread the myth that we're eliminating the police department and leaving the village withough coverage. The don't mention that we have an alternate (dare I say better) coverage plan.
Look around the table here. (Talk about stress!) What you have is a group of public servants who'd rather not be here tonight. Yet here they are. They've looked at the facts and are prepared to make a reasoned decision in the best interest of the village. Despite withering public criticism. Isn't that what we expect from our public officials? So if you're stressed, that should be a source of calm.