CHARLOTTE, Mich. (WLNS) – Folks in Eaton County will quickly be coping with delayed police responses and restricted patrol companies. The sheriff’s workplace says that is due to the failure of the Separate Tax Limitation proposal on November’s poll.
“I can no longer fund these open positions, or I should say, holes that we have in the night shifts,” stated Sheriff Tom Reich.
Sheriff Tom Reich introduced a lower in street patrol protection from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am.
“Will crime go up? I hope not,” stated the Sheriff. “I’m relying on Michigan State Police to take these calls when we don’t have a deputy on duty.”
Two years in the past, the sheriff already needed to reduce patrol from midnight till 6:00 am.
“With that, I’ve had to use overtime to fill these holes in for the past two years,” continued Reich. “Overtime for this is no longer available.”
These new reductions will reduce three deputies from the afternoon shift—leaving no street patrol at evening and MSP to select up the slack—which he says will result in delayed response instances.
“State police only have so many troopers out there to take complaints so it’s gonna be difficult, very difficult,” stated Reich.
Officers say they suppose one of many downfalls of the proposal was the complicated poll language—and so they appear to be proper. 6 Information spent the day in Eaton County barbershops, espresso outlets, grocery store facilities, and plazas and couldn’t discover one one who even knew what proposal 6 Information was speaking about.
“I can’t ask the people to do it. It is unsafe for my deputies to be on the road by themselves,” stated Reich.
The Sheriff is hoping for one more shot to cross the proposal, however this time with a unique method.
“The millage I’m pushing for is a public safety millage,” he continued. “I believe that will pass…The tax limitation proposal was very ambiguous language…public safety millage is very clear.”
Officers say they’re additionally making cuts within the prosecutor’s workplace which is able to result in fewer prison circumstances. The cuts is not going to have an effect on Delta and Windsor Townships which have offers in place to pay for patrols.
As for a brand new public security millage, the county board nonetheless must resolve if that is the most suitable choice.
