SAUGATUCK, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – For the second time this month, a Lakeshore community discussed its policing future.
Saugatuck and neighboring Douglas have operated a joint police department for nearly 20 years, and with the current agreement expiring at the end of this coming June, some have wondered if Saugatuck would be better served with another method of policing, including contracting with the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department. During last night’s meeting, Mayor Ken Trestor and the rest of the Saugatuck City Council took the next step after nearly a year of discussions and consideration. “The resolution was an agreement to move forward with having a smaller committee and our City Manager (Kirk Harrier) create a report that would identify the contracting options available to us,” Trestor said during an interview on “WHTC Morning News” today, “the financial considerations and capital requirements to move in that direction, and all the other issues that need to be addressed to go forward with a different contracting option for police services.”
The deadline for the report is February 8th, and Trestor said that transparency, continuing public input and maintaining lines of communication with Douglas on the matter will be emphasized throughout this process.
Earlier this month, the Zeeland City Council voted to retain the city’s current police department and begin a search for a permanent new police chief to replace Bill Olney, whose retirement this past summer brought up the subject of whether or not to contract out police services with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department. In Zeeland’s situation, cost was not a factor, and residents were overwhelmingly in support of keeping their own police force in place.
