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RESS June 13, 2016
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Serving More Than h 33 33,000 000 H Homes & B Businesses i iin 4 C Counties ti
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Police seek body cameras By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
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of The Week
The thought that another family lost their little boy is heartbreaking...
Angela Saunders See page 10
Mural continues
Work on the fourth mural near the East Broadway viaduct continues. The project is in partnership with Arts Professor Gordon Ricketts, Bowling Green State University students, the East Toledo Family Center, and the Ironwood and Oakdale Neighborhoods. The theme this year is the importance of education in the community. Pictured, BGSU student Katheryn Clapsaddle works on the mural while Peter Vagast, assistant to Ricketts, looks on. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
Walbridge & Lake Twp.
Police proposal “solid,” chief says By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com Lake Township Police Chief Mark Hummer Tuesday said he was “very comfortable” with the proposal submitted to the Village of Walbridge for providing police coverage to the village and rejected criticism by some elected village officials that the township was heavy handed in how it presented the proposal to the village. At the request of Walbridge Mayor Ed Kolanko, the township, City of Northwood, and Wood County Sheriff’s Department recently submitted proposals for police service to the village. Chief Hummer’s proposal of $295,000 a year, excluding dispatching costs, was the lowest. The sheriff’s proposal was $363,655 and Northwood’s proposal was $350,000; both included dispatching expenses. Last year, the village spent about $402,000 on its police department, according to the mayor. The township’s proximity to the village is an advantage for providing service, Chief Hummer said during last week’s meeting of the trustees, but he dismissed any notion the township had designs on taking over the
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I’ve told the mayor we don’t want to take over their police department if they don’t want us.
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Oregon City Council is looking at approving the purchase of body cameras for the police department. Funding for the 45 body worn cameras was included in this year’s budget, according to Mayor Mike Seferian at a committee of the whole meeting on June 6. Police Chief Mike Navarre recommended that the city buy the cameras from Coban Technologies, Inc., of Houston, for $51,405. Coban is the city’s current vendor for in-car cameras and video/audio recording equipment used by the Oregon Police. “We currently have dash cam videos in our patrol vehicles. Coban is the vendor that provides that service,” said Navarre. “It’s our desire to go with the same company to provide body worn cameras for our officers. I’m a strong proponent of technology. I think this will make the officers’ jobs more effective and more efficient in gathering evidence, and being able to present that evidence for courtroom presentation. It also makes the Oregon police division a more transparent agency in the eyes of the community and provides accountability. I know there are a lot of issues associated with body worn cameras that are being worked through across the country and at the state level. We’re prepared to move forward. We have a policy in place. The policy has been issued to the officers. I know that there is legislation pending at the state level. If that legislation passes in its current form, it may be necessary for us to change our policy.” The Ohio legislature is considering a bill that would require Ohio law enforcement to write up and publish body camera policy in police departments that have body cameras. Councilman Tim Zale, chairman of the Safety Committee, said he would like to schedule a committee meeting to discuss “ample questions” regarding the purchase. “At this amount right now, should we not be putting this out to bid. They are not
village department. “It’s a solid number and we can provide solid service,” he said, adding that township officers are already in the village five to 10 times a week to assist Walbridge officers. “I’ve told the mayor we don’t want to take over their police department if they don’t want us. If they want to keep their own department, that’s fine, but don’t question our motives. We’ve always helped them and will continue to work with them.” According to minutes of the May 18
meeting of village council’s safety and criminal justice committee, two township trustees, Ken Gilsdorf and Richard Welling, “were aggressively asking council to consider the proposal but could not explain how they derived such a low bid.” Gilsdorf, a resident of Walbridge, said Tuesday he and Welling were at the committee meeting only to answer questions and “make sure they had all the information possible to make a decision.” He said he’s talked with three village residents who favor coverage by the township department. Since becoming chief of the township department, Hummer said there have been six chiefs in Walbridge and many patrol officers have left for other departments. In contrast, the township department has many “experienced, seasoned” staff members but has also realized a significant drop in overtime costs in that time, he said. The township police and fire departments and village police department contract with the sheriff’s department for emergency dispatching service. Chief Hummer said if the township provided police service for the village, the two entities could posContinued on page 2
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