To keep the police or not to keep the police.
That is the question on the minds of citizens and city officials alike, and as the Nov. 7 election hangs just around the corner, the debate continues over whether the city should dissolve the police department and rely on Oakland County for police services.
Although the November ballot contains no proposal asking voters to banish city police, some believe the winner of Clarkston mayoral race will play a role in determining the fate of the department.
Longtime Mayor Sharron Catallo strongly favors keeping the force intact and conducting business as usual from headquarters at 3 East Church. Those who moved into the community over the past 13 years, she said, often question why the city allocates nearly one-third of the $753,000 budget to the police department. Those who lived in Clarkston prior to 1993 remember the tribulations of relying on an outside source for police services.
‘Every time we needed something extra we had to pay for it,? Catallo recalled. ‘Traffic patrol, building checks, anything extra cost the city extra money.?
The mayor also has serious concerns about allowing an outside entity to designate which services the city can receive, and when. Subcontracting with Independence Township would create just such a situation she said, and the funds Clarkston pays for its own police service may do little more than help the township pay its own bill from the OCSD.
But with all the reasons the mayor lists for keeping the police department intact, one argument she calls ‘very important? stands out above the rest.
‘If we were to dissolve the police department and we found out we weren’t getting what we wanted from the county, we’d never be able to reestablish our own force again,? she said. ‘It would be a monumental effort in time and effort, but financially, we could never do it.?
Catallo, who has served as mayor for 24 years, believes she has a long-standing, personal relationship with the community, and has rolled up her sleeves and supported the community thorough a myriad of growth and change. It is a long history, she said, that helps her understand how the people of Clarkston want to spend their tax dollars.
‘The input from residents was so strong when we established our own police department,? she said. ‘They finally had what they wanted.?
The mayor’s opponent, Steve Wylie, won his election to city council two years ago, and first voiced his proposal to consider changes in the city’s police services during last winter’s budget meetings. Since that time, Wylie has remained firm in his conviction that the city could save a large sum of money by disbanding the police department, reclaiming its $239,000 budget, and subcontracting with the township for shared services at half the cost.
Wylie, who does not have Catallo’s background in community politics, is the CFO of Qualis Automotive, a company he helped found. With a background in accounting, Wylie has strong qualifications in business and financial matters. He was responsible, he said, for successfully marketing his company to an investment fund, and has put together 30 business budgets. It is this business background, he believes, that Clarkston needs to help ease the current financial strain, replenish the rainy day fund’which stands at only $55,000’and begin to lower taxes.
If his plan to eliminate the police department and the cost of maintaining the building at 3 E Church is administered, Wylie claims residents could see a 3 mill tax roll back, or $420 per average home.
‘The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department would do a fine job,? Wylie said, ‘and given our financial difficulties, the choice is clear to go with them and accrue the savings.?
But Clarkston Police Chief Ernest Combs argues that dissolving the department at 3 East Church would be a detriment to residents and cost more in the long run.
The value of service provided, he said, is an issue to be taken seriously.
‘They’re getting a dedicated police department that has a very fast response time,? he said, ‘usually under two minutes if the officer’s not on another call.?
Additionally, he said, with a population of less than a thousand and only a half-mile square radius, the department is in a position to police the city in proactive manner that deters speeding and crime.
The department has cars patrolling every street in the city several times each day, a service the OCSD, with 36 square miles to patrol, simply could not afford the time or resources to provide, the chief said.
‘You can’t measure how many crimes we’ve stopped because someone saw a patrol car coming,? he said. ‘There’s a reputation among people who rob and steal ? this is not the best place to come because you’re going to get caught.?
Chief Combs was credited with spotting and apprehending a married couple who used their four young children as cover while they held up and Independence Township bank in July.
In addition to the value of service provided to the residents, Combs cites the loss of control over local policy and budget issues as a major concern for residents.
‘I am responsible to the council for the money I spend to maintain the department,? he said. ‘The township is not going to provide them with an itemized account of how those funds were spent.?
Concerns were also raised about vacating the building at 3 East Church, where the township currently houses much of its DPW equipment; a lift truck and a dump truck are both crammed into the garage, along with a tractor, street sweeper, barricades, welding equipment, torches, tool boxes and the like. The city office garage offers no relief, as it is also filled to capacity.
Combs also provided figures for approximately $32,000 in revenue brought in by the department through circuit court, Breathalyzer tests and other miscellaneous sources. It was not clear if those numbers were figured into the final savings generated by vacating the building.
Echoing the mayor’s concern, Combs wondered what would become of the city if residents were not receiving satisfactory services from the OCSD services.
Lt Dale LaBair, commander of the Oakland County Sheriff Department’s Independence substation, said he will not worry if the time comes for him to take over.
The response time will be at least as good, he said, and the typical resident will not notice any changes.
‘When they want the police they’re going to have the police,? he said.
LaBair said he has heard the concerns about returning to the ‘drive-through? service residents got prior to 1993, but adds that his patrol has at least doubled since that time.
‘Yes, it’s going to be spread a little thin,? he said. ? You can’t expect to cut your costs in half without cutting your service someplace.?
But he said, the OCSD has highly paid, highly trained officers on the job, and the entire department is an integral part of the community and supported by the township board as such.
‘If you as me ‘can you do the job?? I can look you right in the eye and say yes,? he said. ‘We can do the job just as well as it’s being done now.?
To ensure that residents have a voice in the final decision, the city council is in the process of assembling a five-person Police Committee that will study the issue and make recommendations to the council. Committee nominations were scheduled to take place at the Oct. 23 council meeting, but were postponed until after the Nov. 7 election when voters will elect at least two, and possibly three, new council members.
‘I want the best police service we can get for Clarkston,? said Wylie, ‘and I will support whatever recommendations the Police Committee brings back.?
Reporters note: Do you have an opinion to share on this issue? Email me at LauraLColvin@aol.com