As far as millage requests go, the Nov. 4 ballot proposal for police services in Oxford Township is a no-brainer.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department has done ? and continues to do ? an outstanding job providing law enforcement services. The millage to support them deserves a YES vote.

Not only will this five-year, 3.9152-mill tax request allow the Oxford substation to maintain its current staffing level of 15 officers, it will enable the addition of one deputy in 2017 and another in 2019.

This would give the substation the same staffing level it had in 2005 before declines in property values and budget cuts forced reductions in personnel.

Having more boys in brown on the street would allow for more proactive policing as opposed to reactive policing.

What’s the difference?

Proactive policing involves preventing crime through routine neighborhood patrols and deputies being a visible presence in the community.

Reactive policing involves responding to calls, taking reports and investigating crimes after they occur.

Although this millage proposal is labeled as a tax increase on the ballot, the requested amount actually represents what township residents have been paying for the last two years.

That’s because in November 2012, township voters approved a separate 1-mill police tax to be added to their existing 2.9152-mill police tax. This enabled the substation to increase its staffing level from 13 to 15 officers.

However, that 1-mill tax expired with the December 2013 collection.

So, when voters receive their December 2014 tax bill, they will pay the old rate of 2.9152 mills for law enforcement services while the township dips into the police budget’s reserves to make up the difference and keep 15 officers.

But the reserve funds aren’t enough to maintain the current staff indefinitely.

That’s why the township is asking voters for 3.9152 mills beginning next year.

Bottom-line, the township is not seeking some random, unwarranted tax increase out of the blue to add police personnel the community doesn’t need.

Officials are simply asking residents to go back to paying the amount they were a year ago, so Oxford can keep the cops it has right now and add two more in a few years. We strongly urge Oxford Township residents to vote YES on their police millage. ? CJC