Will Manchester create its own police department?

A police patch from the old Manchester Police Department.

by Marsha Chartrand

It has been nearly 40 years since the Village of Manchester first contracted with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) to provide police services for the village.

Prior to that time, there was a Manchester Police Department, that was headquartered in the village offices that were then located in the old village hall on Clinton Street. During the 1985-86 fiscal year, it was determined to be an efficient and cost-saving measure to utilize resources that village tax dollars were already paying for, to provide police protection.

Over the years, however, police services and policing philosophies have changed. Costs have risen — sometimes sharply, and other times at a moderate rate. Pricing structures have evolved and adapted as sheriffs, county commissioners, and village council members have cycled over the past decades. At a time when costs were rising rapidly, in 2006, the Police Services Steering Committee (PSSC) was established by the County Board of Commissioners, providing a forum for county officials, the sheriff, and local officials to discuss issues pertaining to the price of contract policing as well as what county-wide police services the county should provide. Over the years, the PSSC has established a model for inclusion of local jurisdictions in providing feedback and recommendations regarding contract police services issues; recognizing the value of open dialogue, community engagement, and fiscal transparency in developing public policy regarding public safety and justice.

The Village of Manchester’s 2022-23 budget shows a total budget for Sheriff Department costs of $516,349, according to a spreadsheet developed by Village Manager Michael Sessions. Whereas, a budget for the same timeframe with a local police force would total about $457,110. Assuming a 5% increase per year through the WCSO each year, the cost differential would increase exponentially each year until in the 2027-28 year, Sessions calculates that the Sheriff’s Department pricing would be $75,605 more than the cost of maintaining our own department.

“It comes down to to two things,” Sessions said. “Service delivery cost, and determining our own policing philosophy.”

Currently, the Village contracts with the WCSO to provide seven day a week coverage within the Village boundaries. This contract also provides the Village with a supervisory sergeant. This coverage includes a total of six deputies, shared with Lodi Township, giving Manchester three deputies. Forming our own department would provide for six officers — a full time chief, two full-time officers, and three part-time, who would stay within the village. The Lodi collaboration deputies are available to the village if needed but are often a 20-25 minute drive away and sometimes longer, if they are pulled to respond to another contracting township on an emergency basis.

As for the surrounding townships, Sessions said, Village Council would be free to set its limitations for response, but would need to develop a clear plan from the outset. Currently, none of Manchester’s surrounding townships (Manchester, Sharon, Freedom, and Bridgewater) contract with the WCSO and are left to rely on the State Police to respond from the Brighton Post, except in a life-or-death emergency. Under a village police department, the guidelines would need to be clearly developed on how coverage might be provided in a potential life-or-death emergency outside of the village, and if there would be a financial contribution expected from the township for response to calls (as in contracted fire coverage).

“We need to design this correctly, put the right people in place, and create a proactive police department with a mission,” he said. “Lack of consistency could be our biggest pitfall if we don’t do this properly.

“We could end up with Barney Fife.”

Spreadsheet comparing village forming a potential local police department costs with continuing with WCSO. Local options do not include county dispatch costs. Courtesy Michael Sessions.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.