Beeman weighs in on public safety and mental health in Washtenaw County

Shannon Beeman, Washtenaw County Commissioner District 3

by Marsha Chartrand

Two weeks ago, we shared a statement from Sheriff Jerry Clayton regarding the 2020 Public Safety and Community Mental Health millage that provides much-needed funding for mental health services and also augments the contract-police-funding model that is utilized in out-county areas, including a collaboration between the City of Manchester and Lodi Township. Currently, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners is considering whether to put this millage up for renewal in November 2024 or to possibly separate the Community Mental Health (CMH) portion and the Public Safety portions into distinct millages, which might result in the passage of one portion but not the other.

Clayton suggested in that article that if the millage is not put on the ballot this fall for a vote or does not pass a vote of the people, it could devastate community wellness and safety in Washtenaw County by forcing the county to choose between a blow to its budget or leaving many county residents without the necessary police services or protection.

Shannon Beeman, a Manchester resident who is currently serving in her third term on the County Board of Commissioners for Washtenaw County, offered to respond to the dilemma, which could pit the Board against the Sheriff’s Office. “There is a lot of misconception around the millage and that is difficult to distill down to a few sentences,” she said.

Starting out, Beeman explained, “there are expectations from the public in terms of government services that aim to provide wellness and safety. During the creation of the Mental Health and Public Safety millage, before I was elected to the Board of Commissioners, it became evident that the financial structure in place was not sustainable to meet the demand. This posed a risk of the police services being discontinued, with the county no longer offering support or providing services at full cost locally.”

Currently, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office engages with a range of communities through a contract-based policing model. Those contracts encompass nine townships, one village (now the City of Manchester), one city, and two school districts. In most instances, the contracts ensure round-the-clock coverage, although some partners request or prefer collaborative arrangements.

This arrangement is not an inexpensive one. For 2023, each contracting partner contributed $170,471 per Police Service Unit (PSU) — a majority of these localities’ budgets. “It is important to note that the actual cost per PSU totals $208,220, with $37,749 being covered by millage funding,” Beeman added. “The overall cost for all PSUs amounts to $16,865,833 with $3,057,677 being subsidized by the millage. From 2019 to 2023, the community requested thousands of calls for service from WCSO: Manchester 7,695, Lodi 10,217, and York 15,441.”

All of District 3 benefits from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, including the townships that do not have WCSO contracts, Beeman explained. Dispatch is provided through WCSO, which means from Saline to Milan to Bridgewater (and everywhere in between) when you pick up the phone to dial 911 you reach the WCSO dispatch center for police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency services. The schools in Manchester are protected by WCSO because of the subsidy from the millage. Unfortunately, we live in a world where school shootings are a reality and our kindergarteners through high schoolers must feel safe. The WCSO trains and prepares for emergencies involving the Consumers Energy Freedom Gas Compressor Station in Freedom Township, where several major natural gas pipelines cross. Still, Beeman says, the greatest piece of having the WCSO outpost in Manchester is the need for response to a potential loss-of-life situation. In any life-threatening emergency, the closest officer on patrol responds regardless of whether the township pays for services or not. For District 3, this is more often WCSO than Chelsea, Saline, or state police. Response time is crucial in these life-or-death situations and the WCSO saves lives with their proximity and reach. From car crashes to domestic violence situations, the WCSO team is there to support and save our neighbors.

Beeman continues, “While many wish to separate mental health from public safety, given the partnership between the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and Community Mental Health, it is imperative to collaboratively address this issue. Many speak of reimagining policing, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office is a model of this effort. Community wellness can best be achieved through community responders. That’s why the WCSO continues to develop a model in partnership with CMH and other organizations to support community wellness through community responders. In an emergency situation, the Sheriff’s Office works in partnership with community responders, such as mental health professionals and substance use counselors, to decide how best to respond to a call.”

Beeman concludes, “Effectively achieving the mission of wellness and safety for our community requires appropriate investment in the services to attain desired outcomes. The focus of the millage is on fostering community wellness and recognizing that mental health and public safety encompasses not only personnel but also necessitates the implementation of programs, infrastructure, and acquisition of equipment to position WCSO, CMH, and our partners to effectively meet these needs. Moving forward, the importance of addressing these requirements is heightened even more. We are facing a mental health crisis in America and funding is needed to address it. Renewing this millage in November will provide a continuation of services and programs — without interruption — to support our quality of life.”

We are all working in the same direction to support that one cause — the quality of life in western Washtenaw County.

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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.