West Michigan Community Weighs Proposal to Eliminate City Police Department

At what cost?

Can you imagine living in a town without a police department? A scary thought at first, however several communities in Michigan have already done it. Now another small West Michigan city says they're weighing their options. Here's what we know so far:

Get our free mobile app

Budget constraints have put the hurt on communities across Michigan who are now coming up short. As officials comb through their budgets searching for a way to make ends meet they're forced to make tough decisions that could affect the well-being and livelihood of their friends and neighbors.

One such community is the City of Allegan, Michigan.

The county seat of Allegan County, the city of Allegan is home to nearly 5,222 residents according to 2020 U.S. Census records. For the sake of transparency, I used to be one of them! I graduated from Allegan High School in 2007.

I would describe my hometown as "quaint" and "quiet" but that's not to say it's without its fair share of crime and theft. That being said, I was still surprised to learn of a new proposal being considered by the City which would effectively eliminate Allegan's police department. According to the Allegan County News,

During the April 10th budget meeting, a proposal was presented to eliminate the Allegan City Police Department and contract with the Allegan County Sheriff Department for officers to cover the City of Allegan. The belief is that transferring to the county services would save the City of Allegan about $500,000 each year.

Again, it's a scary thought but fortunately for Allegan residents the Allegan County Sheriff Department is located within the Allegan city limits and central dispatch is only a short distance further.

What's Really at Stake?

Some say it's not so much the safety of residents that's at stake, but the livelihood of the officers. When Police Chief Jay Gibson said his peace before the Allegan City Council he stated the consequences of removing the police department are not solely budgetary,

All but one officer in the City Police Department are graduates of Allegan High School and have roots in the city. In addition, officers who have served that city for 17 or 18 years would lose their retirement. If these officers moved to the county, they would be going into a union shop where they would enter at the bottom of the seniority list.

Neighboring communities such as Fennville and Saugatuck have each recently chosen to eliminate their local police departments and instead contract with the Allegan County Sherriff's Department. The story in Allegan is still developing; check back for updates.