Police Chief Berriman describes Masons’ grant offer to pay for officer

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
Belleville Police Chief Hal Berriman explained the grant offer of the Masonic Lodge to pay for a new officer for the city.
Chief Berriman said the Masons will sponsor a current reserve police officer who wants to be a certified city officer by paying the city the tuition for the police academy and the officer’s pay while in the academy.
Chief Berriman confirmed that the reserve officer is a member of the Masonic Lodge.
At its Nov. 3 meeting, the city council voted unanimously to accept the offer from the Masons, but information on the agreement was sparse.
Chief Berriman said the Masons will sponsor the candidate if everything works out for the person to go to the academy.
The person, who has yet to be confirmed, is not being identified until everything is in place, Chief Berriman said.
He said he just received a packet from the academy for its next session which will begin in January. Everything has to be worked out by the deadline in the middle of December.
The person has to pass the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) requirements, he has to apply to the Schoolcraft Police Regional Academy and pass the written and physical tests, as well as a drug test, before being admitted, Chief Berriman said.
MCOLES has strengthened its guidelines because of the way the city worked to get reserve officer Joe Melville into the academy several years ago, Berriman said. He said MCOLES officials will talk to him to make sure everything is the way it should be.
Melville was ejected from the academy.
To be certified as a police officer by MCOLES a candidate must pass the academy and be employed with a law enforcement agency as a law enforcement officer. Reserves are considered volunteers even though they are paid on occasion for certain assignments.
The city does have a part-time position open in the police department.