Van Buren Township Public Safety Director Carl McClanahan gave a brief report on forced-entry home invasions in the Denton area at the April 4 regular meeting of the VBT Public Safety Committee.
Trustee Phil Hart questioned him about the recent meeting with residents in Denton subdivision and asked for an update.
Director McClanahan said Lt. Ken Floro organized the meeting on March 17 and was accompanied by Officer Adam Byrd.
He said they discussed the recent rash of forced-entry home invasions and gave tips on crime prevention, noting the break-ins were crimes of opportunity.
McClanahan said his officers have been a presence in Denton Sub. since the first week of March. There has been one arrest.
He said it is the whole Michigan Avenue corridor that is seeing these break-ins and north of Michigan Avenue in Canton Township is getting the worst of it. VBT is getting a smaller part of the total, he said.
Committee member Richard Wardell said the officers involved should be commended.
In other business at the April 4 meeting, the committee:
• Heard Fire Chief Darwin Loyer announced 14 people passed tests to be on the eligibility list for hire as paid-per-call fire fighters and the first six will be sent to the academy. He also reported there now are 16 trainers;
• Discussed the fires at the “Christmas tree” farm where the smoke was reportedly coming down, not going up, according to Chairman Diane Madigan. Chief Loyer said agricultural burns are allowed by the state, but they are monitored and have to follow rules. He said a temperature inversion brings smoke back down and there is nothing to be done about that;
• Heard Madigan report on the shoe flinging she had questioned in the past. She said she asked VBT’s former School Resource Officer Ryan Bidwell about whether the shoes hanging over Bemis Road near Rawsonville were evidence of gang activity in that area. She said Bidwell reported there has been no gang activity noted in that area. She called the road commission to ask about the shoes and they sent her to DTE and the two pairs of shoes finally are down;
• Discussed the painting on the side of the former Trac Pac market on Rawsonville Road at the railroad. McClanahan said it was more like graffiti, not gang tagging. Madigan said it is so big it would take gallons of paint and a roller to paint over it;
• Accepted the year-end report as prepared by Ramone Crowe, Reggie Miller, and Madigan;
• Discussed at length the hiring of two more police officers, as the committee had recommended to the township board earlier this year. The item will be considered as old business at the May 2 meeting. At that time, Trustee Hart will report on the board committee study into the hiring of more police;
• Agreed to send a statement to the township board in support of Fire Chief Loyer’s $25,000 worth of purchases for stage one of his Emergency Operations Center, which includes nine laptops, two projectors, and two LED large-screen TVs. The board already has approved the purchases;
• Postponed to an upcoming special meeting discussion on the fire department fee schedule. The committee does not want to charge residents for emergency runs, but supports recovery costs from those doing unlawful activity. Larry Fix said a fee for emergency equipment and crews would “scare away all the people”. He said you don’t want people with a kitchen fire not to call for help because they are afraid they won’t have the money to pay township fees;
• Discussed Code Red, Nixle, and sirens as emergency communications. Since Code Red uses telephone lines the telephone trunk lines could be full during disasters, Madigan pointed out. When asked, McClanahan agreed to bring a report on township emergency communication needs to the next regular meeting;
• Set a special meeting for 5:30 p.m. April 18 for a first-quarter public safety budget review. Treasurer Sharry Budd has agreed to attend to offer input;
• Discussed emergency sirens and asked Chief Loyer to get costs of new sirens. John Delaney suggested looking into the old sirens still at several locations in the township;
• Agreed to set a meeting in July, although a July meeting was not scheduled because it fell on Independence Day. The committee will consider alternate dates;
• Unanimously approved sending a recommendation to the township board to amend the Public Safety Committee bylaws so the order of business includes non-agenda items after new business. Non-agenda items have been included in the past, but the committee doesn’t want to depend on precedent, and prefers to have it in the bylaws;
• Heard Wardwell compliment Jennifer Price on her work as secretary. He also announced Captain Ken Brooks is now officially retired and Captain Greg Laurain has taken complete charge of the Police Department; and
• Heard John Delaney ask when the seventh member of the committee will be appointed, to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Michael Miazga. Miller said she sent an email to Supervisor Paul White and he said it would be ASAP.