Belleville DDA to pay $7,000 for ten lockers for police department

The Belleville Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously at its regular meeting Aug. 19 to buy ten professional police lockers for the city police department for $7,000.
Belleville’s new Police Chief David Robinson, who was hired just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, thanked the DDA and said he should have the lockers in three or four weeks, since he will take it to the city council for approval.
In an Aug. 10 memo to the DDA Chief Robinson said, “My transition as your new chief of police has been a wonderful experience, even though the COVID-19 pandemic has presented all of us with challenges. It has been Belleville’s residents, business owners, elected officials and my police officers that have made me feel very welcome.
“Since becoming the chief of police, I have been working on finding innovative ways to making necessary updates in police equipment to include bulletproof vests, police vehicle and police body camera system, police prep radios, and police-issued taser. These items are very important from an officer safety and risk-management perspective. I have already submitted, and I am currently researching and seeking grants to assist in funding these projects. It is my intention to utilize my allocated budget in combination with grants to achieve these important advances,” he wrote.
“I am reaching out to you and seeking your assistance in procuring police equipment lockers for our officers. Currently, officers do not have lockers to store their uniforms or issued police equipment.
“It is also my intention on converting a space to create a separate locker room for female officers, being that female officers make up 30% of our police force.
“Upon seeking the position of police chief, an important question that was asked of me was how I planned to attract and retain quality police officers. My response was, ‘to let the officers know we care about them and that as a team working together we would serve this community with a service-based community policing model.’ Building a solid team and creating a police-family atmosphere where everyone feels valued is how you retain the quality officers we have.
“Procuring the police lockers is an important step in letting the officers know we care and they are valued. This goes along with the many cosmetic enhancements that the officers, reserves, and I have all taken on to make our existing space in the police department welcoming and professional. The lockers also provide additional security and safety for our police equipment,” he wrote.
Chief Robinson said he researched several companies and the best price for ten police equipment lockers was $7,000.
“Procuring these police equipment lockers for our officers’ use, along with our other changes to the physical environment of the police station, will not only improve officer privacy and equipment security and accountability, it will really help with morale and pride in their work environment.”
During discussion at the meeting, Chief Robinson said in use now were old school lockers and they can’t hang uniforms in there. And, they need storage space for their vests and holsters.
“I want this to be a police department of best practices,” Chief Robinson said, adding each officer should have his or her own individual private police locker. “Now uniforms are tossed on desks or hung on one small rod,” he said. “They should be able to lock up their equipment which will make them feel they’re a professional.”
He said he had the same locker for 30 years at the Dearborn department. He said if the department ever moves, the lockers are moveable.
DDA chairperson Alicia McGovern asked if the DDA had the ability to do this and coordinator Carol Thompson said she researched it and they can.
Chairperson McGovern asked if there is more work with the DORA district and Chief Robinson said, yes, he is sending the reserves out on weekends.
DDA member Jennifer Winter, who also operates Egan’s Pub, said the community policing has been fabulous and friendly to everyone.
In other business at the 61-minute meeting, the DDA:
• Heard a report from Phil Westmoreland of Spicer Group on the upgrades planned for Fourth Street which he said they are trying to coordinate with the library. He said they were working with contractors who are working on the library parking lot to give the DDA prices on their project. Also, they need to get electrical power for their trees and hope they can get it from library power. Westmoreland said the underground and HMA work will cost $136,404 and the special tree grates $48,744, for a total of $185,148 so far, which is higher than the projected $140,000. The total for the whole project has been estimated at $350,000-$425,000. He said they hope to get it all built this year. Thompson was given approval to order the custom-made tree grates now since they have a long lead time. She said if they come too soon they can be stored at the DPW garage;
• Voted to ask Randy Brown to remove the center tree at the Fourth Street Square to allow visual clearance for a temporary stage that would park in the motorcycle parking area in the rear. Councilman Ken Voigt suggested putting in a pot in the tree’s place with mums until December and then put in a small Christmas tree. “I can take the tree down free and put a pot there,” said Winter. “I have lots of pots.” Thompson said this would not work with the DPW union workers. Treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams was concerned about the electrical box by the tree and ways to keep people from tripping over it once the tree is gone. She suggested a piece of art might be put there in the future and Mayor Kerreen Conley agreed that maybe they should put a slab there and put in a short artwork that wouldn’t block the view of the stage. Thompson suggested partnering with the Belleville Area Council for the Arts to come up with an appropriate piece of art. Thompson contacted seven contractors to remove the tree and only Randy Brown and Davenport Brothers Construction gave quotes for moving the tree. Now that it is just being taken out, and low-bidder Brown was chosen, the DDA is unsure of the actual cost;
• Heard DDA chairperson Alicia McGovern and DDA member Kelly McWilliams volunteer to serve on the city’s new Strategic Planning Committee; and
• Heard Thompson give a report that the BORA DORA [Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area] is being enjoyed and the tables/benches ordered will not arrive until October, possibly sooner. The hand sanitizer stations are not installed yet, but signs are posted and more signs will be posted. The canoe/kayak launch has been installed and the police are checking on it when they check the cemetery each morning, which should help avoid vandalism.