Sumpter Police Sgt. Eric B. Luke of Belleville is a new Lieutenant in the township police department, serving as second in command to Chief James Pierce.
Chief Pierce’s promotion of Luke was ratified unanimously by the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Aug. 10. After the meeting, 34th District Court Chief Judge Tina Brooks Green officially swore him in and the chief presented him with his new badge.
The ceremony took place before a roomful of well-wishers, including his immediate family and many members of the police, fire, and dispatch departments.
Among the family members present were Lt. Luke’s wife Trully and their twin sons, Benjamin and Alexander, who were born July 16.
Chief Pierce told the board in a memo that the promotion would allow the police department to operate at a higher level of professionalism, with a clear chain of command.
Currently there are patrol officers and sergeants, with the chief the only command officer. Lt. Luke will routinely be called upon to serve as Acting Chief and will be responsible for the overall activities of the department in the absence of the Chief of Police.
Historically, the Sumpter Department has had an officer second in command to the chief that was called Commander, and Pierce had been Commander before Melvin Turner was fired.
Chief Pierce said Lt. Luke would be on one year of probation in his new position. He gets 75 cents more an hour in pay, similar to what he got when he was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
“This increase will remain in effect until such a time as the township is able to support average pay parity among the ranks,” Chief Pierce wrote in his memo.
Lt. Luke is a 1992 graduate of Washtenaw Community College where he earned an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. His first job as a police officer was with Sumpter. He was hired by Chief Clinton Brown and began July 21, 1994. He was promoted to corporal in November 2000 and then to sergeant in September 2008.
“Since his promotion to the rank of sergeant, Luke has been monumental in overseeing the adherence to Departmental Rules and Regulations and patrol functions,” Chief Pierce said, adding that Luke currently is attending the 26th Session of the Eastern Michigan University School of Police Staff and Command to further enhance his leadership abilities.
In his comments to the board at the meeting, Chief Pierce said, “He’s nothing but an outstanding corporal and sergeant. When I have questions about the law, I go to him. He’s an ideal police officer.”
In a related agenda item, Chief Pierce’s appointment of Colleen Marie Carefelle to the position of part-time police officer was also approved unanimously by the board.
Carefelle, 24, is a 2008 graduate of Schoolcraft College where she received an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science, Criminal Justice. She completed the Wayne County Regional Police Academy’s Entry Level Police Training Program.
She is a graduate of Salem High School in the Plymouth-Canton School District. She is a single mother of a five-year-old son and has no prior police experience. She presently works as a cook in Canton and was looking for her first police job.
Chief Pierce called her an excellent candidate for part-time employment with the Sumpter Township Police Department. He said she was hired because she has no police experience and no “baggage” in this area and he will be able to teach her the procedures in Sumpter.
Her appointment is contingent on successful completion of a physical/ medical examination and drug screening.
In other business at the Aug. 10 meeting, the board:
* Approved signing an agreement with Midwest Backflow Prevention for cross-connection control for the water department;
* Approved going out for sealed bids for the fire station roof replacement when specifications are finalized. Resident Sharon Claxton said the shingles are curled up and there may be a chance to get in on a class-action suit against one particular shingle manufacturer. Deputy Supervisor Craig Moody said that is being looked into;
* Approved purchase of $9,550 worth of fire department equipment from Apollo, including pants, coats, helmets, gloves and hoods;
* Approved making part-time employee Michael Karll a full-time employee of the Water Department;
* Approved a Fire Department fund-raising chicken broil at the fire station from noon to 4 p.m. on Sept. 12, to earn money for the department’s annual Halloween party for township children. Meal tickets will be $8 each;
* Cancelled the grass-mowing contract with Newton’s Lawn Management for lack of performance;
* Approved hiring Michigan Lawn Management, the second-highest bidder, to fulfill the rest of the contract for the 2010 senior grass-cutting service paid out of federal Community Development Block Grant funds;
* Approved paying warrants totaling $224,270.82;
* Approved paying for a 6” meter which was borrowed from the City of Clawson for Rawsonville Woods on an emergency basis;
* Heard Moody announce that the new benches outside township hall were donated by Cub Scout Pack #822;
* Heard resident Sharon Claxton question the letters sent to senior citizen grass-cutting clients by lawn contractor James Newton in a Sumpter Township envelope and paid with the Sumpter postage meter, apologizing for the “lack of quality and promptness” of his grass cutting. Claxton said that looked to her like “a misappropriation of funds” and Newton should have paid for sending such a letter himself. Claxton also noted that Newton had been paid $1,741 through CDBG for senior grass cutting, plus $200 and $800 for cutting around the township hall grounds. “I personally talked to James Newton and he promised that grass at 45445 Willis (a senior citizen’s home) would be cut on Monday, Aug. 3. Didn’t happen… This lawn contractor makes the township look bad and creates a backlog of complaints that should not happen”;
* Heard Supervisor Johnny Vawters say that during the recent election he visited every precinct and he got about 40 complaints on grass cutting (out of the 50 places to cut). Moody said he has 23 recorded complaints, plus about the same number unrecorded. Trustee Peggy Morgan said, “We went above and beyond to give him [Newton] a break because he had many family issues … many sad issues…” She said he cut grass for the township last year without a problem. Moody said, he liked Newton and he was even placed on Parks & Rec., but then when Newton was supposed to meet with Moody on the recent problem, Newton left a message he was in Tennessee. “That was the icing on the cake,” Moody said, referring to the subsequent firing;
* Heard Police Chief James Pierce thank those who helped pass the police/dispatch millage on Aug. 3 with a 1,041-379 vote. And, he said although he knew it was politically incorrect, “I thank God for helping us out with His guiding hand.” Deputy Treasurer Karen Armatis added, “The Chief named a lot of people, but he didn’t thank himself.” The audience applauded the chief’s efforts;
* Heard Donna Stewart asked for use of the Sumpter Community Center without charge for the second annual craft show, with most of the crafters coming from Sumpter. She asked for either Oct. 15-17 or Oct. 22-24. The dates will be checked with the schedule; and
* Approved consulting engineer Keith Uutinen’s request to provide the Sumpter water numbers to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department for the water line project at the east side of the township. His company, Metco, is doing the project, but he cannot release the numbers to himself without board approval. In the future, Sumpter will decide whether to get a second water connection from Detroit through this new line.