Sheriff's Department discusses proposed police millage with Augusta Township residents
Previous story: Augusta Township to ask voters to approve millage to reinstate police coverage
Two deputies dedicated to Augusta Township would reduce response time and help the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department prevent crime from occurring.
That’s the message Sheriff Jerry Clayton delivered Wednesday to a small audience of Augusta Township residents during an informational meeting about a proposed millage to fund two deputies for the township.
Voters there rejected three proposals to renew the township’s previous contract with the Sheriff’s Department, most recently in November 2010.
That has left the township without police coverage for the last two years and resulted in slow responses to calls for service. The Sheriff’s Department and Michigan State Police have both responded to emergency calls, though there are no deputies or troopers dedicated to the township.
Residents will be asked to consider a 1.7 mill tax to be levied from 2012 to 2015. It would generate approximately $326,000 in the first year and provide for two full-time deputies dedicated to Augusta.
Sheriff Jerry Clayton
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
Clayton broke down what Augusta Township would receive and what the current policing arrangement is like there.
About half the calls for service in Augusta Township, which has around 6,700 residents, are routed to the Michigan State Police’s Brighton post.
The Sheriff’s Department has 12 countywide deputies who are cover the township’s 345,000 residents, though not at one time. It's those deputies who respond to Augusta if they are available.
Clayton offered some statistics that show how much longer response times to calls for help are when there are no dedicated deputies. Bridgewater Township currently has dedicated deputies, and Manchester Township does not.
Sheriff Department’s response to priority calls in Manchester Township took 100 percent longer than in Bridgewater Township. All calls in general took around 280 percent longer to receive a response in Manchester than in Bridgewater.
In Freedom Township, which has no dedicated deputies, shots fired calls took 29 percent longer to receive a response while responses to car accidents with injuries took 232 percent longing.
Last year, there were 1,500 calls for service in Augusta Township. According to Sheriff’s Department Lt. Jim Anuszkiewicz, the top calls are for malicious destruction of property, family troubles, suspicious circumstances, home invasions and a large amount of animal control complaints.
But Clayton stressed that having a police presence helps prevent crime from occurring, which is more important than response times.
"I’d rather be the best at preventing your house from getting broken into,” Clayton said. “We’re good at (responding quickly), but I want us to be great at preventing crime, and that only occurs when you have a presence.”
Several residents questioned why they weren't made aware of the millage by the township board of trustees.
Township Supervisor Pete Hafler said it might be possible for him to call a special meeting so the Board of Trustees can put together information for residents. But he said he didn't know if other board members would show up.
Augusta Township Fire Chief Vic Chevrette highlighted another obstacle to passing the millage. He said residents in Augusta Township have mailing addresses for Van Buren Township, Belleville, Ypsilanti Township and other municipalities, so they don’t understand that they are actually Augusta residents and receive public safety services from Augusta.
“There area lot of people who don’t understand that Augusta is 36 square miles and Augusta Township is the one who services them,” Chevrette said.
Samantha Towler is an Augusta Township resident who has been campaigning for the proposal. She also said she believes the board needs to work to spread information on the millage.
“I think this approval will pass, but I think it's up to the people in here,” Towler said, referring to township officials gathered at the meeting.
Comments
chris crawley
Sun, Oct 28, 2012 : 5:43 p.m.
I have to agree. Ignoring how the vote has gone before. What we have here is entrenched peole working against the general public good. I just spoke to a woman who is pushing the "new broom" (now there is pun). We will vote for no one in office now, nor prior embumbrents trying to edge back in. That gives us a very clean sweep group to vote in McDonald, Slack, Bennett, Newsome, Thornton, Chie those all are essential to our new brrom on supervisor race Haffler is there now, but Shelby is also as a trustee. so who has cased the worse problems or will if re-elected. on the 3-way treasurer race, Burek is there now, Dew was before. little difference between them, just not same power groups.. Slack is the gentleman that use to set at front desk and we all appreciated his attitude, assistance and needs to be in office. So there he is the only possible choice. I want him back at hall all the time.,
chris crawley
Sun, Oct 28, 2012 : 5:32 p.m.
my outlook is more personal
Samantha Towler
Sat, Oct 27, 2012 : 11:15 p.m.
That woman, me had a robbery in progress and waited one hour and 45 minutes before the police responded from Brighton. So yes, we need police protection. I do not advocate a lock and load method. You have a right to your opinion of whether you will vote for this issue or not. Your choice. But, to go to the depths you do, because I as a resident, went to the township and asked them to place this on the ballot is sad. This issue will or will not pass. I have done my part, by working it and believing that we should have police protection. I do know where this is coming from, but I just don't understand why. Are you afraid that I asserted my rights, and express my concern or that I may have a political mechanism that would hurt you? Well I didn't, but I do now. We need board members that will look forward to meeting and helping our residents Ones that will not bring it to this public forum. Shame on you! Obviously, because I asked, you attack me. I lost a lot in that robbery, but what I did not loose is my voice. I now see some of the board members behind this needs to go. I will use my voice to do that.
j shelden
Sun, Oct 28, 2012 : 6:12 a.m.
Samantha, I feel as tough I should sympathize with you but yet I can Not. The reason is ...is that as a business owner and as a resident we should all carry insurance for just an uncommon occurrence as yours. If you had insurance I am willing to bet you made out OK even after your deductible. If you had no insurance, then shame on you! Further, just because you were once violated does not mean the rest of the citizenry nor taxpayers want nor need to finance YOUR campaign. There are many things I wish for. I know that the taxpayers are not my piggy bank. If I want something I work for the $$ and go out and get it myself. I resent you asking me to pay for your wish list. Finally whether we have dedicated officers 24/7 or not... you still would have been robbed. Only benefit gained there would be that the police maybe would have responded sooner and you could have told them your frantic story for the incident report a mere 20 minutes sooner. Is that really worth 300K in more taxes per year?? Buy a big mean dog woman! Dog's eat the boogeymen. If you don't like dogs, buy a gun and shoot the thieving scums on sight. Cops are just uniformed secretaries and occasionally get lucky enough to help stranded motorists. They almost never catch the badguy coming thru your windows
Brendan
Sat, Oct 27, 2012 : 3:30 p.m.
No police just leads to annexation... so if you like Augusta, lower insurance, and people not doing 80 down Willow and Rawsonville, then you should probably vote, simple as that...
j shelden
Sat, Oct 27, 2012 : 7:30 p.m.
80 on Willow? Not easy to do without colliding with the majority of people who DO drive the speed limit. With or without a millage I still see sheriff patrols regularly lurking and waiting for those few speeders. I say keep our 300K. let the occasional reckless driver crash a tree on the curves. 80 mph on a regular basis (though exaggerated and inflammatory) will sooner or later catch of to such a fool. Meanwhile any thieves (or any ill-will animal for that matter)who dares eyeball my stuff would be treading very dangerous waters should I be staring down the iron sight. Vote down this silly millage prop. And HECK NO should the Township (us Taxpayers) foot any promotion of any sort. Regardless of it benefits (if any) Let this Samantha woman foot the entire bill if she thinks it so vital. It is HER BABY.....not mine!
chris crawley
Sat, Oct 27, 2012 : 1:55 p.m.
oops hit post. So we pay for Sheriff & state troopers thru our county and state taxes, but the sheriff's department wants $300,000 more? That does sound like extortion. One always has to wonder when someone or a group is pushing a very narrow and ex. pensive agenda. What is in it for them. Is it true that some of them have private security service? maybe they want the millage and then the board hiring them instead of sheriff? lock& load? wow. we need to think about that, sound wise.
chris crawley
Sat, Oct 27, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
Not certain I understand
j shelden
Fri, Oct 26, 2012 : 3:08 p.m.
and so it goes. Another issue become a political favorite of a minority few. The woman who is lobbying for this expensive extra now also wants the citizens to pay for a direct mailing campaign that would more or less be wasting upwards of $2500 to print and mail the literature to each and every household. Does not Hafler King And Lula understand that they have wasted enough of my money?? Money you people have spent chasing shadows. This idea for dedicated police has been stomped on 3 times previously and will most assuredly lose again. Here is how I deter crime: Load shell....Lock and Load...point and pull if that woman wants to promote her initiative, then let her and her buddies pay for the advertising. I want my township to stick to the business of what we already have. Fix the roads and keep saving us money. Thankyou Burek Giszczak and Shelby for doing just that You three have my solid vote And yes Alan it is extortion. And I remind all citizens we already pay taxes to both county and state and yes the deputies as well as the troopers are ALREADY on our payroll.
augustataxpayer
Thu, Nov 15, 2012 : 5:53 p.m.
Why don't you list your address tough guy and you and I can see who is the better shot.
average joe
Thu, Oct 25, 2012 : 10:56 a.m.
Augusta Township Fire Chief Vic Chevrette ...said residents in Augusta Township have mailing addresses for Van Buren Township, Belleville, Ypsilanti Township and other municipalities,..... This is not possible, IF they are residents of Augusta township.
average joe
Thu, Oct 25, 2012 : 2 p.m.
What I should clarify here is that there are no residents of Augusta township that have mailing addresses with those municipalities that Vic listed. Augusta residents only have one of four mailing addresses- Milan, Willis, Whittaker, & Ypsilanti.
Alan Goldsmith
Thu, Oct 25, 2012 : 10:42 a.m.
"Sheriff Department's response to priority calls in Manchester Township took 100 percent longer than in Bridgewater Township. All calls in general took around 280 percent longer to receive a response in Manchester than in Bridgewater." What's the dictionary definition of 'extortion' again?