Michigan village’s entire police department resigns
The entire police department of Unionville, Michigan used to consist of only two officers. That’s a small force, for sure, but it is still more than the current amount of police officers the village currently has: zero. As WNEM TV5 News reports, many residents are concerned now that they’ll have to rely on county and state police to respond to emergencies.
The Huron Daily Tribune reports that the two officers, Police Chief Paul Strasz and Officer Lynn Pokorski, resigned last week. A letter, signed by both officers and sent to the village council, read:
“This path has been clear for some time now in the direction that this council is taking towards this police department. I will say that they (council majority and clerk) are destroying the police department with their incompetence and that means one thing. The community building efforts that this department has invested in for many years will stop and the community will begin to deteriorate. We have decided that the town does not need the distraction of the conflict that has developed between the police department and the village council… It has been a pleasure working for the residents of the village of Unionville; and with time, this period of turmoil will subside and the community will hopefully grown its services again."
While there may not be many who live in Unionville, only around 500 people according to the United States Census Bureau, the village is not without its crime. One resident, Laura Zuzga, told WNEM, “We had a bunch of break-ins in the fall and they were short-handed at the time so it's kind of scary. Especially now that it's out, that people in the area know, there's no one around.”
Even if Unionville does replenish their police department, it might not be enough to ease the residents’ concerns. WNEM notes, “If Unionville hires a part-time officer, he or she would work about 24 hours a week, which is all the town's budget will allow.”
More info: WNEM, Huron Daily Tribune
