PINCKNEY — It seems many residents want the Pinckney Police Department to remain intact.
They spoke Monday, May 12, during the first public comment period at Pinckney Village Council, emphasizing their support for the department.
Officials recently sent a survey to residents to collect input on the Pinckney Master Plan. Several of the listed questions sparked concerns about the future of the PPD, including:
The PPD took to social media shortly after the survey was released, encouraging residents to attend a townhall to support local responders. Village President Jeffrey Buerman shared a written speech with councilmembers and the community last week, saying no decisions have been made but that “everything is on the table” to cut costs.
Some residents want to see the elimination of the PPD taken off the table for good.
Nathan Wilson, a resident of Pinckney since 2019, said the PPD showed up to his home within 90 seconds when he called about a suspicious van in his subdivision. Wilson said he “can’t say enough about the presence of a police department.”
Wilson said he wanted to raise his family in a small town. He said the village’s decision to allow cannabis companies “raised an eyebrow,” and that the possibility of closing the police department raises another.
“I came here looking for what Pinckney has to offer — don’t turn me away, OK? Make me want to call this home,” Wilson said. “I look forward to getting to know everyone in this room.”
Some residents worry people from other communities will look to commit crimes in Pinckney if they learn the village is without a police department.
Jenny Reason, who manages Pirates Cove Self Storage, said residents use the facility because of how clean and secure the property is. She credits the police department with keeping the business safe.
Dave Deykes, who lives just outside the village, said he was working as an election official last year when his wife called about a suspected break-in. Deykes raced home and found a turkey knocking on the basement window. He and his wife support the PPD.
“If someone breaks in, I’d rather have the police there than take it into my own hands to defend my home and property,” he said.
Emily Trenkle is the stepmother of Sgt. Michael Trenkle of the PPD. She said Trenkle tells her about helping the elderly, as opposed to what arrests he made that day.
“I know you’ve got to worry about the budget, but I can’t imagine the budget is going to be much different (than paying the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office),” she said.
Scott Smith told officials he worked in law enforcement for eight years. He said he’s not advocating for a particular outcome, but believes the PPD “does excellent work and has great value.” He asked for a review of sustainability and competing priorities.
The Village Council entered two closed sessions Monday: one to discuss pending litigation involving the PPD related to “contempt of court charges,” according to the meeting packet, and the other to consider ongoing labor negotiations and police department discussions.
— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @SalsaEvan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: ‘Don’t turn me away’: Residents implore officials to keep Pinckney Police Department
Reporting by Evan Sasiela, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
