Police present Lexipol policy rewrite and staffing update; board to review before adoption

Police leaders told the board July 21 they have substantially completed a department-wide rewrite of policies with Lexipol and plan to present the full policy package for board review followed by formal adoption. The department also provided an update on recruitment and the training academy.

The chief said the Lexipol contract work began late last year and that the result is a reorganization and rewrite of many policies to reflect state and federal law updates and best practices. The department provided an executive summary to the board and asked that members be given time to review the full document before voting. The chief proposed an effective date about six weeks after board approval to allow officers time to review and acknowledge policies.

On staffing, the chief said four officers are currently in the academy (week 11), scheduled to graduate August 22, then enter an 8-to-10-week field-training program before finishing solo in October–November. Two officers recently resigned (one to Dearborn County and one to a school resource-officer role), and the department will recruit to fill those vacancies. Board members requested a schedule to review the policy package and suggested a public workshop to address questions before formal adoption.

Why it matters: updated policies could change department procedures and liabilities; board review and an effective-date plan were requested to ensure orderly implementation and officer acknowledgement.

Next steps: staff will provide a review schedule and a public meeting/workshop before adoption; the board will establish an effective date for policy implementation following review.