Grosse Ile police: canine car sold, laptops ordered, generator options evaluated; Island Fest staffing and April statistics reported
Loading...
Summary
The commission heard department updates: sale of the canine vehicle for $25,000, approval to buy 13 replacement laptops, evaluation of generator replacement and solar options, Island Fest staffing plans with bridge closures, D.A.R.E. graduation and April operational statistics.
At the meeting the Grosse Ile Police Department reported several operational updates: sale of the department’s canine vehicle, purchase of new laptops for patrol cars, ongoing review of generator replacement options (including a solar option deemed not feasible at present), coordination for Island Fest and bridge-closure traffic control, and April 2025 operational statistics.
Chief told commissioners the canine car was sold to Wyandotte for $25,000, the department received and cashed the check and planned to deliver the vehicle to the buyer rather than bringing the buyer to the island. The commission also approved purchasing 13 replacement laptops for patrol vehicles after staff determined the department’s existing 2018-model laptops “can’t actually be upgraded past Windows 10,” and vendor support for that operating system is ending.
The department is reviewing generator replacement options. Chief said contractors and consultants have inspected the site and that a solar generator option was evaluated but found not feasible for now; staff are also considering replacing the existing unit with a similar model and placing the replacement outside where it would be less expensive to maintain. The department has offered the existing 33-year-old generator to other township departments, but no department had accepted it yet.
The chief described volunteer support for Island Fest: Woodhaven and Wayne County reserve officers will assist, particularly for fireworks night; reserves perform long volunteer shifts and the department plans traffic-control strategies tied to the scheduled bridge closures. Staff warned the number of reserves available at peak times is variable and Wayne County deputies on scene will make final traffic-control decisions.
Chief and deputy chief gave a training and activity report for April 2025: 619 calls for service, 757 incoming dispatch calls and 119 911 calls (as read aloud in the meeting); 46 traffic stops, 14 citations, 58 notices to appear, 72 verbal warnings, and other incident counts. Training completed in April included anti-bias training, autism awareness for law enforcement, dive team and SWAT monthly training, foundations and ethics for law enforcement, field interaction with mentally ill persons, intoxilyzer 9000 training for OWI enforcement, speed measurement recertification and mental health first aid for public safety officers. The department’s D.A.R.E. officer, Officer John Canterbury, led a fifth-grade D.A.R.E. graduation noted by the chief.
Deputy Chief Brozick and the chief said island residents have provided positive feedback about traffic control during the bridge closure and that the department is compiling lessons learned to inform longer-term engineering or signage changes. Staff noted that some traffic-management decisions (for example at the Riverview intersection) involve Wayne County roads and outside agencies, which limits what the department can change unilaterally.
The department also reported reserve activity and upcoming events in May: reserve officers logged time in April and are scheduled to support Memorial Day runs, the high school graduation and Island Fest over the long holiday weekend.
No ordinances or budget approvals were recorded in these updates during the meeting; the laptop purchase was described as previously approved by the township board in an earlier meeting and the canine car sale was already completed.
