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Police introduce new sergeant; city discusses accreditation, body cameras and e-bike outreach
Summary
Police Chief Unrew introduced Sergeant Matt Keller, a former Howell captain with accreditation and Axon implementation experience. Council discussed accreditation oversight, body-worn camera indicators and possible e-bike education for repeat offenders.
Police Chief Unrew introduced Sergeant Matt Keller at the June 8 council meeting. Keller described nearly 30 years with the Howell Police Department, retiring in December 2022 at the rank of captain and later serving as deputy chief. He emphasized experience with accreditation work: "There is over 100 standards that that we must meet... in a three-year cycle... several hundred proofs of compliance that need to be gathered," he said, describing accreditation as a transparency process.
Council members asked whether Keller would review Clemus-related audits and whether accreditation assessors are impartial; Keller said outside assessors perform formal assessments while he will review local policies and privacy sections. The council also discussed body-worn camera functionality: officers said cameras indicate mode via tones/vibrations and lights and that there are 18 hours of recoverable video if the device is not fully powered off.
Council and staff also explored outreach and education for electric-bike ordinance compliance; Keller recommended education first and suggested a remedial program for repeat offenders before citation.
Why it matters: the hire and accreditation expertise affect departmental transparency and audit readiness; body-worn-camera functionality and e-bike enforcement affect privacy and community safety.
What’s next: Sergeant Keller will begin duties, work on accreditation tasks and support training and community outreach on e-bike use.
