Alexandria council votes to dissolve village police department, effective July 1

The Village of Alexandria Council voted 5-1 on June 2 to dissolve the village police department, with the change to take effect July 1, 2026. Councilman Lyle Simpson moved to dissolve the department; Councilman Spencer Giese seconded. The roll-call vote was five in favor, Councilman Mitch Peters opposed.

The decision followed an extended discussion about the village’s ability to fund local policing. Mayor Sean Barnes said council sought input from neighboring departments and county sheriff offices and concluded the village’s roughly $200,000 annual budget cannot sustain a full-time force. Barnes described estimates that staffing five full-time officers — including salaries, training, vehicles and operating costs — would cost an estimated $650,000 to $750,000 annually, and that contracting a deputy through a sheriff’s office could cost roughly $129,000 a year plus vehicle expenses. He urged reliance on the county for calls until longer-term funding options are feasible.

Council amended the motion to set the dissolution date as July 1, 2026; the amended motion passed on the same 5-1 tally. Interim Marshal Randall Delawder asked the council for a transition period to transfer inventory and evidence; council agreed to allow time for turnover and inventory transfer.

Council members framed the vote as a reluctant but necessary fiscal decision after voters turned down a levy that would have increased revenue for public safety. Councilwoman Cari Meng and others urged residents to report suspicious activity to law enforcement, and Councilwoman Sarah Chambers expressed appreciation for the department’s work, thanking Chief Delawder and the officers for their service.

At the public-comment period, resident Shannon Stubbs-Griffith said she had posted to a neighborhood Facebook page after witnessing someone trying to break into her garage and seeing a person taking pictures of houses; she asked the village to alert neighbors through its official channels. Stubbs-Griffith also asked who is responsible for maintenance of a black fence on Maple Drive; councilors said the township owns Maple Drive and would be responsible for upkeep.

Next steps include a staff-managed transition of equipment, records and evidence to comply with legal and administrative requirements; the council did not adopt an immediate replacement policing contract at the meeting. The council scheduled follow-up items and will review implementation details at upcoming meetings.