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Bloomington board reestablishes police department and appoints Officer Small as chief
Summary
The Village Board voted unanimously Sept. 2 to reactivate the Bloomington Police Department and appointed Officer Small as police chief; trustees said reactivation will allow use of the village vehicle and stronger local enforcement while pay and other details may be settled during budgeting.
Village President Robert McLimans said the board voted Sept. 2 to reestablish the Bloomington Police Department and appoint Officer Small as police chief.
The board approved the motion unanimously (mover: Scott Daentl; second: Chasity Allen). McLimans said the appointment follows village ordinance procedures and would allow Officer Small to use the village vehicle rather than a Grant County cruiser, which trustees said would reduce liability and give the officer more freedom to enforce village ordinances. "To reactivate the police department, the Board needed to make a motion in accordance with village ordinance for appointment of a police chief," McLimans said during the meeting.
McLimans reviewed items from Officer Small’s written report, which the president read for the record, including multiple animal complaints, junk cleanup follow-ups, investigation of criminal damage and littering at Village Square Park (juvenile offenders were identified), and traffic concerns on Mill Street. The report also said work was underway to establish the village ORI and Track S citation and records management setup and that a badge number (850) was set up with Grant County dispatch. Trustees cited those operational steps as part of the rationale for reactivating the department.
Attorney Woods had previously advised that, because there is no contract with Grant County, reestablishing the village department and appointing a chief should present no legal barrier, McLimans said. He also noted the pay rate for officers would remain as currently set for now and could be addressed during the upcoming budget process.
The board also discussed traffic enforcement in conjunction with the department’s reactivation, including a separate vote to deploy a radar speed sign for a traffic study on Mill Street. The board scheduled further follow-up on enforcement details and ordinance implementation.
The motion to reactivate the department carried unanimously; trustees did not adopt any immediate changes to officer pay at the meeting and said budget discussions will consider compensation and operational costs as needed.
