Village of Bloomington reestablishes police department, appoints Officer Small as chief

The Village of Bloomington Board voted unanimously on Sept. 2, 2025, to reestablish the Bloomington Police Department and appoint Officer Small as police chief, saying the change will allow village enforcement of local ordinances and permit the officer to use a village vehicle rather than a county cruiser. The motion, made by Trustee Scott Daentl and seconded by Chasity Allen, carried 7–0.

Village President Robert McLimans told trustees the action follows prior options Officer Small provided — maintain the status quo, contract with the county sheriff, or reestablish the local department — and that the board reached consensus in favor of reactivation. McLimans said administrative steps are already underway, including establishing an ORI (agency identifying number) and Track S citation and records-management setup; a badge number (850) has been registered with Grant County dispatch.

Trustees also approved using an existing village radar speed sign to gather two-way traffic and speed data on Mill Street, after McLimans relayed Officer Small’s report that about 600–700 vehicles travel Mill Street daily. The board instructed staff to run the study for a couple of weeks to collect baseline vehicle counts and speeds to inform any future traffic-calming measures.

McLimans noted the appointment will follow the village ordinance governing police appointments and that the chief will take the same oath as other village officers; pay rates were left unchanged for now and may be reviewed during the budget process. The board did not attach any additional conditions to the motion.

Next steps include completing administrative paperwork, swearing in the chief under village ordinance, and reviewing results of the Mill Street speed study to determine if further traffic controls are needed.