Village reestablishes Bloomington Police Department and appoints Officer Small as chief

The Village of Bloomington board voted unanimously on Sept. 2 to reestablish the Bloomington Police Department and to appoint Officer Small as police chief.

Trustee Scott Daentl moved to reestablish the department and appoint Officer Small; Trustee Chasity Allen seconded and the motion carried. Village President Robert McLimans said reactivating the local department was intended to reduce liability and allow Officer Small to use the village vehicle rather than a county cruiser, giving him "more freedom to enforce village ordinances." The board discussed alternatives Officer Small had previously presented: maintain the status quo, contract with the sheriff's department, or reestablish the local agency.

Board members expressed support for the reactivation during discussion. McLimans confirmed there is no current contract with Grant County and said village attorney Woods had indicated the appointment could proceed without a county contract. The motion was passed by all trustees present.

The vote followed a written report from Officer Small (he was absent from the meeting); McLimans reviewed recent enforcement items in the report, including animal complaints and traffic concerns. The board did not change the officer’s pay rate immediately; McLimans said pay could be addressed later in the budget process.

Looking ahead, trustees suggested monitoring the transition and revisiting enforcement and compensation as needed at a future meeting.