I try to stick to just the facts when I report on a meeting. At the risk of making some people mad, I am now going to give my opinion on the joint meeting between Owen and Withee. The only two newbies at that meeting were Larry Klabon and Nancy Amacher. Everyone else has been around for at least a year. Part of their job as elected official is to educate themselves.

First, I have been watching this argument between Owen and Withee about police protection for years. It often seems like Withee is never satisfied. In the past, they have contracted with Owen for police protection, they have paid for their own officer, and they have had no officer. Police services cost money, so they need to make up their mind what they want. I personally, want to have police protection in the village, not have to wait for a county officer, who might be anywhere in the northern half of the county. The purpose of the current agreement was to give Withee a voice in how things were done. I’m not sure they feel that is even enough.

Second, I think Owen is right on two points that they made at the meeting. Since Withee has three representatives on the Police Committee and that represents a quorum of their board, anytime all three of them vote the same way in committee, it is a done deal. They don’t get to go back to their board meeting and change their vote. They don’t need to re-vote on everything at their meetings. Owen doesn’t have a quorum on the committee and they don’t re-vote on every item. They just vote on things like hiring and major purchases. Also, since the meetings are not posted as a quorum of the Withee Village Board, they technically are violating the open meetings law whenever the Police Committee meets. Should Withee only have two representatives on the committee instead of three? My answer is yes. They are paying less, they should have fewer members on the committee. If they don’t want to be outvoted, it is their job to persuade the rest of the committee as to why they are in the right. It isn’t all that often, whether it be the committee, the village board, or the Owen council that votes are less than unanimous anyway. Either way, they are getting a say in what the committee decides and they have the opportunity to speak up and state their opinion. The argument when they were contracting with Owen was that Owen just brought them a contract with a price in it and they had to take it or leave it. Now they get to have a say in what happens, and that will still be the case whether there are two or three Withee members on the committee. It might also be noted that Withee has a vote on Owen’s Sewer Commission, but even though they had to foot the bill for part of the Withee Water Treatment Plant, Owen has no vote on what Withee does in regard to water.

Third, there was a lot of talk about the police being visible in the community. I see them around town, and not just on County X and County T. Sometimes, if they are parked in a spot doing traffic, I don’t see them until I am almost on top of them as that gray color doesn’t stand out all that much in my opinion. It is not their fault if they drive past your house and you don’t happen to be looking out the window at the time. If you want to see the police out and about, then you need to be out and about. It has also been my experience that if they aren’t in the middle of something, they are always willing to chat if you see them.

Fourth, in regard to coverage. I don’t know many people in the area that have called the police and not gotten a response. If it isn’t an emergency and no one is on duty, dispatch might leave it for them to handle when they come back on duty, so it might take a bit. I have seen them at a call or two and know they do a good job. My criteria for what I consider a good police officer is confidence that they would step between me and a bullet, if necessary. I have that confidence in our current officers.

Fifth, in regard to the tie-breaker issue, I think they are going to be told the Mayor can’t be that vote. When all the legal wrangling was going on to set up this agreement, attorneys said the village president could be on the committee, the mayor could not. I think it had something to do with their duties and functions as an elected official. I don’t think anything has changed with that. Why would someone not even on the committee get to break a tie? That doesn’t make any sense to me. That is one of the reasons why committees and boards typically have an odd number of members.

Sixth, in regard to the garage, if Withee doesn’t want to participate in fixing it, maybe they need to help pay to build a new garage for the squad cars that is jointly owned. Police savings could pay for it. I don’t care whether they build it in Owen or Withee, but it would seem to make the most sense to put it somewhere near their office. But elsewhere would work too, maybe just not be as efficient.

In the end, what everyone needs to understand and believe is that Owen-Withee is a safer place because Patrick, Jake, and Jason are here. They are local officers. They are here to protect and serve. They are here to be helpful. They are not here to engage in quota systems for tickets or harass people. When you need them call them and have confidence that they will be there for you.