The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Officials OK regional policing study
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 26, 2007
Six months after an initial meeting, area-wide governments are taking another step forward with a regional policing study.
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Last week, five local governments approved budgeting funds for a feasibility study to investigate the idea of establishing a regional policing authority in the Ypsilanti area.
The city of Ypsilanti - along with Superior, Salem, York and Ann Arbor townships - have approved Wisconsin-based research firm Virchow Krause and Company to conduct the study.
On Monday Scio, Augusta and Northfield townships had not approved the measure but are expected to soon. Washtenaw County has agreed to contribute to the cost, $54,400 total, as well.
The nine entities submitted a request for proposals in March, to which Plante & Moran and Virchow Krause responded. William McFarlane, supervisor of Superior Township, said the group decided to use Virchow Krause because of their experience and affordability.
"It's a pretty reasonable cost," McFarlane said. "It was pretty much unanimous."
Representatives of the firm said they had done several similar jobs in the past, dating back to the 1970s, in three separate states.
"We have done probably eight or 10 consolidation studies," said Ed Henschel, consulting manager for Virchow Krause.
"As (local governments) are pinched, you see communities go to their neighbors."
McFarlane said Superior Township initiated the discussion in response to the increased cost and other problems with contracted police services from the county.
"We've been having issues for a couple years now," McFarlane said. "There's an underlying reason why people are doing this, and it's not the money.
"We can compare (the results of the study) to what exists today with the sheriff's department," he said. "That's really the whole idea for the study,"
On several occasions, Henschel said his company stayed on after the study was complete, to see the whole project from start to finish. He said many of them are successful.
"What we have seen, after the study was done, primarily for political reasons, a consolidation hasn't occurred," he said.
Henschel's colleague at Virchow Krause, Mike Roy, said, "In a lot of these cases, the savings were so apparent and so real."
McFarlane estimates the study will be completed by November. However, the actual date is up in the air.
"Much of it depends on the availability of information and people," Henschel said. "When you have these many municipalities involved, it takes a long time."
Because some officials have not yet approved the regional study contract, the company hasn't been officially hired.
"We have not been formally selected yet," Roy said. "This is still pending in our mind, though we really look forward to working on it."
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