BUCYRUS — Bucyrus Police Chief David Koepke gave his nine-month report for 2018 to the Bucyrus City Council on Tuesday evening.
Koepke said the department handled 8,734 nature calls (calls for service) which is down from 8,764 received by this time last year and down from 9,351 received in the first nine months of 2013. The total number of incidents for 2018, so far, is 1,836.
“In 2017, we had 2,249 and in 2013 and five years ago, we had 3,033. I credit this to the cooperation from the public and the hard work of the officers,” Koepke said.
Koepke said while the number of drug overdoses in the city is down, there has been an increase in drug-related fatalities. He said there is also an increase of the use of methamphetamines.
“The good news is our juvenile complaints have decreased from 262 five years ago to 119 in 2018,” Koepke said. “We have a great relationship with the school district and now have two resource officers.”
He also credited the Leader in Me program at Bucyrus City Schools.
In other business, council passed legislation for various appropriations, the OPWC grant application, authorization to pay without a purchase order and the FAA grant application for airport improvements.
Council voted to go into executive session to discuss a $1 million lawsuit that was filed Sept. 28 in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Cleveland Division, by Bucyrus Fire Chief Jay Keller’s attorney, Adam Stone.
The lawsuit cites both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act in regard to disciplinary action that was taken by the city against Keller while he was on medical leave.
“I will not comment on pending litigation,” said Bucyrus City Law Director Rob Ratliff before the council moved into executive session.
The council’s joint committee meetings are at 6 p.m., Thursday and the next regular council meeting is Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.