By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The good and the bad went hand in hand for the Bucyrus Police Department in 2013 and Police Chief Dave Koepke wasn’t too surprised.
“Everything about this report . . . everything hinged on the levy and the outlook for the future,” Koepke told the Bucyrus City Council Tuesday night.
The Bucyrus Police Department averaged 15 officers at the end of 2013, roughly 32 percent below authorized capacity. The good news, Koepke noted, was that the department currently has 25 candidates for the open positions within the department.
“Now that the levy passed, they see a future for Bucyrus,” Koepke explained.
The department was also able hire on additional dispatchers, bringing the end of the year totals to five. Rather than having to pull an officer off patrol, all shifts can now be covered by dispatchers.
The bad news coming out of 2013 came in the form of drug and felony arrests nearly doubling. The total offense report, however, remained steadily the same between 2012 and 2013 at 3,448 and 3,443, respectively.
“There’s a change of emphasis or a change of focus,” Koepke said. Whether or not the department makes drug arrests weekly or monthly, “the reality is the opiate addiction is on every street,” he said. “We’ll continue to do what we can do locally.”
Suicides were also up at 31 calls between Nov. 1, 2013 and Feb. 28, 2014. There were 17 calls during that same period last year.
Koepke informed Council that they would see a reduction in traffic enforcement in his report in favor of the department focusing on what he termed were “life and death” situations.
“No matter what the statistical report says about 2013 the biggest challenge facing the community continues to be the epidemic of opiate addiction,” Koepke wrote in his report. “Law enforcement alone is not a cure or solution. We have to stay informed and engaged and work together on all fronts to stem the tide of opiate addiction and improve the quality of life in Bucyrus.”
The passing of the levy also allowed for the department to begin replacing its aging fleet. The police department began and ended 2013 with 11 vehicles but four of those vehicles are currently out of service though work is being done on them.
“We will make it through the year with these vehicles,” Koepke assured Council.
Two Ford SUV Interceptors have been ordered to begin the vehicle replacements with plans to order an additional two vehicles later. The two vehicles are expected to be delivered in May.
Council passed two pieces of legislation during Tuesday night’s meeting. Ordinance 10-2014 appropriated reductions within the General Fund of $11,100 and within the Income Tax Fund of $17,000 for computer equipment for the Auditor’s Office and Income Tax office. Ordinance 11-2014 transferred $500 from the General Government fund to the Council Materials and Supplies line for training for the new Council Clerk.
The next Bucyrus City Council meeting has been set for Tuesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m.