Applause, cheers ring out following unanimous vote
IMLAY CITY — Cheers and loud applause rang out inside and outside the Imlay City hall on Tuesday, May 4, when city commissioners voted unanimously (7-0) to not pursue a contract for police protection with the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department.
The vote to not dissolve the Imlay City Police Department followed a written statement offered by Mayor Joi Kempf, explaining the commission’s reasons for considering the potential benefits of such an arrangement.
“We and the city manager (Craig Horton) all have a job to do,” Kempf said, “and that includes how and where to allocate tax dollars.
“Law enforcement is going to be changing dramatically in the coming years,” she continued, “and we need to keep up with the trends.”
With those considerations in mind, Kempf made a motion to pursue the process of interviewing and hiring a new full-time police chief for Imlay City.
The police department is currently being served by Interim Police Chief Ron Krueger.
Krueger succeeded former Chief Scott Pike, whose retirement took effect on April 30.
Tom Wearing started at the Tri-City Times in 1989, covering the Village of Capac as a beat reporter. He later served stints as assistant editor and editor. Today, he covers Imlay City and Almont as a staff writer. He enjoys music and plays drums and sings with various musical groups in the Detroit Metropolitan area.
