From the Desk of the City Manager

As you may be aware, our police department has had staffing issues for several years. While we have worked to increase pay and benefits to become more competitive, we still struggle with turnover and leadership issues. We recently parted ways with our current chief and have appointed an interim while we consider our next steps.

We are at the beginning of a process to review our options, which include phasing out the police department and instead contracting services from Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department. This possibility was going to be discussed at a special meeting on Monday. We apologize for the poorly worded notice of this meeting and have decided to put the matter on hold temporarily.

Should the city commission vote to pursue a contract for police services with the county, residents would have the opportunity to vote on the issue.  The city remains committed to ensuring Hartford remains a safe, secure place to live, work and raise a family.