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Short-staffed Northfield police asking voters to help with 'scheduling nightmare'

Northfield Township police car
Northfield Township Police Department
Northfield Township police car

Voters in Northfield Township will vote Tuesday on a millage to fund its short-staffed police department.

The proposed millage would be a renewal and an increase. If approved, it would rise from about 4.2 mills to 5.4, and it would last for five years.

The department, which relies almost exclusively on millages for its funding, has been operating short-staffed since 2008.

David Powell is a lieutenant with theNorthfield PD. He says the additional funding will help them hire 3 full time officers to alleviate a massive shortage.

“It’s been awful. It’s been a scheduling nightmare. We’re burning people out. Our officers work 12-hour shifts. We had one guy work nine days straight working 12+ hours this last month.”

One of the three full-time hires would be assigned as a public school resource officer.

The polls are open from 7am until 8pm on Tuesday.

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Josh Hakala is the general assignment reporter for the WEMU news department.
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