Lt. Bruce Naile and his roughly two dozen deputies may still be policing Orion in the future, and they may not.
Depends who you ask.
Whatever the case, Naile — Orion Township’s substation commander since 1992 — wasn’t told the township’s elected and appointed officials would discuss the matter, among other issues, at a meeting last week.
Instead, Naile — who reports to Supervisor Matthew Gibb at the township level — learned of the potential for big changes to local law enforcement from staff at The Lake Orion Review, who, assuming the lieutenant was advised his job was up for discussion, called for comment.
Notably surprised, he declined the opportunity to make an immediate statement.
At last week’s gathering, set up to discuss shared services and other cooperative efforts between the township, the Village of Lake Orion, the Orion Township Library and Lake Orion Community Schools, Gibb was first to address a possible contract between the township and the Lake Orion Police Department (LOPD).
‘Why are we allowing the sheriff’s contract here in the township to operate in the red,? Gibb said, ‘when we could be having very substantive conversations with the Village of Lake Orion about utilizing a very solid police force and expanding that over to Orion??
But, while maintaining the Orion substation staffing at current levels in the 2010 budget year will require a draw from funds previously set aside for a new — now nixed — substation, the millage-supported policing efforts have remained in the black over the years.
The LOPD, conversely, requires a substantial draw from the village general fund every year.
Nevertheless, Gibb and others appeared committed to at least an exploratory look at LOPD capabilities.
?(Can we) go back to voters in 2012 and say ‘You know what? I’m so beholden to the sheriff that I would rather ask you for more tax money to sustain that structure than talking to my friend that has an entity that works?? It doesn’t make any sense to me. It makes zero sense that we can’t sit in a room and have that conversation.?
According to Lake Orion Village Manager Paul Zelenak, the discussions are underway, at least within the village offices.
‘I’ve been having conversations with (LOPD Chief Jerry Narsh) about that,? Zelenak said. ‘If the township is serious about saving money and looking for ways to work together, someone should be contacting us and asking us to give a bid on providing police services. Jerry and his staff have developed a lot of innovative things over the years, and we think can work in the township.?
Zelenak said the number of officers on the street during Fourth of July festivities, for example, is testament to village law enforcement capability.
‘You see 20 officers out on the streets and people say ‘Wow how big is this police force for the Village of Lake Orion?? Jerry has done a great job.?
Noting he already had the facility and infrastructure already in place, but would need to hire additional officers and purchase equipment, Narsh said he had put a preliminary plan on paper but was only acting on direction from Zelenak.
But Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said it would be difficult to create an operation comparable to that provided by the OCSO for a lesser cost.
‘The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is a model for the rest of the state when it comes to contracting police services,? he said. ‘We contract with 14 municipalities, and that drives the cost of police services down. We’re able to eliminate duplication of services; we don’t have 14 chiefs of police, 14 records bureaus, 14 property rooms and so on.?
McCabe also cautioned about comparing ‘apples to apples and oranges to oranges.?
‘If you do that, I have no doubt we’ll beat their price,? he said.