No. 42
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
Oct. 26 – Nov. 1, 2017
w w w . a s s o c i a t e d n e w s p a p e r s . n e t
The Family Resource
Center will serve a buffet
lunch at Café Marquette in
the William D. Ford Career
Technical Center Tuesday,
Nov. 14.
See page 4.
The Northville Art House
is hosting the 9th Annual
West of Center, a juried all-
media exhibition featuring
32 works of art selected by
JurorBrianNelson.
See page 2.
Vol. 132, No. 42
Vol. 70, No. 42
Vol. 70, No. 42
Vol. 17, No. 42
Romulus voters can 'Meet
the Candidates' at a special
event from 5:30 until 7 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 30 at the
Romulus AthleticCenter.
See page 5.
Vol. 132, No. 42
Vol. 70, No. 42
Vol. 70, No. 42
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Dewey Reeves has been
elected as the president of
theWestlandPolice andFire
Civil Service Commission.
He was appointed to the
commission in July.
See page 4.
The Canton Township
Fire Department is complet-
ing final training and will
begin using 43 new Self-
Contained
Breathing
Apparatus (SCBA).
See page 3.
Vol. 17, No. 42
The Rev. Cindy Rudolph
will be honored at a wel-
come worship service sent
for 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29 at
the Smith A.M.E. Church in
Inkster.
See page 5.
Plymouth Township parks
have seen a series of
upgrades and improvements
during the past year and
Supervisor Kurt Heise cred-
its board members for most
of them.
See page 2.
The Belleville Area
Museum is preparing for the
annual Festival of Holiday
Trees when community
organizations display deco-
rated trees orwreaths.
See page 2.
Northville Township Police
have increased patrols at the
former Northville Psychiatric
Hospital property and have offi-
cially adopted a zero tolerance
policy toward any trespassing at
the site onSevenMileRoad.
Northville Police Sgt.
Douglas Scoggins issued a writ-
ten statement explaining that
the department will be strictly
enforcing regulations at the hos-
pital site.
"The Halloween season is
upon us and we are aware that
this attracts ghost hunters and
thrill seekers," the statement
read. "The Northville Township
Police would like to remind the
public of the dangers associated
with the vacant property. The
buildings within the property
are not in safe operating condi-
tions and contain asbestos, bro-
ken glass, damaged floors and
damaged walls," the statement
continued.
"To ensure public safety, the
Northville Township Police will
arrest or cite those found on the
property," the release stated.
The Northville department
has reported 400 arrests made
this year at the former psychi-
atric hospital site and "will con-
tinue to enforce the law."
Trespassing is a misde-
meanor offense that carries a
penalty of up to a $500 fine
and/or up to 90 days in jail.
Recent campaign claims of
increased crime in Westland
have been disproven by official
statistics from the Public Safety
Department.
According to those official
reports, which are submitted to
the FBI as part of national statis-
tical reporting, crime in the City
of Westland has decreased in
nearly every reporting category.
Mayoral candidate Kevin
Coleman has cited increasing
crime in the city, particularly
robberies, as a pillar of his politi-
cal campaign.
According to Deputy Chief of
Police Brian Miller who main-
tains the statistics for the depart-
ment, statistics show that “rob-
beries in the city have dropped
quite a bit during the past 3
years.”
Coleman, however, claims
that armed robbery and neigh-
borhood crime have increased
and that property crime along
with violent crime is now “dou-
ble the rate of Livonia.”
Reported statistics from
Neighborhoodscout.com indi-
cate that property crime in
Livonia is at 20.31 while
Westland is at 21.48 per 100,000
population.
“Both violent and property
crime have decreased in our city.
It is unfortunate that my oppo-
nent has chosen to spread fear,
especially among our senior citi-
zens, as his political narrative,”
said Mayor William R. Wild. He
called Coleman's claims a “false
narrative.”
While Coleman claims his
perceived increase in crime is
based on fewer officers in the
department, statistics and Miller
refute that claim.
Miller said that the decrease
in both property and violent
crime in Westland could be
attributed to a program adopted
during 2010-2011, after the city
implemented a buyout program
in both the police and fire
department. To offset those
departmental personnel reduc-
tions, he said, the city adopted
the Police Service Aide
Program, which he credits for
putting more officers on the
street and actually increasing
manpower in the department.
Following the housing crisis
and recession beginning in 2008,
Westland saw a nearly 40 per-
cent reduction in local tax rev-
enue in the 2009-2010 budget,
according to city records. That
decrease in overall city funding
necessitated staffing cuts includ-
ing the buyout incentive and the
implementation of the police
service aide program in the city,
Wild said.
“The city council and I
worked with the police unions to
downsize staff city-wide,” Wild
said. “We faced a serious finan-
cial crisis with the loss of tax rev-
enue. We had 421 city employees
Plymouth Township fire-
fighters, police officers and
civilian employees were hon-
ored for their heroism, dedica-
tion and years of service in the
first-ever Plymouth Township
Public Safety Appreciation
Dinner last week.
More than 150 residents,
family members and local dig-
nitaries attended the event at
The Inn at St. John's in an effort
to provide some long-deserved
public recognition to the town-
shipheroes. The awards dinner
was an effort fostered by the
township Citizens Public Safety
Council Chair Susan Bondie
and the 10-member volunteer
team.
“The police and fire are all
one team. This is a teameffort,”
said Police Chief Tom
Tiderington.
Recent events across the
country have drawn public
safety into sharp focus, as first
responders are in the news
almost daily, officials noted. A
new township administration
took a closer look at the people
and dedication which comprise
the police and fire services and
acknowledged the need to offi-
cially recognize the efforts of
the public safety department,
an official noted.
The event was supported
and funded by contributions
from local businesses like The
Inn at St. John's, car dealers,
and law firms along with the
police and fire unions. “Tonight
we join the folks like you who
get up every day to protect
lives, family and property,” said
Township Supervisor Kurt
Heise.
Tiderington and Fire Chief
Dan Phillips saluted four
retirees from the police depart-
ment and three from the fire
department. One police officer,
Lt. Robert Antal, was leaving
after 36 years of service, while
retiring K-9 Ofc. Steve Cheston
has served for 25years. Retiring
officers John Drake and Marcy
Linton were also recognized.
Linton was also honored with a
community service award as
was Police Service Aide
CynthiaFell.
Captain Charlie Mann, Lt.
Rick Tefend and Cpt. Daniel
Atkins retired from the fire
department this year.
“The three retirees from our
department represented a com-
bined total 75 years of service
to the township,” saidPhillips.
In addition to awards for life
saving, merit, longevity and
community service, the two
chiefs paid tribute to the 18 fall-
en Michigan officers and 18
fallen firefighters in 2016 and
2017 with a moment of silence.
Guests received traditional
black wristbands with a “…thin
blue line representing the thin
line police officers walk daily
between life and death. The
thin blue line on black serves
as a memorial for fallen offi-
cers,” Tiderington explained.
Tiderington presented the
Police Officer of the Year
Award toOfc. BradBartram.
“Officer Bartram is one of
the select individuals who does
a great job every single day and
reflects on 99 percent of what a
police officer represents.”
Phillips presented the
Firefighter of the Year Award
to Firefighter Christopher
Smith. “Firefighter Smith, 32,
grew up in Redford Township
and joined the U.S. Border
Patrol in 2009. The township
hired Smith in 2012 as part-
time firefighter. Phillips said
because of his exemplary serv-
ice Smith was asked to join the
fire department full-time in
2014.
“Firefighter Smith joined
the Western Wayne County
Hazardous Materials Response
Team in 2014 and the Michigan
Task Force One team in 2015.
Smith is currently training as a
Paramedic
Instructor
Coordinator and is responsible
for developing the Plymouth
Township CPR Citizens train-
ing program,” Phillips said.
The Civilian of the Year
award was presented to Cheri
Gordon.
See
Police,
page 4
Plymouth Township honors home town ‘heroes’
See
Awards,
page 2
Records refute claims of rising crime
Police patrols increased at vacant hospital site
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Plymouth Township honored Ofc. Brad Bartram, left, as Police
Officer of the Year and Christopher Smith as Firefighter of the Year
at an official ceremony last week.
Photo by Don Howard.
Northville Psychiatric Hospital
Burglaries in the city have decreased
from 362 in 2013 to 300 last year
while larcenies have decreased from 1,358 to 1,249
during the past three years. Thefts of motor vehicles
decreased from a rate of 234.7 to 195.3.
The robbery rate in 2013 in the city was 112.7 per
100,000 population which decreased to an 83.0 rate
in 2016. Aggravated assaults decreased
from 203 to 166 during the same time frame.
The overall violent crimes reported in the city went
from 366 in 2013 to 298 last year, a decrease
in the statistical rate from 443.3 to 365.1.
