The newly striped North Lewisburg Police SUV is shown outside the village municipal building Tuesday night. While the department is not fully operational yet, Chief Scott Bodey expects it to be ready for service by May 1. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
Starting next month, North Lewisburg’s Police Department should be fully operations, according to Chief Scott Bodey.
Creating the police force was originally expected to take six months, but during Tuesday night’s village council meeting Bodey said he estimated the department will functional by May 1.
The village made the decision to operate its own police force in March, having previously been served by contracts for extra patrols by the Mechanicsburg Police Department for the last three years and by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office prior to that.
North Lewisburg officials had felt they could negotiate a six-month contract extension with Mechanicsburg but those efforts fell through. The village hoped to use those six months to set up the police department for a seamless transition.
When the contract with Mechancisburg expired on April 1, North Lewisburg was left without additional patrols, while still being covered by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office for response to calls for service and occasional patrols.
Bodey was named chief in March, after previously serving the village for the Mechanicsburg Department, and his efforts to set up the department were accelerated.
The department was officially recognized by the state on April 6 and some evidence of its formation is coming into focus, such as the newly striped North Lewisburg Police Department SUV parked in front of the village administration building Tuesday night. But there are still signs that work remains to be done, such as Bodey addressing council out of uniform for the first time Tuesday night, after spending the last three years giving his report in his Mechanicsburg uniform.
The chief explained his North Lewisburg uniforms should arrive this week and badges and vests for the department are also ordered. Bodey said work on a secure evidence room at the municipal building has begun and work on the policy manual and reporting system is ongoing.
It was also noted that a cruiser previously used by the village will also be rehabbed to serve as a backup to the existing SUV.
Council also handled financial matters concerning the department during the meeting. Village Financial Officer Jennifer McCombs said about $84,000 needs to be transferred from a line item to fund the contract with Mechanicsburg Police Department.
She said the majority would fund operating expenses such as salaries and benefits for the department’s staff. Remaining funds of about $11,000 would be moved into an equipment fund.
In other business, council:
•Agreed to postpone Village Cleanup Week, originally scheduled for April 25-May 1 due to the conronavirus outbreak. Mayor Cheryl Hollingsworth said officials will consider rescheduling the event in June, but it may have to be canceled for 2020.
•Approved a contract with A1Able Pest Doctors of Springfield to handle mosquito management in the village, including fogging and pond treatments.