By By JAN GRIFFEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Niles Township Police Chief John Street said this morning he has notified other law enforcement agency administrators here that beginning on April 1, the township will no longer operate a midnight shift.
That move is news to at least three members of the township's board -- its clerk, treasurer and safety committee chairman -- who each said the board hasn't OK'd any specific cuts in police services.
Street said he's simply trying to live within the budget provided him by the township board.
The budgeting process in Niles Township began in January, when township board members asked department heads to submit a proposed budget for fiscal year 2004-2005. That's the budget the board approved last Monday, which will take effect on April 1, said Jim Ringler, township treasurer.
Last year, Street submitted a budget of $618,000 and, at the end of the year, had actually spent about $71,000 more than that, Ringler said.
This year, Street submitted a budget request of $759,000.
The township board approved a budget for its police department of $579,808 for the 2004-2005 fiscal year and apparently have left it up to Street to determine how to operate with those funds to provide police protection for the township.
Niles Township voters have turned down a request for a millage to provide operating funds for its police department four times in recent years.
Street said it's not the responsibility of other law enforcement agencies to provide police protection in Niles Township.
Neither a spokeman for the Michigan State Police Post in Niles, nor Niles City Police Chief Ric Huff, were available for comment this morning.