By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The Niles Noon Optimist Club hosted a few special guests at its weekly luncheon Tuesday.
The luncheon was the group's annual Respect for the Law gathering and featured five officers from local agencies who were treated to a baked spaghetti lunch before speaking about their jobs to Optimist members.
Among the officers were Captain Paul Toliver of the Berrien County Sheriff's Department, Cass County Sheriff Joseph Underwood, Chief Bill Marx of the Buchanan Police Department, Post Commander F/Lt. Mike Brown of the Michigan State Police Post 53 in Niles and Chief Ric Huff of the Niles Police Department.
Each officer spoke about their departments, special programs they offer to the communities each serves, the different cities they have worked in and different topics about police work in general.
Toliver, who has been on the force for 19 years, talked about his different experiences as an officer and what the future looks like for the Berrien County Sheriff's Department.
"Our coverage area is extended around southwest Michigan. We also have contracts with Watervliet, Niles Township and New Buffalo, which means we will be doing a lot of patrolling when the new casino opens."
Toliver went on, explaining that it is going to be a madhouse near the Four Winds Casino for the first few months.
"One person I talked to at the casino told me to just imagine the worst traffic jam you can think of times 10. This is definitely going to take up a lot of our time."
Toliver continued, talking about the troubles most law enforcement agencies face with budgeting issues.
"We're trying to do the best we can, but things can get extremely expensive, especially when new equipment is needed. We are obviously not in it for the money and we're not staying in it for the money," Toliver added.
Huff also spoke about Niles' budget, stating that the current budget is exactly where it was in 2004.
"Salaries, benefits…they all cost a lot more than they did in 2004. This just means we have to use the older things we have. We won't see newer cars, we'll just work with what we have. Regardless, we will still be able to provide the same service and know how important it is to continue doing our jobs the right way," Huff said.
Marx came to the Buchanan Police Department just two years ago and is already seeing a positive turn around in the community.
"It's no secret that Buchanan has had a drug problem for a while. When I came here, dealers were selling on the street corner. But in just two years, we have had 12 drug warrants issued and we are taking care of the problem. Every community has a problem with them, but we are making it that much harder for them now. Now they have to constantly look over their shoulders," Marx said.
He continued, saying parents who are worried about their children using drugs can stop by any police station in the area and buy a Drug Test Kit for $5.
"We have a number of parents who do this. You don't even have to give your name. You can be completely anonymous and you can purchase the kits at any police station, not just one in your home town," Marx added.
The kits check for up to five different drugs. Marx said this is a good idea for parents who are unsure about what their children do when they leave their supervision.
"If they're going with friends or to a party, let them know you purchased one. Tell them you might possibly test them when they come home and if they test positive for drugs, they will lose a car, no allowance, no school events," he said.
Brown spoke about the history of the Michigan State Police, stating that the first troopers in Niles worked out of an office on Oak Street in 1931. In 1939, the Michigan State Police moved to the old post on South 11th St. and stayed their until five years ago, when all the agencies merged.
"I feel privileged to be in Niles. I grew up in Rockford and have worked in St. Joseph, Lansing and South Haven. I have guys who came to Southwest Michigan from other parts of the state and have no desire to leave. They just love it here," Brown said.
Huff also spoke of the Niles Police Departments history, saying it was the fifth oldest department in the state.
"1861 was the first year we had a police department. We have a very rich history. In some of the documents I came across, I found where the state police were calling us asking how we kept records."
Huff went on to talk about the different services the Niles post offers, including dispatching 911 calls to nine different agencies. He spoke about the different specialty units, like accident and arson investigation, as well as the in-house training the department offers for the various units.
One thing the five all seem to agree on was the fact that they seem to work together in a lot of situations.
"We're all very close in Southwest Michigan. If one of us needs something we try to help each other out. It's works out great for us in the end and it's great knowing our agencies can do that for one another," Underwood said.
All also agreed that it's the kids who make their job that much more special. All of the departments offer a wide variety of programs which focus on children.
"In this line of work, we don't always see kids in the best light. That's why we enjoy putting on camps or holding special events for them because it's nice seeing them smile, rather than what we usually see," Toliver said.
Underwood said Cass County offers a scholarship program in partnership with the community of Cass County. To date, the scholarship program has been able to give out 82 scholarships in the amount of $500, with most of them going to Southwestern Michigan College.
Huff talked about the Fish with a Cop program, as well as the department's officer who is responsible for all of the schools in Niles.
Marx said his community is one of the only ones left who still offers a DARE program to help children learn how to say no to drugs. In the last two years, the program has graduated 300 students.
Liz Capron of the Optimist Club thanked the officers for attending the lunch and presented them all with plaques. "We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for everything you do for our communities," Capron said.