“We appreciate our police officers raising the issue of how the City will provide police coverage to the proposed annexation areas. The City’s annexation fiscal plan being released contains detailed plans for providing police services to newly annexed areas. Included in those plans is a significant increase in number of officers.
It is important to note that the annexation would not be effective until January 2024, and we are not required to provide police services until January 1, 2025, so there is a four-year period for us to ramp up.
Police departments all over the country are experiencing recruitment and retention issues given the events of the last few years, and Bloomington is no different. The City will continue to evaluate ways to improve recruitment and retention, as it has been doing to this point.
The recent addition of new incentives for our officers such as rental and down payment assistance for officers to live in the City is an example of this ongoing effort, and that program is underway with our first few applications for assistance. The input and involvement of our police officers and other department employees will be crucial to success of annexation and we welcome the opportunity to work with them to make this a success.
I am confident that the City will provide police service to the annexed areas once they are a part of the City, and will continue to provide quality service to our existing residents,” said Bloomington Police Department Chief Michael Diekhoff.
Previously The Bloomingtonian published a perspective piece that was originally posted last week by a police officer with concerns how the annexation might affect police staffing levels.
The Bloomingtonian also reached out to the president of the police union for further comment. The piece was posted at this link:
