Attorney General lauds Northville Township Police work
 |
| Members of the Northville Township administration and public safety department greet State Attorney General Dana Nessel during her visit to the township last week. |
Michigan State Attorney General Dana Nessel said she is using the township department as a model, encouraging law enforcement departments across the state to follow the township example in seeking state accreditation as her own department also seeks the prestigious designation.
Nessel visited Northville Township last week to learn more about the accreditation process through the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) currently under way. Her office also currently undergoing the accreditation process and she expressed her admiration for the Northville policies and procedures.
“I am going to talk about your work all over the state,” she said to department officials near the end of her 90-minute visit.
Accreditation is a proactive commitment to improving the professionalism and overall approach of a law enforcement agency. A department voluntary adopts policies, procedures and standards to follow while policing a community. By using such best-in-industry standards, the outcome is a more consistent approach to policing that leads to fair treatment, a more professional department and fewer lawsuits, according to the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police which accredited Northville Township in 2018 and reaccredited the department in 2021.
Northville Township also received two international accreditations through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2021 for the department and the township 911 communications. The township is one of only two public safety answer points of 136 in the state to achieve this accreditation.
Nessel agreed that having the top police agent in the state and her team going through accreditation is an unprecedented event. That Nessel looked to Northville Township as a model to get this done is flattering, said Todd Mutchler, Northville Township manager and director of public safety.
“It's humbling that she wants to learn from our staff, who worked hard on this accreditation achievement that our board of trustees greatly supported,” Mutchler said. “It also shows that Northville Township is a quality community because our police department is committed to following best practices.”
Nessel, who was greeted by Township Clerk Roger Lundberg, visited with Mutchler, Police Chief Scott Hilden, Lt. Chris Rowley, Public Safety Manager Lisa Cupp, School Resource Officer Michael Brown and Community Services Ofc. Andrew Domzalski.
They reflected on how accreditation impacted training, how behavioral health initiatives improved their ability to serve, how it helped students in Northville Public Schools and how the requirements engaged the community.
Nessel said she was excited to learn that accreditation helped Northville Township Police Department receive a glowing review after a recent surprise visit from Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Association (MIOSHA).
“Our HR (Human Resources) Director Glenn Caldwell received a call from a MIOSHA representative who said he very rarely does not give out at least a single citation, even for something minor, and he could not find a reason to give any citations to the Northville Township Police Department,” Mutchler said. “We credit our accreditation process for that achievement.”
Nessel honored township accreditation managers Rowley and Cupp with service awards for their “ongoing acts of heroism that were above and beyond the call of duty for taking a leadership role and collaborating with agencies to develop road maps for the challenging” process.
“Northville Township is the first community, the first municipality (MACP Executive Director Robert Stevenson) talks about,” Nessel said. “When he says they are a shining example of everything you should be doing in law enforcement, that's a really big deal. You guys should be proud of the work you're doing here.”
