Village Of Valleyview

Last Pieces In Place For Police Department To Begin Patrolling

Feb 03, 2004

The Village Council at the February Council Meeting put the last pieces in place to get the Police Department back on the streets.

At the February 2, 2004 Meeting the Council voted to approve entering into contracts with the Franklin County Sheriff's Department for Dispatching Services, The City of Columbus for Radio Communication Services, and Gothard's Towing Service for Towing Services. With those three contracts in place Officers can now begin patrolling the Village.

The Officers were unable to patrol the Village because of the lack of radio communication and dispatching services. The towing service was necessary should an Officer have to impound a vehicle. With the contracts in place Officers could be on the street as soon as the weekend of February 7th.

Contracts and Agreements had to be put back in place because the previous administration had cancelled the agreements and informed the County and City that the Police Department was permanently disbanding and would not be coming back. Those steps have proved to be a minor hinderance, but the Council and Mayor worked through those issues and now have put in place the agreements to get the Officers patrolling.

Mayor Watkins also introduced the new Clerk of Courts for the Mayor's Court at the February Council Meeting. Karen Ryan will be the Mayor's Court Clerk and has been undergoing training from former Mayor's Court Clerk Suzi Sullivan. With Officer's back on the Street they can begin writing tickets again and the Village will have to have the Mayor's Court in place.

Mayor Watkins also announced that he would be taking the Mayor's Court Training later in February so that he could preside over Mayor's Court. Until he has completed the training and feels comfortable presiding over Mayor's Court a magistrate will preside over the Court.

Residents should expect to see the officers patrolling the streets of Valleyview very soon with everything in place.