Michigan Village Police Department Secures Liability Insurance

Police in a small Saginaw County village have resumed patrols after securing liability insurance.

Oakley Police Chief Robert Reznick obtained insurance and reinstated patrols over the weekend. The Oakley Board of Trustees voted 5-1 Tuesday to disband the force of about 12 certified officers because it didn’t have insurance. The village has a population of 300 but about 100 reserve officers.

The Saginaw News reports a lawyer on Monday sued on behalf of Trustee Francis Koski in Saginaw County Circuit Court, seeking to stop the “rogue police department.” He told WEYI-TV the department needed board approval.

Reznick says council allowed the department to resume as soon as it had insurance. He says he disagrees with critics who say the village has too many officers because the police presence stops crime.