Southwest Michigan city considers disbanding police force over staffing issues

HARTFORD, MI – A small city in southwest Michigan is considering disbanding its police force due to ongoing problems with staffing, leadership and turnover.

The city of Hartford, with about 2,500 residents in Van Buren County, is considering “phasing out” its police department and instead outsourcing police services to the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department, City Manager Nicol Brown said in a press release Friday, July 26.

Brown said the police department has been struggling with staffing problems for years.

“While we have worked to increase wages and benefits to become more competitive, we continue to struggle with turnover and leadership issues,” Brown said in the release, which can be viewed on the city’s website. “We recently parted ways with our current chief and have appointed an interim while we consider our next steps.”

Michael Prince was previously listed as Hartford’s police chief on the city’s website. Currently, Phil Lucas is listed as interim chief.

Brown did not immediately respond to questions from MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette on Friday evening about when and why the city parted ways with Prince.

The police department currently has eight employees listed on its website, including an interim chief, a lieutenant, three officers, a cadet, and two crossing guards. A position to enforce ordinances is currently unfilled, and the city also has a vacancy for a police officer.

The Hartford City Commission had planned to hold a special meeting on Monday, July 29, to consider abolishing the police department, according to the meeting announcement. However, the meeting has since been canceled.

“We apologize for the poorly worded notice of this meeting and have decided to temporarily shelve the matter,” Brown said.

Brown said if the city decides to enter into a contract with the county for police services, residents will be able to vote on the matter.

“The city remains committed to ensuring that Hartford remains a safe, secure place to live, work and raise a family,” she said.

The Hartford Police Department has undergone several leadership changes in the past two years after the former chief was accused of theft and drug trafficking.

Former Hartford Police Chief Tressa Beltran was sentenced last month to a minimum of three years and four months and a maximum of 20 years in prison on drug charges stemming from a 2017 incident.

RELATED: Former Southwest Michigan police chief sentenced to prison on drug charges

Beltran pleaded guilty in April to one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and using a computer to commit a crime. The computer charge stemmed from arranging drug deliveries online, officials previously said.

The former police chief also faces a lawsuit from a parolee who accuses her of demanding painkillers from him, threatening to make his life a living hell.