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During September 2022 in Chelsea, Officers responded to 541 calls for police service, up from 218 the previous year for a 148% increase. Total calls for 2022 (Jan-Sep) are 3,233, up from 1,789 for the same period last year for an 81% increase.
The majority of increased calls were traffic stops. Officers conducted 195 traffic stops, up from ten last year. Officers issued 65 tickets this September compared to six last year.
Of the department’s 53 cases, 23 remain open, two are at the lab, nine turned over to the prosecutor, and 19 were closed.
Interim Police Chief Richard Kinsey began his report to the City Council by introducing one of the CPD officers. Kinsey introduced Officer Kraig Dalton. Dalton has 25 years of policing seniority, including time with the Detroit PD and Taylor PD. He works patrol but also has experience working narcotics and the traffic bureau. Dalton comes from a family of public servants, with a brother who retired from law enforcement and two sisters who are ER nurses. His wife also works as a part-time dispatcher for CPD.
Kinsey pointed out that making a left turn from southbound Main St onto Jackson St (Agricole) is illegal. He announced officers would begin issuing tickets for the prohibited turn.
“The reason that prohibition on the left turns is there is because if a car has to wait to make that left turn for oncoming traffic, northbound traffic, the traffic behind it immediately stacks up across the railroad tracks,” explained Kinsey.
He announced the CPD begins enforcing the 2 am to 5 am street parking prohibition in anticipation of snowfall, and the streets need to be cleared. The fines are $50.
Kinsey reported on two individuals stealing gas by drilling holes in vehicle gas tanks, taking a gallon, and letting the rest of it run onto the ground.
“These idiots will probably wind up burning themselves up at some point, but we’ve got a pretty good handle on who they are,” said Kinsey. “They’re from Jackson.”
CPD responded to animal cruelty in February. And with the Humane Society’s help, they rescued the dog. Since then, Kinsey reported, the owner got another dog.
“A couple of weeks ago, we had to do another search warrant and take another dog for animal cruelty out of this household,” said Kinsey.
“Some of the members of our community were outraged enough that they contacted the prosecutor’s office and got them on the stick and got this person charged with animal cruelty,” continued Kinsey. “We’d like to thank our community partners that helped us out there and put a little pressure on the prosecutor’s office to get those cases assigned and authorized.”
