Residents 'scared to death' of Troy reserve officers

Troy mayor says plans to address concerns are already underway 

The Troy City Council on Wednesday heard public concerns about the new reserve police officers, citing the recently-added reserves as aggressive and bad for business.

Troy citizens, at Wednesday’s city council meeting, voiced their concerns about the effects of the reserve officers on Troy’s businesses, tourism, the Fourth of July celebrations and the upcoming Troy Centennial celebration.

At the beginning of the council meeting, Mayor Darren Coldwell made a statement before the public comment section began, to address the public’s concerns about the reserve officers.

“So, I have a pretty good feeling why a lot of you are here,” Coldwell said. “Over the fourth originally there were quite a few officers, and I’ll agree with you on that, and maybe a little heavy-handed.”

According to Coldwell, starting last week, there will only be one officer on duty at any given time, and the reserve officers will serve 10 to 15 hours a month. Coldwell also said that beginning on August 1, Chief of Police Allen Dye will only be on duty one day a week.

“I feel much better at a domestic dispute at two in the morning to send two officers rather than one guy by himself. This at least give us the opportunity at least to have somebody to watch somebody’s back,” said Coldwell.

“All of us that are bar owners, our numbers are gone,” Bruce Flock said. “There’s nobody on the street past 9 at night and it’s because we are all scared to death. The damage is done.”

Bud Priest of the VFW said he’s heard from hundreds of people that are not coming back to the fourth of July celebration next year. “This type of action, that’s a police state,” Priest said.

Ben Fisher, sheriff’s deputy, defended the police department and said, “We’re not asking for you guys to not have a business, all we’re asking for, on our side, is for you guys to start looking at what we’re running into.”

Fisher then referred to an incident where a woman drove on the sidewalk and hit a power pole.

Councilman, Dallas Carr said before the reserve officers were added to the department, public relations with the police were much more relaxed.

“I’ve been to bars down there where the cops had to sit back because there was too many of us. It was good going for a while, but that was a day where, ‘here I’ll buy you a beer now,’ and it was fun.”

“Those days are gone, and you guys aren’t implementing that, you’re not even trying to think like that, and I know that,” Carr said. “I don’t want to give up what this town has always been. I hear what you’re saying, but we also have to meet in the middle here and try and understand.”

“We need to look at this, we need to look at the problem and we need to look at the solutions,” said council member Kimberly Rowse.

Coldwell said solutions are already in motion.

“All I can do tell you guys that there’s going to be changes, and I’ve already started them,” Coldwell said. “It’ll happen.”

In other business, the council unanimously approved last meeting’s minutes as well as the new business license for Patrick Gulick and Keith Oni’s Orthopedic Rehabilitation Inc. The council then tabled Zachary Clearwater’s Clearwater Mechanical. They approved the business license for HCM Yard and Gutter Services, with the stipulation with the understanding that the tree removal be absent unless they are bonded.

The approved the loan resolution, loan resolution security agreement and the resolution of members or stockholders for the new firefighter transport vehicle.

The council tabled the City of Troy Rental Agreement after determining that they needed more time to read through the agreement.

Reporter Bethany Rolfson may be reached at 293-4124 or by email at Reporter@TheWesternNews.com.