CADILLAC, MI -- Over the past decade, the Cadillac Police department has endured multiple budget and personnel cuts.
“Things like a second detective that we had, we lost. We had a community services officer, an officer on the drug team. Currently the only extra position we have outside of patrol and one detective is a combination of a school officer and a community services officer. Those use to be split up into 2 positions,” said Capt. Matt Wohlfeill, Cadillac Police Department.
In 2001, Wohlfeill’s department had 19 sworn officers on the force.
Today, that number has been cut to 15.
This trend, working with fewer officers, seems to be playing out at almost every department in the state.
A new Associated Press report finds Michigan has lost 3,000 officers since 2001.
Wohlfeill tells 7&4 News position cuts have stemmed from shrinking budgets and growing department costs.
