Albion PD seeks input from community with online survey

Department sending police reform plan to state by April 1

Photo by Tom Rivers: Albion Police Department Sgt. Brandon Annable, left, and Lt. David Mogle are pictured outside the Albion police station on Platt Street.

ALBION – The Albion Police Department is working on a police reform plan and wants to hear from the community how the department can better serve local residents and business owners.

The department has a five-question survey online for people to offer feedback and rate the department’s services. Click here to see the survey.

The Police Department has compiled a police reform and reinvention plan (click here) that needs to be sent to the state by April 1. The plan is expected to be voted on by the Village Board next week.

David Mogle, lieutenant with the Albion PD, said the plan will be a working document that can be modified in the future.

“We expect to build on this,” he said.

Mogle and Sgt. Brandon Annable have been meeting with a committee to discuss Albion PD policies and ways to help the department better connect with the community. One of the survey questions asks if residents would like to see officers at more events in the community.

The committee working with the Police Department already has ideas to help officers connect with the community. The committee has suggested the PD not have tinted windows on the Chevrolet Tahoes driven by officers. Mogle said as those vehicles are rotated out the replacements won’t have tinted windows in the future.

The committee also suggested the Albion PD have more officers spend time in school buildings. The department currently has a dedicated school resource officer, Chris Glogowski. He has worked at the school district since February 2019, with the district contributing $81,250 annually to the village to have the officer dedicated to the schools.

More officers could spend time in the schools with the district’s approval and if it works with the Police Department’s staffing, Mogle said. Those officers could spend part of a shift with the school resource officer, Mogle said.

The Albion PD responds to about 4,000 to 5,000 calls annually. The department at full staffing has 13 full-time officers. It currently is down one officer, and will be at 11 when Police Chief Roland Nenni retires on March 31. The PD runs two 12-hour shifts, the first platoon from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and second platoon, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Nenni has led a department that far exceeds the annual state requirements for training. Albion officers do annual training with firearms, use of force, updates in laws such as bail reform and “Raise the Age,” Emergency Vehicle Operation Course, Stinger Spike Strips (vehicle pursuit termination efforts), administering Narcan, using tourniquets and other First Aid, and defensive tactics, Taser and use of less lethal bean bag shotgun, reality-based training focused on de-escalation, Bloodborne pathogens, and active shooter training.

The department has long banned the use of chokeholds. It has a policy against racial-based profiling. The Albion PD also is looking to add a Racial Justice training, the department states in its reform and reinvention plan.

Even after the plan is submitting to the state, Mogle said the Albion PD intends to meet frequently with the committee to hear if there are community concerns and how they can be best addressed.