The department is the primary investigative agency of traffic crashes, both property damage and injury type. As the result of crash investigations, civil infraction citations may be issued and/or criminal charges referred to the Barry County Prosecutor’s Office. Mandatory crash information is processed and forwarded to Lansing by office personnel.

The police department investigates suspected criminal activity, suspicious situations, and other calls for service. These calls for service may be called in to dispatch by witnesses, concerned parties, or initiated by police officers during the course of patrol. Officers routinely patrol by means of patrol cars, on bicycle and, at times, on foot.

As a result of officers investigating reported or suspected criminal activity, they generate official investigative reports, forwarding investigative reports to the City Attorney’s office, the Prosecuting Attorney’s office, or other appropriate agencies, for possible initiation of a criminal or civil process. Following issuance of formal criminal charges, officers of the department make arrests and incarcerate criminal suspects. Mandatory court appearances often follow and are required of officers for testifying purposes.

Investigative reports, arrest reports, names, dates, places, property, vehicles, warrants, etc. are placed into the in-house records system.

In an attempt to become more of a positive presence in the community we have requested funds that would help enhance communication between the Police Department and the public. These funds would cover the startup costs and materials for possible neighborhood watch groups, possible neighborhood picnics and “Coffee with a Cop” meetings. We will continue to provide the D.A.R.E. training to Hastings area 5th grade classes.

There are currently two clerical employees in the department. One clerical employee primarily attends to the service window and walk-in customers, parking ticket entry and payments, requests for police reports, testing and issuing handgun purchase permits, logging civil infraction notices, keeping track of police data, monthly Council reports, answering phones, registering sex offenders, and acting as a liaison between the Prosecutor’s Office, courts, and private attorneys. This Clerk processes all freedom of information requests received at the police department, forwarding them to the Chief or Deputy Chief as required for response. This clerk also performs fingerprinting of various applicants as necessary.

Separate from the investigations that are conducted by patrol officers, the Detective Sergeant is assigned to conduct follow up, covert or special investigations. The Detective Sergeant is responsible for furthering investigations of a more serious nature. The Detective Sergeant performs multi-jurisdictional operations with other agencies on occasion and conducts in-house investigations. The Detective Sergeant makes contact with outside operatives, maintains evidence from investigations, assists the Prosecutor’s Office as necessary, and works closely with victims.

The Detective Sergeant has been used in the past, and may be used in the future, for patrol services when there is no immediate need for investigative services. The Detective Sergeant responds to criminal investigations, when requested or instructed, at all in-City school buildings.

The Police Chief and the Deputy Police Chief administer the police department. The Deputy Chief of Police reports directly to the Chief of Police.

The Police Chief’s administrative tasks include; developing policies and procedures for staff, monitoring compliance and the training in those policies, preparing and maintaining a budget, administering disciplinary action, acting as a liaison between the police department, the general public and all other agencies, acting as a grant writer and grant administrator as required, acting as a deputy FOIA coordinator, Emergency Management Coordinator and Title VI Non-Discrimination Policy Investigator. General oversight of the police department staff is the responsibility of the Chief. The Chief’s office is responsible for guiding and directing the police department and its employees in the attempt to provide the best law enforcement for the City of Hastings.

The Deputy Chief of Police is responsible for the daily function of the police department, the supervision of four Sergeants, overseeing the work performance of all patrol officers and office staff. The Deputy Chief is in charge of the evidence tracking system, entering evidence into the computer, maintaining a proper chain of evidence, and determining final disposition for all items logged in. This office oversees all undercover operations, both in concert with, and independent from, other departments. The Detective Sergeant reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Police. He maintains the work schedule for the department’s patrol officers in addition to scheduling vacation, training, and overtime.

There are three Patrol Sergeants in the department along with the one Detective Sergeant. A Patrol Sergeant is assigned to each of three shifts. Patrol Sergeants have the responsibility of supervising the patrol officers assigned to their respective shifts. They are directly responsible for the work ethic and performance of their subordinates. Sergeants act as one of the two or three officer teams that make up every shift. Sergeants patrol, respond to complaints, and enforce traffic regulations in the same manner as patrol officers, but also carry an added responsibility of supervising the shift’s activities. Sergeants form the direct line of communication to the Chief’s or Deputy Chief’s office.

Bike Registration

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House Check Form

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