Looking back over a year that posed new and unusual challenges, Bellefontaine Police Department Chief Brandon Standley said there were a number of unique situations that his officers and dispatchers handled carefully to keep their fellow personnel and the public safe.
“Our staff immediately went into a cleaning and sanitizing mode early on,” he said. “Since we share cruisers, police radios, office phones and equipment, etc…we had to really step up and do our part to keep our work spaces clean.
“Additionally, since our office space is overall smaller than most, we had to temporarily restrict use of our locker rooms where we found employees too close together during shift changing times.
“Officers especially had to be cautious in how they approached their duties into homes and apartments.”
A most difficult time for the department came last spring, when Detective Craig Comstock passed away at home in his sleep April 10. Chief Standley related that the department had to determine how to offer a fitting tribute to such a dedicated officer at a time when public gathering restrictions were in place.
“I think one of the most challenging was honoring Detective Craig Comstock appropriately in April when he unexpectedly passed away. During that time, we wanted to remain focused on how to provide him and his family a proper tribute without violating the restrictions of that time.”
Following Comstock’s funeral in Bellefontaine, community members gathered along Main Street in the downtown area to offer their respects and gratitude to the late officer. First responders from other area agencies also offered their support as well for a processional to the East Liberty Cemetery.
“The community came together in a big way for us and we’ll always remember that,” the police chief said.
The BPD also presented posthumous honors to Comstock during the annual awards night in November — the 2020 Officer of the Year and also a Medal of Merit for his work alongside Detective Dwight Salyer to solve a deadly Thanksgiving Eve shooting in 2019. His family, including his wife, Michele, and their children, Cole and Carisse, accepted the honors on his behalf.
Despite the hurdles of 2020, including stay-at-home orders and other mandates, the department remained busy, handling 18,600 calls throughout the year and making 700 arrests, including 60 arrests for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, according to a report included in Mayor Ben Stahler’s recent State of the City address.
Officers filed more than 3,000 reports last year and handled 250 motor vehicle crashes, including 100 hit-skip crashes.
K9 Boodik also was deployed 60 times, and detectives also investigated 50 sex crimes, 30 burglaries and 30 deaths.
Moving ahead into 2021, the police department has started its ninth class of the Citizens Police Academy, hosting classes at the Bellefontaine High School Distance Learning Center to allow more spacing between classmates. The class will graduate in late April, or early May, Chief Standley said.
The BPD also is planning to resume most of its outreach events this year, as long as it can do so safely.
“We will be offering a Cops and Bobbers fishing event coming up in the late spring, which is a time to gather kids and officers for a couple of hours of fishing,” the police chief said.
“We hope to also get back into neighborhoods and resume more normal outreach efforts. We had to postpone our Senior Health Fair that we had planned last year and hope to have it rescheduled for this year as more seniors get vaccinated. We will still do National Night Out in early August and our Community Safety Event in mid-August.”
Last year, the department was able to host its 2020 Community Safety Event without any issues because it was outdoors.
“We made some changes and kept our visitors safe, while still having a very successful event,” Chief Standley said.
The agency also recently hired Morgan Brewer as a police officer, as detailed in an Examiner article. The Springfield resident is just getting started into her new role.
Additionally, the police chief said a retirement or two is expected within the next 12 months, so the BPD will be looking to hire more individuals to offset those vacancies.
Whether someone is reporting a crime, witnessing a crime, or stepping up to report a potential crime, Chief Standley expressed gratitude for the community’s support.
“We remain a very busy operation. Our commitment to public safety is multi-faceted and each part is important to the others. By our community members joining us in our daily commitment, we can make further strides. Together, we can reduce crime and increase safety. This happens by communicating and being proactive.
“Our citizens deserve to know that our commitment is to respond to their needs anytime day, or night. Additionally, each day we are committed to investigating drug trafficking, child abuse and neglect, traffic safety-related issues, and more. We look forward to a safer 2021! ”