KEEGO HARBOR, Mich. – Will the Keego Harbor Police Department cease to exist? An overflow crowd at City Hall Thursday night let City Council members know how upset they are, not only at the notion, but because they had no idea the possibility was even on the table.
For hours, people took to the podium to voice their displeasure with the idea Keego Harbor's small Police Department would case to operate and instead the city would be policed by West Bloomfield Township.
On top of that, Police Chief Kenneth Hurst has been told he's not being renewed despite only asking for a six-month extension.
"I worry about my officers. That's what I worry about," Hurst said. "I'm a 46-year veteran. I'm ready to retire."
Police insiders said the council wants to get rid of the chief and the department because of a personality conflict with Mayor Sidney Rubin.
"That's a false assumption," Rubin said. "I've been with the chief from Day 1."
While the mayor didn't give any reason why Hurst is not being renewed, he said consolidating police services with West Bloomfield has been looked at to see if there would be a significant cost savings.
"I don't think any of the council members feel that there would be a true savings," Rubin said.
The shocker to most people Thursday night was that it has been under informal and formal discussions for about a year.