News

Corunna agrees to place officer with MAGNET

By SEAN ELY, Argus-Press Staff Writer

Thursday, November 19, 2009 9:53 AM EST

CORUNNA - Large cities aren't the only places where drug busts take place.

Knowing small cities are hotspots as well, the Corunna City Council voted Monday night to allow a police officer to serve on the Mid-Michigan Area Group Narcotics Enforcement Team, a multi-jurisdictional drug task force that investigates illegal drug trafficking and other serious crimes in Gratiot and Shiawassee counties.

“This is a good thing. Just because we're a small rural community doesn't mean this stuff doesn't go on. We need law enforcement. We've contributed in the past, but this is the first year we're putting our own officer on it,” Council member Don Mehigh said.

Federal stimulus package money through the Michigan State Police had been projected to pay for both the assigned Corunna officer to become a MAGNET official, as well as his replacement on the Corunna force, but fell through.

The state of Michigan, though, offered to pay most of the cost of the proposal.

City Manager Joe Sawyer drew up three options for the Council to vote on Monday. The Council chose to allocate $2,496 in matching funds to cover the shortfall between state funds and local pay for the remainder of the fiscal year, until June.

“The budget is tight, but this is a contribution to the entire community we need to make,” Councilmember Doug Haskins said.

MAGNET Team Commander Det. Lt. Robin Lynde said meth-related fires, such as one reported this past weekend in Owosso, are a common occurrence in Shiawassee County so the more people assigned to the team, the more proactive it can be in taking down labs that often lead to such fires.

“It will help with not only fires, but drug dealing and being able to prosecute suppliers as well,” she said.

The assigned MAGNET officer is not a new hire, simply appointed from the Corunna Police Department, while the replacement officer would be a fresh face.

The money the Council allocated will cover the remaining 12 hours of work not funded by the state. The replacement officer is paid for 20 hours of work, at $11 per hour, but the extra $2,496 covers wage increases and their benefits.

Also, if MAGNET requires 32 hours for the part-time position, the extra 12 hours will be covered.

Sawyer said the plan still must be approved by the Police Officers Labor Council as well as federal program guidelines.

If the city only gets reimbursed for 20 hours rather than the full 32, $9,360 would be needed to cover the costs.

Currently, the Council funds seven police department positions - two full-time officers, four part-time officers and a working part-time chief, Kim Williams, who retired but was then hired back.

“Personally, I would have wanted more answers and would have left it at a blank but I don't vote,” said Mayor Charles Kerridge. “But we need (MAGNET); we need a lot more officers actually, but the state can't afford it and we can't afford it. The drug problem is nationwide.”

Kerridge said the city budgeted money for MAGNET a few years ago, but officials never showed up to discuss details.

“The money never got used,” he said. “We've never had an officer on the team.”

Chief Williams said he wouldn't consider sending an officer to MAGNET if he didn't think it was a good organization.

“A couple years ago, one of the Corunna officers, myself and a state trooper responded to a domestic in progress,” he said. “When we got inside, we found seven pounds of marijuana - it's in little communities and remote areas, this is not a big city program.”

Lynde said it is a great sign to have Corunna join the drug team, because of its size, as well as the group's positive relations with the police department.

Comment on this Story

Joe Citizen wrote on Nov 25, 2009 3:16 PM:

" It's not obvious BOB is or was a cop. "

whyweneedu wrote on Nov 23, 2009 12:58 PM:

" why do so many people believe in a goverment that has always been corrupt they will never change its to keep the rich rich and the poor poor i think as a community we should vote on every thing not leave it up to a council as these peoples decisions affect all our lives and so little do we really know about these people i cant see in letting someone tell me how to live my life because they talked fancy and made promises that they hope will take place make this a free country quit worry about numbers and treat people like humans we all make mistakes but its not anybodys right to tell someone what they can and cant do whats the point of lincse plates only goverments are allowed place prices on such things someone dies and we start making new laws everyone dies period as for taxes we will never own anythig again for if u dont pay it they take your land homes cars any thing they can get they dont care if u have a family of 5 to feed to them we might as well as die cause we cant pay them so in my view we as people would do just fine without them "

ME wrote on Nov 22, 2009 11:48 PM:

" Hey Twinkie, your so smart, why don't you run for Colbry"s job? You are the most accusing trouble maker On most of these posts..Get a Life. "

BOB wrote on Nov 22, 2009 8:29 PM:

" Most of you guys are idiots. You think magnet is worthless because they have probably busted you or a family member. In my opinion they have a lot more work to do. If they took the time to raid your house then you are dirty and they did an undercover bye. Not just becuase you had too many people over. I hope magnet grows in size. As for the drunks the state has grants for officers to work overtime for this. If the government wasn't so liberal they could set up checkpoints to concentrate on drunks but this would make to many people upset..even though it would save a lot of lives. 90% of people who complain about cops are criminals. If it wasn't for cops are society would be a bunch of outlaws and you wouldn't have the freedom you do. You would get robbed or shot at and have no one to cry to. So thank a cop today. "

Joe Citizen wrote on Nov 21, 2009 6:40 PM:

" I have a friend who called MAGNET last year and she tried to report a suspected meth house, in fear that her daughter may one day end up over there, being she saw others her age coming and going. MAGNETS response? " We are using all our available resources for finding marijuana plants at the moment." Did not take any information or details. Not even an address. Now that is some screwede up priorities. "

JOYCE wrote on Nov 21, 2009 3:29 PM:

" ALCOHOL IS A DRUG THE MOST COMMONLY USED AND WIDELY ABUSED PHYCHOACTIVE DRUG IN THE WORLD. ALCOHOL KILLS 6 AND A HALF TIMES MORE THAN ALL OTHER ILLICT DRUGS COMBINED. "

project 420 wrote on Nov 21, 2009 2:28 AM:

" We shouldnt knock WEED, Whoever let Randy back to Work must have been "High" "

magnet team is joke wrote on Nov 20, 2009 9:21 PM:

" ya we do need someone watching over the hard drugs and meth labs. but not who is on the magnet team now. they all have no room to talk as they themselves have done wrong. "

pat hodge wrote on Nov 20, 2009 7:10 PM:

" learn the laws dude, if the cop had a right to come into your house/apt they wouldnt knock on the door, they would kick it in. you have the right to refuse to let a cop in your house and you are allowed to talk threw the window/door to the cop. if you open the door to talk to the cop you might as well pull your stash out or whatever is illegal in your house out because the cop will eventally start to search by saying he smells pot in the house or make up some other excuse for probable cause for a search. bottom line is never let a cop into you house if they dont have a warrent. "

ChicMAGNET wrote on Nov 20, 2009 6:55 PM:

" Good to hear there are more MAGNET team members out there.....bust those pill popping dirt bags and doctors who will prescribe to anyone...anytime...for anything! The violent crimes will dwindle down once some of these trailer rats and dirt bags are locked up! GO MAGNET!!! Keep up the good work! And if ya have to make up stuff along the way to get the crap off the street....in my opinion...DO IT! I say to all of our fellow citizens.....drop a dime to prevent crime....don't do a dime and do time! "

Bob wrote on Nov 20, 2009 5:42 PM:

" Maybe they will better be able to terrorize the medical community with more help? "

hatemagnet wrote on Nov 20, 2009 2:13 PM:

" Magnet is a worthless team of wannabe cops. They came into my house, tore it apart because they say i had too many people over so i must be dealing drugs. there was nothing for them to find.They never cleaned up the wreckage and left without apologizing. Intruding into peoples lives with no probable cause is ridiculous. "

T.J.J. wrote on Nov 20, 2009 1:00 PM:

" right on twinkie. remember that when it comes election time! "

JRHowosso wrote on Nov 20, 2009 7:21 AM:

" Dang who is gonna cover the seat belt cash cow. Anybody got the data on the drunks vs drugs as to killing people? "

Hiram A. wrote on Nov 19, 2009 5:45 PM:

" I would hope that every community would welcome MAGNET with open arms. They are dealing every day with the scum that manufactures and sells these deadly drugs to our family, neighbors, and friends. There is only one side to the discussion about Drugs. They kill inocent people. "

twinkie wrote on Nov 19, 2009 3:25 PM:

" special narc and magnet units dont work.dedicating civil servents to shake down petty drug dealers has very little effect on preventing violent crime. civil servents need to concentrate more on robberies,rapes and other crime affecting real victims. look how robin lynde and randy colbry actually created the crimes against the doctors how they entrapped them into a drug deal.i think we need to start some serious mental health checks on these civil servents. they have too much power,are too little educated. so many of them are rednecks with guns. "