CMU Board of Trustees has 'hands off approach' with CMU PD law enforcement
The Central Michigan University Police Department has more than law enforcement to worry about.
Like the rest of campus, CMU PD answers to a chain of command, ultimately leading to the board of trustees. However, the CMU Board of Trustees has a "hands-off" approach when it comes to criminal matters.
CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley said, first and foremost, the police department is governed by an oath and obligation to enforce criminal law to keep people safe. But when it comes to campus relations, the board helps dictate the philosophy and approach the police department will follow.
One of the main aspects the board of trustees and the police department discuss is the importance of establishing a community of trust by having a presence on campus every day, not just when there’s a problem, he said.
“It’s a lot about helping to develop relationships and be available for concerns, not just police and criminal type of concerns,” he said. “Positive interactions with community policing, positive interactions with students, in addition to investigating crimes.”
However, it isn’t Yeagley who communicates directly with the board of trustees. Rather, he reports to David Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services. From there, Burdette reports to University President George Ross who, if necessary, reports to the board of trustees.
However, one major aspect Burdette and the board of trustees don’t handle is criminal investigations. The university relies on the relationship between the police department and the Isabella County Prosecutor to address those issues.
“There is an employer-employee relationship between the CMU police and the board of trustees,” Yeagley said. “What’s unique is … the employer does not interfere with investigations.”
Rather, the board of trustees has a hands-off approach. Instead, the police department reports to Isabella County Prosecutor Risa Scully for criminal investigations, Yeagley said.
“We have bosses,” he said. “But, depending on what we’re doing, it will change.”
Burdette said important issues presented to the board of trustees include matters related to operational units, facilities, accounting, human resources and functional issues.
Once the board makes its decision, the direction is handed back down to Ross, then to Burdette and finally back to Yeagley, who then relays the information to the CMU PD.
On top of it all, the CMU Police Department also has an oversight committee.
Director of Employee Relations Kevin Smart said beginning in 2003, the police department became an independently authorized agency, meaning it needed an oversight committee to act on civil complaints.
Throughout the committee, there are six positions: two faculty, two staff and two student positions. Faculty and staff each are two-year appointments, while the student position is held for one year.
Smart said the public can voice concerns by submitting complaints, which are then reviewed by the committee.
“Someone who is complaining the police have mishandled their case, been unprofessional or too rough,” he said. “The committee itself has set up a complaint log and referral process.”
But the majority of the time, Burdette and Yeagley solve issues such as staffing, training and budget issues together, which are matters Burdette said don’t need to be presented to the board.
Burdette said one main example where Yeagley is instrumental is the decision to close campus or delay classes due to weather conditions, such as snowstorms.
“I count on two people, (and) Chief Yeagley is one. He knows the road conditions in the county, state roads and highways. Steve Lawrence gives me a campus condition report,” Burdette said. “Between the three of us, I make a determination.”
