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Barry Township police chief resigns at special meeting

Posted at 8:43 PM, Aug 07, 2014
and last updated 2014-08-07 21:18:46-04

DELTON, Mich. — Following the Barry Township board’s  special meeting Thursday night, Police Chief Victor Pierce has resigned.

The announcement came following a closed session review of Pierce’s job performance.

During a Monday night meeting at Delton-Kellogg High School auditorium, more than 200 Barry Township residents voiced their opinions of the police chief and how he runs his department.

During public comment period, some residents expressed support for Pierce, while other people expressed their opposition to his leadership and the 34 reserve officers with the department.

The township had four full-time and four part-time officers and is made up of about 3,200 residents.

Some residents feel 34 reserve officers are too many and some citizens claim harassment by officers has also been an issue.

The reserve officer program has since been suspended.

This whole issue stems from an incident between a bar owner and police back in May. The owner of Tujax Tavern, Jack Nadwornik, said police used excessive force after they caught him urinating next to his business.

Pierce told FOX 17 he was not trying to run an army or militarized department as some residents have claimed.

He said his focus was on improving ‘response times’ for officers who call for backup. Pierce said when he started with the department, it took 15 minutes for officer backup to arrive.

It’s unclear who Pierce’s replacement will be at this time.