New initiatives launch at Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department

FRANKLIN/BINGHAM FARMS — This summer, the Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department is launching new initiatives related to mental health, communications and more.

 

Co-responder program
This summer, the Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department is partnering with the West Bloomfield Police Department and Oakland County Mental Health to launch a co-responder program. Through this program, there will be a full-time mental health and substance abuse professional working alongside officers.

“They’ll be able to not only go out with the officers and help them deal with a crisis, but they’ll be able to provide follow-up care and resources for the person that’s in crisis,” said Chief Curt Lawson. In August 2024, Lawson became the chief of police, after spending 30 years in the West Bloomfield Police Department and retiring as their deputy chief of police.

They are currently in the process of hiring a mental health professional for this program. Lawson said he expects the hiring process to wrap up by the end of July or early August.

Lawson said the city of West Bloomfield is picking up a majority of the cost, since it is larger. The village of Franklin is paying $2,500 per year, and the village of Bingham Farms is paying $2,500 per year.

“We looked at the data of how many mental health and substance abuse runs we have a year, and West Bloomfield knows that they’re going to get a majority of those runs and calls for service, so they’re picking up a majority of the costs, which we greatly appreciate,” Lawson said.

 

Enhanced communication
The department recently launched a new emergency communication platform called CodeRED.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 31 years, and one consistent truth that I’ve learned is that communication can make or break a police agency,” Lawson said.

Through CodeRED, the department can send instant notifications to residents during emergencies.

“It’s something that we’re not going to use unless it’s at your emergency,” Lawson said.

 

Beginning the accreditation process
The Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department has begun the process of accreditation through the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.

“I inherited a department with a strong reputation, and there’s already an outstanding team in place here. I’ve always been one that wants to fine-tune systems, and the systems that are in place here were good systems, but I’m looking to improve on what we have to try to find more value, not only for our organization but for the community,” Lawson said. “I really believe that going down the road of accreditation through the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police is just a huge benefit for the Police Department and for the community.”

Lawson said accreditation is “a cornerstone to our ongoing commitment to meet the community standards.”

“It is an absolute major professional milestone for the organization. It’ll ensure that we’re operating with the very best policies, the best practices in law enforcement today, and it’ll make us reinforce and commit to transparency, accountability and excellence.”

When a department becomes accredited, it has to undergo reviews regularly to maintain that status.

Lt. Bob Mydloski, the accreditation manager, said the accreditation process will provide the officers with what they need to “exceed the expectations of the residents.”

“We want to keep improving, and we want to know that what we’re doing is the best in the industry and that we don’t have a policy that is outdated or insufficient. We want to have the best that is possible because we believe we are a top-notch agency, and this is one way that we can show it,” Mydloski said.

The department has two-years to complete the process.

 

New electric bike unit
The department recently received four electric bikes donated by a resident. 

“The thought process behind the electric bikes is to make sure that we’re able to get from point A to point B quickly and still be able to engage effectively with the community,” Lawson said.

Lawson said that since Franklin and Bingham Farms are full of community events, the bikes will provide the opportunity for the officers to maintain their ability to respond quickly when needed, but at the same time be out of their cars and able to interact with residents.