Kentwood Polic Department

By WKTV Staff

City of Kentwood voters will consider a dedicated millage increase of 1.95 mills on the May 7 ballot that, if approved, would provide critical support for police and fire services.

As the city of Kentwood has continued to grow, the demand for police and fire services has also risen. Since 2010, Kentwood’s population has grown by 11.5%, rising from 48,707 residents in 2010 to 54,303 residents in 2020. If approved, the dedicated millage increase would enable Kentwood’s Police and Fire departments to hire additional staff members and maintain response times to meet growing needs for police, fire and emergency medical services.

Kentwood has grown from 48,707 residents in 2010 to 54,303 in 2020

“Our community has grown exponentially over the past 10-plus years, and with that growth comes a need for continued investment in our police and fire services,” Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “As our teams respond to more calls for service and support more residents, additional funding for our Police and Fire departments will ensure they have the necessary resources to protect and serve our community.”

Last police and fire millage passed in 2010

The last police and fire millage of 2 mills was passed in 2010, with nearly 62% of voters in favor. The millage was expected to maintain police and fire operations through 2020.

“We have been good stewards of the 2010 police and fire millage, leveraging dollars for four additional years than originally projected,” Kepley said. “We will be as effective and intentional with funds from this millage increase if approved.”

The proposed millage increase was approved by the City Commission on Jan. 9. If approved, it would be levied starting July 1, 2024. It is expected to generate more than $5.1 million in its first year.

“Our goal is to serve our community with excellence, and this millage increase will support that effort,” Police Chief Bryan Litwin said. “As our community continues to grow, we have seen a 14% increase in the number of calls for police service over the past decade, but our staffing levels have remained the same since 2000. It is critical for us to get our staffing levels up to where they have to be to meet our community’s needs today and well into the future.”

If approved, the dedicated millage is projected to support a variety of police and fire initiatives over the next seven years, including:

Addressing critical personnel needs, enabling police to add, train and support vital additions to the team, raising their minimum staffing level from three officers and a sergeant to five officers and a sergeant.
Adding another EMS unit for the Fire Department in the future when the demand for emergency services exceeds current staffing.
Funding the replacement of necessary police and fire vehicles and other equipment, which have seen significant cost increases in the past few years.
Creating a basic outdoor training facility for police and fire that will eliminate the need for travel expenses and overtime for training purposes, ensuring cost-effective and up-to-date training practices.
Supporting increased simulation-based training for police and fire personnel, helping team members build essential skills so they can make informed decisions in real-time that protect community members, property and fellow emergency personnel.
Updating technology and equipment to protect police and fire team members and community members.
Enabling both police and fire to focus resources on prevention and education and be more proactive in addressing community issues.

“We made a promise to our community to keep our average response time at or below 5 minutes and 20 seconds,” Fire Chief Brent Looman said. “To continue to meet this standard as we respond to 36% more calls than we did a decade ago, we need additional resources. Our ability to meet this response standard can mean the difference between life and death.”

Kentwood’s Engine 55 at Kentwood Fire Station 3. (WKTV/Cris Greer)

1.95 mills equals $195 per year for a residential home with a taxable value of $100,000

A mill is 1/1000 of a dollar, or 0.001 cents. If a tax rate or millage rate is 1.95 mills, a resident is taxed 0.00195 cents for every dollar, or $1.95 per $1,000 of the taxable value of the property. For example, for a residential home with a taxable value of $100,000, the cost of 1.95 mills would be $195 per year, equating to $16.25 per month.

More information on the proposed millage is available at kentwood.us/PoliceFireMillage.

By Maddi Smith

West Michigan, please give a round of applause to Thomas Hillen. It isn’t every day that you meet someone as committed to their community as Kentwood’s Chief of Police. This November our community marks the first anniversary of Hillen stepping into the role of police chief. Only having held his position for a year, he has already made bounds toward the betterment of his city.

Grinning widely and speaking as earnestly and passionately as any public servant ever has, Hillen described to me his vision for the Kentwood area. “I believe in the broken window theory. Essentially, if there is one broken window in the neighborhood and you don’t fix it, then it becomes the norm.”

Under Hillen’s direction, the Kentwood Police Department has taken a proactive approach to code enforcement. The community has rallied around the attention being paid to the aesthetics of their neighborhoods. Hillen noted that when the public gets a chance to talk to a code enforcement officer, they often come prepared with questions and concerns. His interest goes beyond just community aesthetics, though. Hillen is personally invested in the health of Kentwood. In regards to diligently monitoring Kentwood, he said, “I don’t want to see my community slip.”

The thing is, this really is his community. Hillen and his four siblings grew up in Caledonia. He attended and graduated from Caledonia Public Schools. He, among multiple other colleges, attended Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University. He has taken ownership of his stomping grounds, and dedicated his life to protecting and serving the people who live there. But, although Hillen has devoted well many years to public service duties, including being the Deputy Sheriff of Kent, an accident reconstructionist, and being an emergency manager during a devastating windstorm in 2009. He’s quick to pass any accolade off onto his staff and the support given to him by the police departments in surrounding areas.

West Michigan, here is your hero. Many times fame and recognition are recognized as reliable measures of performance, but Police Chief Thomas Hillen has quietly been working for the public for over 30 years now, and his work has been nothing short of exceptional. Mr. Hillen, on behalf of Kentwood and West Michigan, Thank you so much. We look foward to seeing what the next year brings.