Department History

1978-2002

The citation count had grown to 782 by 1978. Five full-time and five part-time town officers with an annual budget of $139,390 kept the peace with three squad cars, a handful of radios, and other equipment, including a “35mm camera used for accidents and traffic investigation, first aid kit, flares, shovel, and broom,” according to the department’s annual report. 

Mount Pleasant counted about 18,000 residents in 1978 and was expected to approach 20,000 before 1980. As the department’s report for that year noted, “Building construction is steadily increasing.”

In the midst of its growth, Mount Pleasant remained a town, and its police department, at any point, could’ve been closed down and replaced by the county sheriff’s department. Fighting for the right to exist became a motivator and point of pride for officers who sought to deliver high-quality, advanced public safety services. Their motto was that calls don’t wait for responses. It was important to maintain a high clearance rate with successful arrests for incidents the department investigated.  

The department in 1988 first assigned a liaison officer at what is now Case High School as part of a broader effort to proactively address and prevent incidents. The Public Safety building was expanded and dedicated in 1987.

In 1987, the department fielded 15,413 requests for service with a budget of $1.1 million, 15 full-time officers and sergeants, one investigator, and two part-time officers.

The department’s requests for police service doubled by 1996 as the overall growth in the village continued. The village had issued building permits for more than $54.5 million in new construction that year, or the equivalent of $100 million in today’s dollars. The police department’s budget remained just below $2 million.