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Police Department Putting Emphasis on Community Policing
The exercise will give emergency personnel practice in such an event and will allow police to use a computer program to estimate airborne concentrations of the gas downwind from the source of the spill. The program will provide emergency crews with a detailed map of the area at risk that can be used to evacuate people from danger. The Police Department will also hold an adult Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program sometime in the fall. "They're trying real hard to be public safety service oriented rather than law enforcement oriented," Chief Lenaghan said of his staff. "We're here to help," he said, and he predicts the concentration on community policing will help change the image of the police department from that of a parent or guardian to one that concentrates on public safety. Summer patrol is on bicycle and foot, with a motorized police vehicle available for emergencies. Winter police work requires a smaller force. A core department of permanent officers patrols a community of between 500 and 600 yeararound residents, sometimes on snowmobile and free rides are given to senior citizens in the police car. Below are the profiles of the men and women who serve on the department. ADMINISTRATION Chief William Lenaghan Before becoming Chief of Police on Mackinac Island, William Lenaghan was the 9-11 coordinator in Livingston County. He began his job there after retiring from the Canton Police Department, where he worked for 22 years. While working for various other police departments, such as Redford, Chief Lenaghan completed several degrees. He received his associate's degree in police administration from Schoolcraft College and his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Madonna University. Mr. Lenaghan also received his master's degree from Northwestern University's Traffic Institute School of Staff and Command. He and his wife, Lois, have been married 40 years and have seven children and 18 grandchildren. He describes his Mrs. Lenaghan as very understanding of his responsibility to balance school, work, and personal life. The Chief did not always want to be in law enforcement. He once studied to be a pharmacist and had a partial football scholarship to Wayne State University. To pay for college, however, he got a job as a police cadet at the Oak Park Police Department. "When I went to work in the police department, that changed everything," he said. What drew him to law enforcement was working with people and the discipline that such a field requires, he said. In addition to local agencies, Mr. Lenaghan has served in the U.S. Navy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Treasury Department, and United States Customs Service. Mackinac Island is a good fit for him, he said, because it embodies the community policing ideal to which he is so dedicated. Lieutenant Peter Komblevitz Peter Komblevitz has a long history as a police officer. He joined the Mackinac Island Police Department in 1998, following almost a year as an officer with the Lakeview Police Department and a 26-year career with the Michigan State Police. As a state trooper, he served at the South Haven, Cadillac, Mount Pleasant, and Lakeview posts and was promoted to uniform sergeant at the Lakeview Post his last three years with the Michigan State Police. Lieutenant Komblevitz served three years in the United States Army as a pharmacy specialist in the medical corps. He then attended Central Michigan University, from which he was graduated with a major in social studies and a minor in physical education. After college, he taught high school social studies for a time, but became interested in police work when an acquaintance signed up for State Police recruit training. While a state trooper, he earned an associate's degree in law enforcement from Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor. He enjoys being his own boss and also likes working in a team and with different partners, which is what he likes most about law enforcement. He added that the field offered him drama and excitement that he could not find in any other profession. Assigned to State Police detail on Mackinac Island in 1989 and 1990, he fell in love with the Island. He has since come to appreciate the pace of life, the many friends he has made, and the good exercise he gets here. Mr. Komblevitz and his wife, Cindy, have a 32-year-old son who is an engineering student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Mary Barber Mary Barber was born in Japan and grew up in many towns because her father was in the Air Force. She lived on Mackinac Island for 10 years and moved to Mackinaw City in 2000. She has worked for the Mackinac Island Police Department since 1994 as a dispatcher and, since 2001, has worked seasonally from May to October. She enjoys the work because it offers something different each day, she said. Her job was most stressful in the summer of 2000 when the Island lost electricity for eight days. People are not very nice without electricity, she notes. She has a 22-year-old son and said she considers the new, young officers her own children. This summer, she is supervising the Public Safety Service Officers (PSSOs). PERMANENT STAFF Officer Andrew Dziobak Andrew Dziobak has spent eight years with the Mackinac Island Police Department. He was graduated from Lansing Community College with an associate's degree in criminal justice. He wanted to be a police officer ever since he was a child, he said, because of the allure and respect he believes should come with the job. Mr. Dziobak enjoys working on Mackinac Island because it is a close-knit community where everyone knows each other and, through community policing, everyone tries to work together to solve any problems that arise. He feels the Mackinac Island Police Department is doing a good job at community policing, but needs more input from the community as a whole. The department, he added, has a good crew this year, and believes Chief Lenaghan is developing a good program. He and his wife, Lisa, have a three-year-old daughter, Brooke. Officer Ken Hardy Ken Hardy is originally from St. Ignace and was graduated from Western Michigan University in 1994. He began working at the Mackinac Island Police Department the July after he was graduated. His interest in law enforcement comes from following in the footsteps of his father, a state trooper, and his grandfather, who was the chief of police at South Haven. He said he enjoys working on the Island because everybody knows everybody, which makes it much easier to track people down. He and his wife, Vanessa, live in Harrisonville. Officer Cory Kaminen Cory Kaminen is originally from Ishpeming. He began working at the Mackinac Island Police Department in 1998 and was a seasonal officer until 2001. He attended the police academy at Northern Michigan University and was graduated in 1997. Mr. Kaminen spent four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy and is a member of the Navy Reserves. His interest in law enforcement was spurred while he was on active duty. For him, he said, law enforcement seemed like a fitting career, given his prior military service and his interest in helping other people. He said the atmosphere on the Island is unique and cannot be found anywhere else. He also enjoys the friendliness of Islanders. Mr. Kaminen purchased a house in Harrisonville in November 2004 and he and his wife, Carrie, have a son, Jack, who is 10 months old. SEASONAL STAFF Officer John Beam, Jr. John Beam, Jr. of Reed City is serving his second season on the Island. He is an Eagle Scout and attended Ferris State University, where he majored in law enforcement and minored in psychology. His interest in law enforcement was spurred by his father, a state trooper who was stationed on the Island for two years 15 years ago. He enjoys the friendliness of the Island and the rest and relaxation he gets on his days off. Officer Paul Kleeman Paul Kleeman was born and reared in Engadine and lives in St. Ignace with his wife. He received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and law enforcement from Lake Superior State University. Before coming to Mackinac Island, he was a reserve officer and cadet in Petoskey. Of his job as a police officer, he said, "It's exciting and you get to provide a public service and help people." He took an interest in law enforcement after hearing stories from family members who are in the field. Mr. Kleeman enjoys the Island because he is familiar with the area and is close to home. Officer James Marks James Marks is originally from Northville. He lives in Roscommon with his wife of 21 years, Nancy, and they have five children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He has an associate's degree in criminal justice from Schoolcraft College and also attended Madonna University and Eastern Michigan University's School of Police Staff and Command. Mr. Marks first worked for the Norfolk and Western Railroad Police Department in Detroit and then spent most of his career working at the Northville Police Department as a police cadet, patrol officer, and sergeant. He also spent time as a first aid and CPR instructor, field training officer and supervisor, and he was the first Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) officer for the City of Northville. He then did patrol and supervisory work at Huron Valley Sinai Hospital and at Detroit Medical Center, where he was lead security officer. Most recently he has worked for the Roscommon County Sheriff's Department as a school resource officer. Being a police officer, Mr. Marks said, "was one of those childhood dreams." He said he was honored to work in the city where he grew up and enjoys being on Mackinac Island. "Thirty-three years later, I still love the job," he said. "It's been a great career." Officer Cory McGee Cory McGee is from Manistee. He attended West Shore Community College, where he received an associate's degree in fine arts and sciences and criminal justice. Mr. McGee became interested in a career in law enforcement because it allowed him the "opportunity to better myself and help people. I wanted to be an ambassador to the people." He said he is enjoying life on Mackinac Island because of all the different types of people he encounters on a daily basis. Officer Ed McNulty Ed McNulty is from Erie, Michigan. He attended the University of Toledo, where he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He said he enjoys law enforcement because "it is a good job" and he is "not in an office all the time." Of Mackinac Island, Mr. McNulty said it is a good place to get a foot in the door and is very different from his hometown. MICHIGAN STATE POLICE Because the State Park covers more than 80 percent of Mackinac Island, the state sends two troopers to assist the Island with law enforcement in the summer. The special duty is on a twoyear rotation, which allows one experienced officer to be on the Island every summer and the other to learn the ropes. State Trooper DeLynn Rice DeLynn Rice has worked 10 years at the Lakeview Post. Prior to becoming a state trooper, she worked as a civilian in Emergency Management with the State Police. This is Trooper Rice's first season on Mackinac Island. She received an associate's degree in business from Alpena Community College and said she became interested in law enforcement because she enjoys solving crimes and helping people. She said her experience on the Island has been a good one. She enjoys the people she has met and said everyone is really friendly. "I like the relaxed atmosphere," she said. Ms. Rice is married and has two children. State Trooper Jim Swain Jim Swain has been a state trooper for 17 years. He has worked at the Sandusky and Reed City posts and, for the past 11 years, he has been assigned to the Flint post. This is his second season on Mackinac Island. Trooper Swain received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University. He and his family have been participants in races on Mackinac and he was happy to be selected for summer duty here. Mackinac Island, he said, is a pleasant change from the pace of life he is used to in Flint. He is married and has two children, ages 11 and 13. The Interns This year, interns at the Mackinac Island Police Department have the title of Public Safety Service Officers (PSSOs). The name was changed this year from Traffic Officer because of the multiple duties the interns serve, including assisting people, providing information, assisting officers, and directing traffic flow. "Traffic Officer on this Island just didn't quite fit," said Chief Lenaghan. Usually, the department only takes interns from Michigan State University, but this year it is expanding to take anyone who wishes to apply. The Chief also hopes to integrate Mackinac Island High School students who have an interest in law enforcement and have been involved in the SERT program as summer interns for the department. Katie Chesebro Katie Chesebro is from Grand Rapids. She was graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and will be receiving a bachelor's degree in psychology. She became interested in law enforcement because many of her friends are in the field and she hears positive things from them. Ms. Chesebro wanted to come to the Island to gain more experience and enjoys the ability to see and meet new people each day, since so many tourists travel to the Island. Andrea Dinley This marks Andrea Dinley's second season on Mackinac Island. She is from Grand Rapids and attended Michigan State University, where she received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and psychology. She enjoys law enforcement because it allows her to do different things every day. Hoping to make a difference and help people, Ms. Dinley enjoys being a girl in a guy's field. She enjoys the Island and has many friends here, adding that she enjoys the tourist aspect of the Island the most. She is a self-professed daddy's girl and notes that her father does not think she is tough enough to be a police officer, which makes her want to be one even more. Ms. Dinley hopes to one day work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. James Hagenbaugh This is James Hagenbaugh's third season as an intern for the Mackinac Island Police Department. He lives in Lapeer and Mackinac Island. His family owns Alford's, the drug store on the Island. John Hills John Hills is from Lake Orion. This is his first season on the Island. He was graduated from Lake Orion High School and attends Ferris State University, where he is majoring in criminal justice. Mr. Hills has wanted to be in law enforcement his entire life. Until his interview for the Mackinac Island Police Department, he had never been to Mackinac Island. He said it is a beautiful place and it allows him to be close to family in Hessel and Cedarville. "It's a lot of people packed into a little town, and I think a lot could happen," he said of the Island. Jeremy Hingston Jeremy Hingston is from Mackinaw City. This is his first season on the Island. He is a recent graduate of Mackinaw City High School and plans to attend Lake Superior State University in the fall, where he hopes to study criminal justice. Mr. Hingston has always wanted to be in the field of law enforcement. He also has family members in the field. Having been to the Island several times previously, he said, "I like it more working here than I did before." He is excited about the experience he will get on the job here and the preparation it will give him before going to college. |
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