Albion Department of Public Safety

112 W Cass St. Albion, MI., 49224 (517) 629-3933

May 1, 2019

Press Release:
In 2012, Chief Kipp updated the Public Safety Department’s Use of Force policy and implemented a Use
of Force report form. Every time a Public Safety Officer uses force on an individual, the officer using the
force must complete the form and submit the form to his or her direct supervisor. The forms are reviewed
by the Officer’s direct supervisor and the Patrol Lieutenant. The City and the Department do not tolerate
excessive use of force by Officers, and prioritize the proper training of Officers through hands-on Field
Training with newly hired Officers to the Department.

As a result of this Use of Force reporting process, the City discovered an incident that occurred on
November 24, 2018 involving one of the City’s Public Safety Officers. The Patrol Lieutenant reviewed
the form and the Officer’s body camera footage and raised concerns up through the ranks to the Deputy
Chief. The Deputy Chief brought the matter to the attention of Chief Kipp and it was determined that an
internal investigation would be conducted into the incident. As a result, the involved Officer was placed
on an administrative leave, the City’s Public Safety Department initiated an internal investigation, and the
Michigan State Police were contacted. The Michigan State Police conducted a concurrent criminal
investigation.

In February 2019, the Michigan State Police completed their criminal investigation and the investigation
was turned over to the Calhoun County Prosecutor for review. Once the State had completed the criminal
investigation, the City completed its internal investigation into the matter. As a result of the internal
investigation, the involved Officer was found to have violated several Department policies which
warranted termination of employment. On February 20, 2019, then Acting City Manager and Chief Kipp
issued a termination letter to the Officer.