Memories of

Michigan's Youngest Police Chief *

-Saugatuck 1958

-By Russell L. Colling, Nov. 2009

Saugatuck's 23 Year Old Police Chief

In the late 1950's, the Village of Saugatuck was experiencing a rapidly changing community environment. The commercial fishing business was still strong, the Fruit Exchange, American Twisting, and Harris Pie were for all appearances thriving. The principal town economy of tourism was, however, changing. An increase of the younger "party-type" of visitor was beginning to overshadow the family environment. Also during this time a major concern was the influx of motorcycle groups and the beginning of a loosely organized gang type influence in the community known as the "Rebels."

I was a police officer in Saugatuck for the summer of 1957. I then returned to Michigan State University in pursuit of a bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement. In the spring of 1958 I received a call from then Saugatuck Mayor Richard Hoffman, asking me to be a candidate for the vacated office of Chief of Police. I began serving as the Police Chief in April of that year. The Town Council wanted a Police Department that was helpful and friendly, but that would maintain a high level of safety for the community. Promoting Saugatuck as a fun, family vacation destination was a high priority.

In 1958 we had five full-time police officers, including myself, and a host of local part-time officers, which included among others, Jim Boyce, Floyd Maycroft and Maury Herbert. The Allegan County Sheriff's Department and the State Police provided significant levels of patrol and back-up support for the town. Part of my Michigan State training was with the State Police (South Haven Post), so I was known to many of these fine State Police Officers, which provided a basis for our interagency cooperation and mutual support.

The following year (1959) the police budget allowed for increasing the number of full-time officers to seven positions, with an increased number of part-time officers.

Part of the Saugatuck Force -Russell Colling 3^rd From Left

During the 1957-1959 summer season we employed less than half the number of police officers as recommended nationally, at 1.5 officers per 1,000 persons. As it was, the town's economic base and government infrastructure was taxed to the limit to be able to provide adequate town services. Also to be expected, the weekends would bring the largest influx of persons to the town. Many nights the Pavilion bar capacity of 950 patrons and the Old Crowe bar capacity of 350 patrons would be completely full by early evening. Persons would line up at the doors waiting for someone to leave so they would be permitted entry. The two lines would extend backward until they merged into Water Street. The town would often be grid locked by automobile traffic, prompting us to block off the three entrances into town from the highway (no interstate highway at that time), allowing traffic to only exit. Persons seeking to enter the town would often park their cars on both sides of the highway and walk to the downtown area. Policing was a real challenge with the numbers of people and the grid locked traffic. We really didn't want to walk (or carry) an arrested person down our streets to a lock up facility. There were two police holding cells in the Public Works building, but there was no one in attendance and no meal capability. In this respect, prisoners had to be transported to the Sheriff's Office in Allegan, which often required continuous round trips during a single evening, even transporting three prisoners at a time by a single officer. This time-consuming activity was drastically reduced when I was successful in establishing night court on Friday and Saturday nights (summer). Court was held upstairs in the City Hall from around 9 PM until 2 AM each of the two nights.

During these years, the main police dispatch center was the front desk of the Maplewood Hotel. A separate telephone (the Police number) would be answered by the desk clerk on duty (who was frequently hotel owner Bobbi McCray) as the Saugatuck Police Department. The "dispatcher" was in contact with officers in vehicles via two-way radio. In this era of time there was no such thing as a radio that could be taken out of the police car to be carried by a walking officer. When performing walking patrol the officer was basically on his own until he could get to a telephone or have someone, often a bystander, make the call for needed police assistance. With the grid lock of traffic, numbers of people, and frequent criminal activity, it was imperative that a high percentage of police officer duty was performed by foot patrol.

In those years overtime laws were either not in effect or not enforced. During the summers the full-time officers averaged over 60 hour work weeks. During the winter months, as Chief, I would often work seven days and then be on call when there would not be an officer on duty. The longest day I can recall was 38 continuous hours when we were trying to recover a drowning victim from the Kalamazoo River.

There was great support for the Police Department from the Town Council, even as it changed in it's makeup of members. Despite all the demands on the town budget, I was able to acquire two new police vehicles-a car and a fast police boat. I also remember that I very quietly brought up the subject of combining Saugatuck and Douglas police departments as a single operating entity. I even had an old service station on the highway near the bridge across the river into Douglas in mind as a good location for serving both towns from a central location. I believe this building is still there. I was aware of the rivalry between the two towns but hadn't realized that it was so deep seated. I quickly dropped the subject for the rest of my tenure.

There were several activities and initiatives that were somewhat unique to the Saugatuck Police Department in the late 50's. I'm still proud of our philosophy to not only police the community, but also to serve the community. As I write this there are four general areas of this service that come to mind. These areas are what are now called community policing, our off-season home inspection program, involvement with the schools (primarily high school), and our compassion for stray and lost cats and dogs.

The term community policing came into vogue in the middle 1990's, as if someone had suddenly come up with a revolutionary idea. In short, the term means getting out of patrol cars, and involving police officers face to face with the public in a supportive teamwork community approach to police services. We accomplished that in Saugatuck 35 years earlier!! Merchants were contacted in their businesses at least once daily with a handshake and often asked how we as the police could better serve them and the community. And no, we didn't help ourselves to an apple or a donut at the Whipple Grocery Store during our contacts with Mr. Whipple and his staff. We also met with community groups who had concerns or problems to discuss. I personally contacted all persons I could locate who had even the slightest complaint about police services.

There were many homes and businesses that closed up during the "off-season" and many of these owners would winter in other states. Through various avenues of communication we identified these homeowners and contacted them to obtain information about where they could be reached during this off-season time. We offered a police service that would visually inspect their property (externally on all sides) once per week and following the occurrence of a major storm. The main purpose of this inspection was to check for damage, or break in, and mitigate damage if appropriate. We would then notify the owner of any such problems discovered, and even assist as much as we could to facilitate repairs.

A rather unorthodox police activity was performed by the officers themselves, who formed a loose animal shelter type of program. A role of the town police was that of animal wardens and these officers often had the very unpleasant duty of putting the animals to "sleep." What developed was that in many cases the officers would temporarily care for the animal at their homes while they sought the owner or could get someone to "adopt" the animal. A good many animals found new homes. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) learned of this work and presented the department with an honorable mention award.

Bill Livingood, Robert Piatt, and Clifford Van Meter

With their Animal Friends**

Lastly, I became quite involved with the high school and sometimes the grade school, in what I will call an "Officer Friendly" approach, as well as providing standard crime related police services. My objective was for the "police" to provide support for students and teachers in a positive approach, rather than always in negative police interactions. The approach was to promote the concept of police service as an important element of the community and society infrastructure that operated as a positive service for the safety and well being of all persons. I'm sure that part of my success in this regard was that after all I was only a few years older than the students.

Policing in Saugatuck during those years was truly different than today. We did not have the Miranda law at that time (advising arrested persons of their rights before interviewing them), vehicle search laws were more permissive, and parents supported both the schools and the police. The Justice of the Peace officials rendered a quick and sure resolution for the town's law enforcement program.

When I reflect on some of my police experiences during the time I served Saugatuck, a variety of mundane, scary, and unique events emerges from my memory:

- Climbing the endless stairs to Mt. Baldhead (location of the old radar tower) to put out fires, break up fights, and assist ill or injured tourists.

- At the request of the State Police, we frequently manned a "road block" at the Kalamazoo River Bridge in the rain, sleet, snow, and freezing temperature, but we did manage to apprehend some really bad persons.

- Being called out of bed at 3 AM to respond to a vehicle running into a parked cement mixer-the car was gone but he had left his license plate hanging on the mixer as he had apparently backed away. Guess who I in turn got to wake up! He said he had been sleeping as I observed steam and smoke pouring from the engine of his not too well hidden car.

- Horrible fatal automobile accidents.

- Assisting distraught parents find their missing children.

- A late night raid on illegal after hours selling of alcohol in a residence with about 200 partygoers at the scene.

- Too many suicides.

- The pregnant woman who told me I'd better step on it getting her to the hospital or she would deliver in the back seat of my patrol car-I stepped on it.

- The man sitting at the restaurant breakfast counter with a concealed weapon. After asking him to put his hands in the air he produced his FBI credentials.

These, among other Saugatuck experiences were instrumental in preparing me for my future careers and goals. These included completion of my Masters Degree at Michigan State University, college professor, Titan missile security, hospital administrator, and my long-lasting engagement in the hospital security field that resulted in my publishing of five college textbooks along the way.

Russell Colling

My family and I return on a frequent basis as just another tourist family enjoying the wonderful environment, activities, and residents of Saugatuck.

November 2009

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* Russell Colling was appointed Chief on April 1, 1958, two days before his 22^nd birthday, after having served as a regular officer in town the year before. At 21 years of age, he remains the youngest Chief not only in Saugatuck, but in the history of the state. He was 22 when he subsequently applied for and was granted membership in the Michigan Police Chief Association.

**Wilson "Bill" Livingood went on from Saugatuck to a 33 year career with the U. S. Secret Service, serving at the side of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, and with Richard Nixon in China. He retired after rising to become a top administrator with the Service, and in 1995 was appointed Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives, an office he still holds. Robert Piatt went on to become an executive with State Farm Insurance. Dr. Clifford Van Meter became the Director of the Illinois Police Training Institute at Champaign-Urbana, then in retirement an instructor at Grand Valley State. Dr. Van Meter has since passed on.

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