Flint Township View

Two police officers resign





FLINT TWP. — The ongoing seesaw between recruitment and retention continues for the township police department which accepted resignations last week from two patrol officers.

Officer Alexander Knopp resigned to take another job and Officer Nicholas Pohl did not successfully complete field training, said Police Chief George Sippert.

Knopp joined the department in August 2014 and Pohl was hired last October.

In his letter of resignation, Pohl cited personal reasons and thanked the police department for the opportunity. His last day was February 6.

Knopp’s last day was February 20, Chief Sippert said.

“I cannot thank Flint Township for everything they have done for my family and I,’’ Knopp said in his resignation letter. “The knowledge, training and experience I gained here will help me with my new career at the Oakland County Sheriff Department.”

He also said that long and careful consideration went into his decision to leave but he ultimately decided that the new position was best for his career.

Turnover in the police department, after going through the expense of training officers, has been an ongoing concern for township board members.

Trustee Frank Kasle asked Chief Sippert about sharing exit interview information with the board, which Sippert said he would do privately.

“We have lost a lot of officers,” Kasle said.

Pohl is a 2016 graduate of the Mott Community College Law Enforcement Regional Training Academy and joined the department with no prior experience, according to his biography when he hired in.

According to his bio, Knopp previously was a police officer for Montrose Township, Genesee Township, the City of Flushing, the City of Mt. Morris and the City of Walled Lake.

Budgeted for 45 officers, the Flint Township Police department is reduced back to a staff of 39 following the two resignations. It had recently gone up to 41 with the swearing in of two new officers on February 21.

The department has sought to hire more officers since funds were provided by the passage of a ten-year Public Safety Millage in 2014.

In an ongoing effort to fill the vacancies, an Application Packet for Entry Level Police Officers is posted on the township web site at www.flinttownship.org. The posting provides salary details, eligibility requirements and the application procedure.

The annual base wage for top patrol officers in 2017 is $61,196, according to the posting. Benefits include health, dental and vision insurance and a pension plan. Further inquiry can be made to Chief George Sippert at (810) 600-3277


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