Ashland County, Mellen reach law enforcement agreement

Law enforcement will have a new look in Mellen.

The City of Mellen has reached an agreement with Ashland County to have the sheriff’s department provide law enforcement service for the city of 698 residents.

As part of the agreement, which begins July 1, a deputy will be assigned to patrol in Mellen for 40 hours per week, year-round, at a cost of $132,565 annually. All revenue generated from fines, including court fees, will go back to the city.

Mellen has had difficulty staffing its police department and doesn’t possess adequate resources to operate, maintain and fund its own department for the foreseeable future. Moving forward with the agreement is cheaper than continuing to operate its own department at a cost of $170,000 per year.

During patrol hours, the deputy will be the primary responder to all dispatched events and will have the authority to enforce all city ordinances. The deputy will leave the city boundaries only at the direction of the sheriff’s office for required mutual aid.

The assigned deputy shall have space in city hall and meet with city officials and residents on an as-needed basis at this location.

Although he’s open to the agreement, councilman James Warren grieves the change.

“I like having a police department in Mellen. It’s what I grew up with. It’s what I’m used to,” he said.