Ypsilanti police report higher call volumes in April and continue to operate with vacancies, lieutenant says

The Ypsilanti Police Department reported increases in several categories of crime in April and continues to operate with multiple vacancies, Lieutenant Wis told the Police Advisory Commission on May 28.

In the monthly summary, Lieutenant Wis said April's counts showed increases in categories including motor vehicle larceny, property damage and fraud compared with the same month last year. Calls for service for the month were discussed and members sought clarification about whether the figures represented a monthly or year‑to‑date total; the lieutenant confirmed the statistics were for April.

Lieutenant Wis said the department currently has four vacancies; two officers recently started at the police academy and two are in field training. Commissioners noted periods with only three officers on duty and discussed how staffing levels and mutual‑aid responses from neighboring jurisdictions factor into patrol patterns.

Why it matters: Commissioners said staffing levels and rising calls for service affect public perception of safety and the department's capacity to implement new programs or to provide oversight during investigations. The commission flagged intersections (Hamilton and Washington) that lead the city in crashes and suggested ride‑along and station tours as future agenda items to better understand operations.

Next steps: Commissioners discussed arranging ride‑alongs and a station tour and agreed to follow up with Lieutenant Wis on applications for the Citizens Police Academy and to schedule further discussion of traffic hot spots.