A tiny town in Michigan will sell you a police badge and gun permit

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Oakley, Mi. is barely a town at 300 people, only one streetlight and, until recently, one police officer. The one cop was good at his job, reports Vocativ’s M.L. Nestel, until he was forced to step down after getting caught stalking a teenage girl.

In 2008, new chief Robert Reznick made some changes: he hired 12 full-time officers and started an enormous volunteer officer program which allowed lawyers, doctors and football players (from other towns) to work toward upholding the law.

One qualifies for this prestigious program simply by paying $1,200 to the police department. In return, you’ll get a uniform, bullet-proof vest and gun. For an additional donation, you’ll get a police badge and the right to carry your gun basically anywhere in the state, including stadiums, bars and daycares.
...
Donna LaMontaine, the president of the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Michigan disapproves of the arrangement: “These people drop four or five grand and dress up to look like police. I have a problem with that.” She also has a problem with the volunteer cops having access to data terminals: “In some places, these reservists are allowed to access to the law enforcement information network, where they can run your license plate and find out where you live and look at your driving record. That’s happening.”

http://www.salon.com/2014/10/24/a_tiny_town_in_michigan_will_sell_you_a_police_badge_and_gun_permit/

[MADem]

1. I never knew there was that kind of craziness in Michigan....

That's concerning.

[Kalidurga]

2. That's just the tip of the iceberg...

It's kind of hard to describe the crazy in Michigan, but if you are sane and go there you will get the crazy vibe right off.

[MADem]

4. I have a friend who just moved there from the Pacific Northwest.

I suspect it's quite an adjustment, then!!

[Kalidurga]

6. Oh dear

not quite as bad as it would be if your friend moved to say Kentucky, but it's gonna be quite the shocker.

[MADem]

7. He's an old hippie, but his hippie tendencies are closeted.

He can pass for a pious old fart when needs must, so can his wife. But they're both flower children from back in the day!

[Kalidurga]

8. Well then he will probably adjust well if he is in a small town

there are a lot of hippie types in smaller towns, but they are pretty much all closeted. They tend to look like farmers.

[bmac19gg]

3. is it still going on?

Wikipedia has this line:

"The village disbanded its police department in September 2014 after the Michigan Township Participating Plan cancelled liability insurance for the department over concerns of its use of untrained police officers."

So did they do-away with this program? And with a total land area of 1.02 sq mi, how is it that this micro-village hasn't been absorbed by a surrounding town?

[amandabeech]

5. It is very likely that Oakley is surrounded by fields.

In Michigan, it is likely that a burg like this would contract with the county sheriff to provide what police services would be necessary.

There are a few urbanized townships around the cities that might have their own police forces, but Oakley isn't located in one of those townships.

On edit: Checked the Google map. I've been very close to this town traveling from Port Hurton to Muskegon, MI. The area is flat, and it is farming area with very few woods. Homes are few and far between. All Oakley needs are the occasion cruis-through by a sheriff's deputy and backup by the state police in case anything really major happens.