There’s plenty of new developments happening within the St. Joseph Department of Public Safety as Director Steve Neubecker gave an update to residents at a community meeting of the St. Joseph City Commission this week. He went over 2022 highlights that included new drones for the department. A $40,000 grant also helped the department obtain new tasers.
“The new models are equipped with a camera that automatically activates when removed from the officer’s holster,” Neubecker said. “It’s also equipped with a warning which may enable officers to achieve compliance without needing to deploy the probes.”
Neubecker said after the successful launch of surveillance cameras along the bluff, the department is planning additional cameras for this year.
“This year we’re going to add downtown cameras and city hall cameras, front and back city hall cameras, along with cameras in our downtown. We’re hoping in the next three years to place cameras at Tiscornia and Lions Beach Park.”
Neubecker noted in 2022, his department was able to station two school resource officers at St. Joseph Public Schools. They also expanded to Our Lady of the Lake and Trinity Lutheran. That program will continue thanks to $200,000 in federal funding. As for fire operations, he said the department is looking at adding automatic aid agreements with Benton Harbor and St. Joseph Township after success with agreements in Lincoln Township and Benton Township.
