NEWS

Police officers lauded for going above and beyond

Todd Hill

Five members of the Bucyrus Police Department were honored during City Council’s meeting this week for conduct above and beyond the call of duty.

Three were involved with the investigations into the four murders committed last Labor Day weekend by Donald Hoffman, now serving four consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole. Hoffman, in confessing to the crimes, said he had been on a cocaine and alcohol binge for more than a week when he started killing.

Honored by police Chief David Koepke were Detective Tracy Keegan, Detective John Seif and Capt. Joseph Greathouse.

“They call it a war on drugs, but it’s not a war. People won’t heal if we treat it that way,” Koepke said. “Wars end. This is a struggle. We’re going to overcome this drug culture one way or another.”

Also honored were Officer Sam Caldwell, who received a medal of valor for being attacked with a spear in January of last year, and Lt. Kevin Wert, who earned the community policing medal.

After the police officers and their family members left, Mayor Jeff Reser delivered his state-of-the-city address and Koepke and fire Chief Jay Keller detailed the past year in their departments for the benefit of council members. Council then concluded a busy session by enacting a pair of ordinances.

The city will spend $158,900 to purchase a new dump truck that’s designed to better distribute salt and brine during winter.

Jeff Dunn of the city’s street department said that presently 30 percent of its salt supply is lost to bounce and scatter, while the new vehicle will cut down salt usage on a typical city street from 2.5 tons to 1 ton. The price of salt across most of the state doubled from 2013 to 2014 because of extreme winter weather.

Council members also directed an additional $6,000 be spent to cover the cost of indigent burials in the city, which have already exceeded the total for all of 2014. The city currently pays funeral homes $750 for each indigent burial, 35 percent of which are actually cremations.

Council also moved $3,000 out of the city’s general fund to cover electrical costs at the county airport.

Finally, Koepke and Keller reminded council members that the police and fire community dodgeball tournament will be March 14 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Bucyrus High School, with men’s, coed and 15-to-17-year-old leagues. The police and fire departments will square off at 3 p.m.

Any group with five to seven players can sign up for the tournament, at $50 per team, for the benefit of Relay for Life. The deadline to register is March 11. Call Koepke at 419-834-2018 or Keller at 419-562-1351.

thill3@nncogannett.com

419-563-9225

Twitter: @ToddHillMNJ