The Frankfort Police Department and The City of Frankfort announced that police services will extend to the newly-annexed area of Frankfort near the corridor of State Road 28 and Interstate 65 beginning Sept. 1 after discussion with county entities.
During the Frankfort Board of Public Works and Safety meeting on July 8, Frankfort Police Department Chief Scott Shoemaker discussed the conversations held between county and city officials regarding the presence of Frankfort officers in the newly-annexed area, stating that the resolution that established the timeline for police, fire and trash services in the area was misinterpreted.
Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets discussed the conversations between the two governmental entities, stating that while the city assumed the police services were set to begin in March 2025 alongside utility and trash services, the resolution stated that police services were set to begin immediately upon annexation.
“I had a meeting with county officials Jordan Brewer, Alan Dunn, myself, Alicia (Albertson) and Tom Little and Eric Woods,” Sheets said. “Our services are really supposed to start next March, March 26. We have to have them going by then.”
Sheets further explained the confusion that sparked the conversations, stating that the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office has continued to address the area as the city and county discussed the timeline for the implementation of police services, which is now set for Sept. 1.
“In our fiscal plan, there was a couple of things in there,” Sheets said. “In one paragraph, it said it became our jurisdiction immediately upon annexation, but if you go to the next paragraph, it says within one year. There’s some controversy over that, and we decided that if Chief Shoemaker thought that we could do it, then we would go ahead and provide police services out in that area.”
Shoemaker continued the conversation, stating that confusion had been sparked for the residents and businesses in the area as the Sheriff’s Office continued to patrol the area rather than the Frankfort Police Department.
“At the other departments, they list up to a year, they did not put that in ours,” Shoemaker said. “I think for the residents and the businesses, there’s been some confusion. After speaking with the mayor last week, Sept. 1 we will begin patrolling and responding to calls for service in the new 5-mile area of Frankfort.”
Shoemaker concluded by stating that while the department has five open positions and a resignation date nearing for officers, numerous officers are currently in training to join the department in the following months with the majority of the officers being slated to be implemented prior to or shortly following the additional patrols and calls to service in the annexed area.
“We are short five officers, and there’s about to be a sixth one,” Shoemaker said. “We do have five officers in training that will be released here this fall and in December. With some overtime and some shuffling, we will be able to patrol and respond accordingly in the new part of the city.”
The Sheriff’s Office will continue to patrol the area and respond to calls for service until Sept. 1.