State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

MI: Meekhof pushes private police forces under new plan

Detroit News: Lansing — Michigan would authorize a new class of private and potentially for-profit police agencies with full arrest powers under legislation proposed and pushed by Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof.

The West Olive Republican took testimony on his two-bill package Tuesday in the Senate Government Operations Committee, where he and other supporters argued private forces could supplement public law enforcement agencies and free them to focus on high-impact crime.

The legislation would allow corporations, associations, school districts and other entities to contract with private police agencies to provide services for a specific time and in a specific geographic area.

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