Oakley Get Your Gun, and Badge

[XLFD]

The Posse is Impossibly Imposing

The village of Oakley, Michigan is a small community of less than 300 people in Saginaw County according to the last decennial census; it's about the size of Custer, right here in Mason County.  Whereas Custer has no standing police force, Oakley has one that operates on about $40,000 a year, which includes a chief, 12 certified officers, and his personal force of approximately 100 reserve police officers who pay the chief to receive badges and be on the force. 

 

One could speculate on whether having about half of the adult population of a village be reserve officers is a good idea or not.  After all, on the positive side it may be a great deterrent against people coming to town to raise trouble or commit crimes, knowing that there are up to 100 pistol-packing reservists in the neighborhood.  But the obvious questions about why the force of a backwater village is so substantial, how is it funded, who are the officers, what is their training, who do they owe allegiance to, and even whether they are within responding range to the citizens are questions that the Village of Oakley leaders refuse to tender.  

 

These officers got their badges  simply by donating to the Oakley Police Department.  They didn't necessarily graduate from the police academy, they didn't necessarily swear an oath to defend the Constitution, they didn't necessarily ever crack open a law book, and they didn't necessarily get a complete background or psychological check. 

 

How did this village of 300 residents end up with so many people willing to protect it, even if they don't live inside its borders? Could they be patrolling in your area with the green light to openly carrying firearms almost anywhere and effectuate arrests throughout Michigan?

 

 

Shannon Bitterman (center front, in this picture from a recent village meeting, two certified OPD officers in the back) and her husband Dennis, own the Oakley Family Tavern in Oakley.  They had had some problems with the local gendarmes harming their business, and were curious when they learned of the number of reserves and the funding of the local department by donations from these volunteers.  When citizens get curious about the operations of government, they can file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to learn more.  She filed a request for the names and addresses of the reserve officers, and she also wanted to know who was donating tens of thousands of dollars per year to the village's police fund. 

 

Getting full addresses may have been problematical, as such material is often exempted due to being an invasion of privacy, but typically names of public officers and donors to public coffers are available to the curious interested in public affairs.  She was denied everything, however, the Village denying it based on an unwarranted invasion of privacy.  She then had it moved to court utilizing the services of Outside Legal Counsel attorney Philip Ellison in a FOIA lawsuit. 

 

This action was filed last year, and the local judge's ruling was mixed , finding that she could know the names of retired, fired, or otherwise expired reserve officers, but not of current reserve officers, nor anybody's donations.  The decision is in the midst of appeal by both parties, so the mysteries remain.

Citizens for Transparency, Officials for Opacity

Shannon Bitterman has complained in the past about how the police department, including armed reserve officers, policed crowds at events hosted at the Oakley Family Tavern, 116 W. Second, in Oakley. That includes an annual bike run that has grown in popularity.

She owns the bar with her husband, Dennis Bitterman, who was elected to the village council during the November 2012 election.  Shannon Bitterman also ran for the board but was not elected. She said she plans to run again during the next election cycle.

The Bittermans say they have concerns about the operation of their police force, and they aren't alone in their community of 300 on the southern edge of Saginaw County.

"People have a lot of questions, and for years they have gone unanswered," Shannon Bitterman said. "I'm certainly not the only one in town asking the questions, I'm just the one trying to get the answers."

Dennis Bitterman asked how much money was flowing from the police reservist or "donation" fund to the village budget during a March 11 board of trustees meeting.  The village clerk could not provide the line item but said an estimated $40,000 has come into the account this fiscal year, ending March 31.

Police Chief Robert Reznick says there is a reason why he won't voluntarily give a list of the names his reservists.

"Because, first of all, this is 2014 and attacks on law enforcement officers have heightened. Cops are getting killed often," Reznick said. "These guys are in civilian jobs, doctors, lawyers. They don't need that publicity.  They don't need people to know that they're donating money or where they're donating money. It's their private lives. They want to do it in an anonymous way."

He added that uniformed reservists "wear their names on their shirts."

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/04/whos_a_reserve_...

 

A Reserve and the Chief Talk

One of the reservists, Guido Adenbaum, is an attorney living in West Bloomfield. More than 70 miles away from Oakley, he believes the program isn't hurting anyone and is in fact helping the village.

"From what I understand, the money that the reservists pays for the actual police department that serves the village," says Adenbaum.

Adenbam says he heard about it from an acquaintance. He donated $1000 to the police department's reserve program after being accepted.  To get into the program, you fill out an application which is then approved by the police chief, Rob Reznick, who has stated that applicants must already have a concealed pistol license.  Adenbaum says there are people from Oakland County are involved in the program.

One of those people was Ortonville resident and former Waterford Township police officer Brian Mahoney. He pleaded no contest to two weapons charges in an Oakland County courtroom back in 2011 after he allegedly got into an altercation and fired a gun outside a Waterford Township bar.

At the time of the shooting, officials say he told officers he was an off duty officer with the village of Oakley.  He was sentenced to probation and was forced to resign from the village of Oakley reservist program, one of three reserve officers which Chief Reznick has had to let go. 

Reznick insists Oakley village could not survive without the reserve officer program, while Officer Adenbaum actively looks for more recruits for the program, presumably in his own county far away from Oakley. 

A hotly contested village board meeting had a vote on whether to disband the Oakley Police Department on April 8, 2014, citing the controversies and the court battles which led to the village's insurer dropping their coverage.  It narrowly escaped with its life with a 4-3 vote.  Reznick did not attend, having a new occupation as Waterloo Township Police Chief a couple of counties away.  Reznick brought donations of $60,000, including a $45,000 Chevrolet Tahoe, to Waterloo Township almost immediately after he was hired, according to the Jackson Citizen Patriot.  The origin of those donations is anybody's guess

Why It All Matters

"You have unnamed officers that are paying to play," said Nicole Bruff, who lives outside of Oakley and said she patronizes some of the businesses in the village. "May I make a donation to this ghost organization so that I may also walk the streets as an unidentified reservist? That is abhorrent."

The rules and regulations of the Oakley Police, and the Ludington Police, reserves is a secret.  The members are a mystery to almost all.  The funding and the accounting is an enigma.  Their powers are not well defined.  Their jurisdiction is a conundrum. 

When one of these 100 officers get in trouble, like the aforementioned Brian Mahoney, and claim to be acting under the auspices of the village, when they most definitely are not, the villagers and insurers are held liable; that's why they were dropped and why a new policy would cost each member of that city several hundred dollars per year, at least three times the OPD budgets with their 'donations'.  One hundred reserve officers being commanded solely by one chief, not the village board; a man who also serves as chief for another place about an hour away appeasing the village there with gifts brought by anonymous donors with anonymous motives. 

Oakley village shows on a grander scale what can happen when a reserve system swirls out of constitutional control and comes under the power of one man, receiving secret funds from secret donors to establish secret powers for a totally secret police force.  It is abhorrent-- in Oakley or Ludington.  

[XLFD]

The latest from Oakley includes the disbanding of their full police department by a 5-1 vote of the village council, after a supposed attempt to get liability insurance falls through after a trustee files a lawsuit against the township.  http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/09/village_of_oakl...

It looks like the people and governing boards of Oakley and Barry Township have made their decision on reserve police officers:  "we can't afford the liability such officers accrue."  Reserve police officers need to be policed; communities do not need unlawfully created, shadowy police forces ran by police chiefs or any other public officials. 

[Shannon Bitterman]

Just reread this article from 2014 and thought I would offer an update.  I would update your readers on the issues in Oakley surrounding Chief Reznick and his massive pay to play anonymous Oakley reserve officers.  The update is that all things are status quo here in Oakley.  Reznick is still large and in charge.   As we approach the primary election August 2nd and the upcoming general elections in November, I find myself driven to remind everyone just how powerful your vote is. 

From the smallest government election like Oakley to the Sherriff and Judges to the Governor of your state, be  careful who you vote for.  Oakley is a village one square mile big with less than 300 citizens and half that many voters and tax payers.  Out of those 150 some-odd taxpayers, we vote to office 7 public official positions that have voting power.   (6 Trustees and 1 Village President).  The Village Clerk is also an elected position; however the clerk has no vote.  But take my word, use extreme caution who you vote as clerk.  The clerk is the glue really, that ties in most of the day to day of the village or municipality.  The clerk writes the meeting minutes, pays the bills, answers FOIA, and takes direction from the village council.  I can speak from experience, that minutes of the clerk can be damagingly biased if he/she so pleases, especially if your town or village has a divided issue like Oakley has.  Oakley's June 2016 village minutes are prime example of a biased clerk, most of the minutes are her own opinions against me and my family.  If the clerk sides with the majority 4 voters of a divided council like Oakley's Clerk has, a lot of things can get swept out of the way, FOIAs can be denied, calls are made or not made, and meeting minutes are written that don't seem to describe the meeting you attended. 

This is what happened in tiny little Oakley, a majority vote of just 4  people and a clerk who sides with them, has allowed a chief of police with an infamous history as long as your arm to operate a pay to play reserve unit program and self-funded police department to become a HUGE liability to the village of Oakley and ultimately the state of Michigan.  Why?  Because Reznick brings in so much money.  Yes, 4 voters in tiny little Oakley, Michigan have allowed Chief Reznick to operate a pay to play anonymous reserve unit that is accountable only to Reznick himself, he alone has ultimate control.  Last count of Oakley's reserve officers was 150 plus, at least those are the ones Reznick and the village coughed up.  I am convinced this is so much bigger than this, that's why I have personally referred to chief Reznick as the Kingpin, because from what I can tell, without him, all these wealthy business moguls, rock stars, doctors, lawyers and NFL players aka  Oakley Reserve unit would cease to exist if not for him.  Because those 4 people in Oakley allow Reznick to do this, he has the green light to grant "reserve officer" privileges as he pleases.   MCOLES has no authority, Saginaw County Sheriff Federspiel says nothing of it, the Attorney General Scheutte says nothing, and certainly the law makers have not corrected this opportunistic loop hole Reznick runs his program in; unfortunately this affects all of Michigan.  So be very careful who you vote for.  

I first FOIA'd Oakley after we had a serious complaint  about chief Reznick back in 2011 was basically ignored. I was told by the former Village President Doug Shindorf that I was opening a big can of worms.  The more I pushed for information, more worms, I was told the council's hands were tied, "he brings in too much money", and "we would be broke without him"; the more worms crawled out, each one bigger and uglier than the one before it.  The more worms crawled out, the more Oakley Police Department put pressure on our customers and our business.  This affected all of Oakley, people quit coming to Oakley and many avoiding even going through Oakley because of the sudden increase in "police protection".  Seems for a while there, the 1 square mile called Oakley looked like the blue light special. 

Reznick approached me at a Reserve Officer Funded March Madness event March of 2012 telling me he has the full support of the council and full support of the Sheriff Department (Federspiel).  He told me he isn't going anywhere and will have our liquor license and wave goodbye when he run us out of town.  Mind you at that time, we had our liquor license 30 years without one violation or complaint.  Turns out, full support of the council and the Sheriff's office is all he needed. To this day, those 4 votes have allowed Reznick to remain as Oakley's Police Chief and sole Kingpin of his pay to play scheme accountable to no one but his own nasty self.  

Since the names of some of Oakley's reserve officers have been released, I want the public to know just how the Kingpin can direct one of these officers to assist in his efforts to have our liquor license and run us out of town...

 - Attorney Steven Vitale, who represented Reznick at an Oakley Police Committee meeting when we filed our official complaint to the village of Oakley.  As my husband and employee tried to tell the committee of thei complaints about chief Reznick, Attorney Vitale interrupted at every turn to throw in legal responses and counter questions.  We were told not to bring an attorney.  That was October 2012.  When Reserve names were released after a costly and lengthy FOIA - turns out Attorney Steven Vitale was listed as a reserve officer. 

- Reserve officer Stone and other reserve officers went door to door during the September 2012 annual bike run hosted at our tavern asking village residents if they had any concerns or complaints about the events hosted at our bar.  For years I was led to believe officer Stone was a police officer in Oakley, after FOIA of reserve officers and police information; turns out he was instead a reserve officer and long time friend of Reznick.

- When Oakley lost our municipal insurance due to lawsuits and  the  police department; two of the reserve officers resigned  because our new insurance was obtained through them and their company.  

- Reserve officers and Chief Reznick along with their supporting council members hosted a kids event in Oakley.  A flyer was crafted by Trustee Susan Dingo and Clerk Cheryl Bolf called "The Village Voice" highlighted how me and my family was ruining our village and costing us our insurability.  The flyer was printed by one of the reserve officers at his company and the biased newsletter was selectively distributed to certain households in the village by Oakley Police Department and Oakley reserve officers using Oakley police vehicles.- It was a Reserve officer who owns a major towing company that delivered the missing military stake truck Reznick obtained while at Waterloo that neither Waterloo or Oakley were aware of.  

- Famed First Amendment attorney Hoerschel Fink, attorney for the Detroit Free Press wrote a letter on behalf of the anonymous reserve members stating release of their names would put them in danger of ISIS and could be considered malice.  He was later identified as a former member of Oakley's Reserve Unit.

- Three John Doe Reserve officers threatened to sue the village council should their names be revealed.    Too bad that didn't pan out for them.  They were represented in court by an attorney who works at the same law office as Oakley reserve officer and Attorney Quido Aidenbaum.  Quido's son is also a reserve officer.- Kirk Norman, Undercover reserve officer and long time friend of Reznick stated he attended a bike run hosted at our bar September 2013 and witnessed several liquor control violations.  Those he reported to Chief Reznick who reported to the Liquor Control Commission was that our seating  capacity was not clearly posted; our licenses were not protected under a clear surface (they were framed but the glass had broken and not replaced); and that he saw a woman show her breasts.  He also witnessed the singer of the band drink from his own whiskey bottle on our premises.  No pictures to support any of this.  He said he notices this kind of stuff because he owns a bar in Fenton, MI called Snappers on the Water.  When questioned at the LCC hearing, Norman said he enjoyed a few beers while at the bike events at the bar.  - Brad Devon, undercover reserve officer stated he also saw breasts and witnessed the singer of the band repeatedly ask to see some titties.  To this date, no one else seems to know of a woman showing her breasts.

- Documents received through FOIA show an Oakley Reserve officer got frustrated at his local pharmacy and brandished his weapon and Oakley Badge when the store clerk took too long.  Police were called to address the situation. 

-   Reznick assaulted two people at our bar and accused them of assaulting him and obstructing justice.  Many witnesses on our behalf witnessed otherwise but these two people went to jail with felony charges against them.  Thankfully, the prosecuting attorney saw through this and did not allow the charges to stick.  Reznick filed a complaint with the liquor control commission that we allowed felonies to occur in our business.  Also stated my husband obstructed officers when performing "a liquor inspection' during the bike run weekend when my husband asked Reznick to stay out of the bar after he just arrested two innocent people.  There were enough other officers to police the tavern and bike events that Reznick who had counter lawsuits against us, ethically should have steered clear of.  We now have liquor violations on our previously clean record.- Reznick and his reserve officers conducted a sting operation during the 2013 bike run events.  The weekend of the event, the village closed off the entrance to our tavern from the main highway and had their sting operation at the other entrances to our business.  I can't tell you how many complaints we heard how the police treated those daring enough to go through this unwelcoming gauntlet to attend the bike run.  There were no alcohol related arrests made the entire weekend.  Reznick's attempts to have our license was taking a while.

I guarantee you, that can of worms is not yet empty, as long as the Sheriff and the voting majority in Oakley Oakley Council members support this - Reznick thrives completely unchecked...as does his anonymous donors and reserve officers.   

[Willy]

That's an amazing story Shannon. And I thought Ludington's politics was bad. The fact that your law enforcement would try to "frame" someone is frightening. Something similar happened to the creator of this web site. He was banished from City Hall for trying to gather information via FIOA's and other means. It sounds like your Chief is nothing more than a bully. The really bad thing is that he has the backing of a Council majority and until that changes not much will happen with your situation. Maybe a recall of the Council is in order. All you would need is to get rid of one and replace them with someone with common sense since at least 4 of your Councilors seem to lack it.

[Willy]

Did they lose their insurance because of the lawsuits or because of the liability caused by such a large reserve unit?

[XLFD]

It may not be totally clear from the link, but further research has the Michigan Municipal League saying that both were factors (it even found its way into today's COLDNews on page 3).

[AQUAMAN]

Thanks for sharing this Shannon, you have a lot of courage and determination to absorb and survive this kind of nightmare. Good luck to you and your husband, and keep the faith. I would think a private detective from out of your area, far away, might be interested in pursuing this horrible situation, but it would probably be expensive. Sharing the costs with other citizens might help, at least to expose the underworld habits of those guilty of the crimes perpetrated upon you.