Police force here to serve, not cause hardships

As he settles into his new role of Cornell police chief, Glenn Rehberg wants the public to know the department is trying to help, any way they can. Since Rehberg arrived at his new job, several people have expressed concerns, asking for more enforcement when dealing with “junk” properties.

“Obviously, you don’t want the police force to tell people that their grass is an inch too high,” said Rehberg. “But, you don’t want the community to be like one giant junk yard. So, there’s a balance in there.”

Rehberg says that is where discretion comes into play – especially as the city’s current policy is that if someone complains, the department looks at the property in question, to see if an ordinance has been broken. Depending on the officer’s analysis, they may take some form of appropriate action against the property.

For example, if a lot has multiple vehicles the property owner is working on, Rehberg says he understands the cars are a work in progress. However, it’s a different matter if cars end up sitting for long periods of time with no visible progress, grass and weeds growing up around the vehicle, and parts and trash strewn around.

“I can respect people for saying, that really is a health hazard,” said Rehberg.

Admittedly, in this day and age, people also have a lot of stuff, such as an ATV, camper and a boat. Rehberg’s concern is abandoned vehicles, debris and old building materials – things that help vermin breed.

Rehberg says he is not worried about the number of lawn mowers people may have in the yard, but that it has to be obvious they are in the process of fixing said mowers. Because he doesn’t want unreasonable enforcement, Rehberg has revamped the ordinance form, making it easier to understand.

If a property is found to be in violation of the city’s ordinances, the owner has 10 days to clean up the property, or they could be fined daily, until the problem is solved.

In the event a person “declines” to clean up the property, the city will step in, clean it up, and put the costs against the owner’s real estate taxes or a lien on the property. Rehberg said most choose to clean up the property and that they may not even be aware they are in violation, which is where strong communication between the department and community come into play.

He also said that if some need help or resources to get the job done, the police department is happy to provide whatever help they can.

“I’m not here to change the community, I’m here to serve the community,” said Rehberg.