Above: New Community Service Officer Brad Buhmann stands by his service vehicle outside the Fairmont Police Department.

FAIRMONT — The Fairmont Police Department recently created a new position, that of a Community Service Officer. Meant to focus on ordinances and animal control, the Department hired a familiar face to fill the role. Former Fairmont Police officer Brad Buhmann explains his new duties and the purpose behind the part-time position.

“The Community Service Officer is a civilian employee of the Police Department,” he said. “So I have no powers of arrest, I’m just going to be utilized to take care of ordinance violations such as parking, junked vehicles, and things like that.”

Buhmann states that the decision to come back and work for the Fairmont Police Department after retiring in the Fall of 2019 was a simple one and a win-win situation for himself and the city.

“It’s a very flexible schedule for me and, as far as the city, I’ve worked here for 27 years, I know how the computer system works and the rules and regulations. The majority of people in town I’ve either dealt with or kind of know their situation.

“The main thing with this program is to get compliance, it’s not so much about enforcement,” he continued. “Monetary value isn’t resolving anything. If you get a citation, that doesn’t take care of the problem. You’ve still got to mow your lawn, you’ve got to pick up your junk, and it’s about what tools you need to get that taken care of.

“I’m one of the people that are going to help you do that. We want compliance, we don’t want to rule with an iron fist. There’s some elderly people that just can’t do some of that stuff and we’re going to try and line some people up in some of the civic organizations to try and help them through some of these things.”

Buhmann further elaborated on the need to work with people instead of just issuing citations, noting again that the goal is to help people.

“Unfortunately, with prior administrations, it was all about tickets, tickets, tickets. But what happens a lot of times is, by issuing citations, it just elongates the issue because you have to wait for the court process. We just need to get the problems resolved.”

As far as his hours of operation, Buhmann is glad that his schedule will be a varied one.

“People aren’t always home from nine to five during the day,” he said. They’re working. So if I come out a little bit later I can say “Thanks for mowing your lawn, but you can’t blow it out in the street.”

“There’s a lot of ordinances out there that people are just not educated with,” he continued. “You can’t have your garbage can and recycling cans in front of your house, there are time limits. If that’s going to be an ongoing problem I can just stop down and just let people know it can’t be permanently left out.”

Buhmann did state that he is still authorized to issue citations as needed because some people never comply and it’s important to help out the neighborhoods.

“The biggest thing is that people have forgotten how to be a neighbor,” he said. “They need to introduce themselves and see if people need help. If you know that there’s an elderly person or someone that’s handicapped on your block, see if you can help them.

“I think over the last few decades, as people have become familiar with cell phones, it’s too easy to press a button and report something. But they’re not doing anything to help their neighbor out. They’re quick to call and complain, where they could just go over and ask someone to put their dog in because it’s barking.”

“Just being a good neighbor is the big premise here,” he concluded. “Be proud of what you have. It’s just about public awareness and trying to get problems taken care of.”