ADDYSTON, Ohio — The Village of Addyston voted Tuesday night to dissolve its police department.
The village council voted 4-2 in favor of disbanding the department and instead will vote on Friday to approve a contract with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office to patrol its streets beginning in 2025, according to village councilmember Dan Pillow.
Pillow said the contract with Hamilton County would be $87,000 in 2025 compared to a police budget of $300,000 this past year.
The INEOS plant closure and understaffing were major factors in the vote, according to Pillow.
The Village Chief of Police, Jacob Tenbrink, echoed the blame on the INEOS plant closure.
"There has always been a rumor that if INEOS ever shut down, the village would follow suit, and unfortunately, that rumor has now come true—beginning with the police department," Tenbrink said in a statement to WCPO 9. "Even if we were able to continue operations, it would be difficult to do so efficiently given the current challenges with officer shortages. Our size makes it hard to compete with larger agencies."
Tenbrink also said he was not involved in any of the discussions regarding the police department, but that he fully supports the sheriff's office ensuring the community is safe.
The plant, which makes plastic polymers used in car parts, toys and other products, was originally built as a pipe foundry in 1889 by Matthew Addy. After he plotted its first streets to house factory workers, Addyston was incorporated in 1891. The pipe plant converted to plastics when Monsanto bought it in 1951. Since then, it was continuously operated by four owners - Monsanto, Bayer, Lanxess and INEOS.
In a press release and an Oct. 30 email to the village, INEOS blamed the closure on “growing competition from overseas imports” and a company analysis that showed the plant required a “substantial investment” to “achieve cost competitiveness.” It also said it would decommission the plant in a “safe and responsible way.”
The announcement stunned village leaders.
“I was devastated,” said Addyston Mayor Lisa Mear. “This is going to seriously impact our community and our people here.”
Lot Tan Lisa Mear was elected mayor of Addyston in 2019. Mear said the plant’s 180 employees pay about $300,000 in annual income tax, which covers more than a third of Addyston’s total budget. Hamilton County records show the 87-acre plant also pays about $22,000 in annual property tax to Addyston.
"With Ineos accounting for 70% of our village income, its closure has significantly impacted us, and as a department, we can no longer survive," Tenbrink said.
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