Meet Chief Matthew Bartus, Village of Stockbridge Chief of Police

by Joan Tucker

July 2023 marks one year since Chief Bartus was hired by the Village of Stockbridge—first as interim chief then, in November 2022, as Chief of Police. Photo credit: Joan Tucker

Since November 2022, Matthew Bartus has been serving as the new chief of police in Stockbridge. He began this new position after filling in as the interim chief of police for four months, beginning in July 2022.

Bartus has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and completed an internship in forensic science. He then attended a nine-month police academy in Dallas, after which, he accepted a position with the Dallas Police Department. He worked in Dallas for six years in road patrol and specialized detail and events, to name a few of his responsibilities.

An opportunity closer to home opened up, landing Bartus a position in Pittsfield Township, Mich., where he worked until he began as the interim chief of police in Stockbridge.

Bartus’s interests have included working as a firearms instructor, supervising command training, and performing community service. He led school programs for autism awareness and other mental health workshops and developed a list for area kids with autism who were at risk for flight. Having a child with autism has given him an understanding of their issues, and Bartus has a passion for keeping these kids safe.

Currently, Chief Bartus is completing a master’s degree in police administration.

Community is very important to Bartus.  He moved his family to the Stockbridge area and attends one of our local churches. Meeting with local businesses, the Village of Stockbridge, and Stockbridge Community Schools, he has opened lines of communication to assess and meet the needs of our community. He has also made it a point to attend local events to introduce himself to folks. Just this year he taught high school programs on cyber safety and anti-bullying.

Having a presence in our school system is a priority for Bartus. Interacting with students and staff will give the Stockbridge Police Department the opportunity to educate and develop programs to keep schools safe. In spite of no budget for a school resource officer, the school obtained a grant. That, along with extra money from Stockbridge, Waterloo, and Unadilla Townships, along with the Village of Stockbridge, has enabled the community to support a full-time school resource officer position. The grant was approved for three years with ongoing work to sustain the position. An active candidate search has begun for filling this position.

The Stockbridge Police department currently consists of two full-time positions (one of which Bartus filled) and two part-time positions. Ronald Smith will be the second full-time officer; he is currently finishing the police academy sponsored by the Stockbridge Police Department. Once the school resource officer position is filled, there will be three full-time officers.

David Mckeon serves as a part-time road patrol officer, and Myranda Fairbotham, a reserve officer, is in the process of being hired for the second part-time position.

When asked about some of his goals for Stockbridge, Chief Bartus had an impressive list. He cited a need to update police policies and procedures, which would cover police reform and training with more focus on mental health. He also would like the Stockbridge Police Department to comply with The Michigan Police Agency’s accreditation guidelines. Understanding these needs, Bartus applied for and received an initial grant from the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police to help with the lengthy accreditation and training process, and he has applied for a federal grant to supplement costs for continued training. The police department should hear a decision about this in October.

Another of Chief Bartus’s goals is to ensure that community members are comfortable coming to him with their issues.  While he is learning about our community through social media, he would value more direct personal conversation. So next time you see Chief Bartus, introduce yourself and give him a warm welcome!

NOTE: The Police Department will be moving to the Stockbridge Area Emergency Services Authority (SAESA) building on the corner of M-106 and M-52.