NORTH LEWISBURG — The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on Wednesday explaining that the Village of Mechanicsburg would no longer be providing police services to North Lewisburg, and that all law enforcement services in North Lewisburg are being provided by the sheriff’s office. This is due to a unanimous vote taken at the last village council meeting on March 10 to terminate their contract with Mechanicsburg and begin the process of creating a police department.

At that meeting, Mayor Cheryl Hollingsworth said the village would continue to contract with Mechanicsburg until the end of the year, but later said she was surprised that Mechanicsburg Mayor Benjamin Layne decided to cancel the policing contract early.

On Wednesday, Hollingsworth said she would be swearing in Mechanicsburg Police Capt. Scott Bodey as the new village police chief Thursday night.

“We already have the normal policing of the sheriff’s office within the village, and the process of establishing our own police force has gone more smoothly and more quickly that we expected,” she said. “We can’t thank Mechanicsburg enough for all the good work they have done for us. Captain Bodey, soon to be Chief Bodey, has been great and he is very excited about starting his new position. He and his wife both live in the village, so this is a perfect fit.”

Anyone needing the services of the sheriff’s office may contact the Champaign County Communications Center at 937-653-3409 for non-emergency calls, and 9-1-1 for all emergency calls. Anyone with questions regarding law enforcement services in the Village of North Lewisburg is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 937-484-6091.