Lapeer County sheriff credits millage funds for jail upgrades, security improvements and new hires

The Lapeer County sheriff reported to the County Commission that millage and other funds have financed extensive upgrades in the county jail, new safety equipment in patrol vehicles and additional deputy hires, and that deputies recovered firearms and other weapons at courthouse security checkpoints during 2024.

The sheriff described recent investments funded by the millage and ARPA dollars that improved the jail’s safety systems and emergency equipment. He said upgrades include a new camera system inside the jail and other equipment intended to reduce deputy liability and improve inmate and staff safety. “It’s top notch,” the sheriff said of the camera system and related upgrades.

The sheriff gave 2024 statistics showing heavy courthouse foot traffic and security interventions. He said just over 126,000 people passed through the courthouse metal detectors in 2024; deputies responded to 251 disturbances in the building, recovered 129 items of mace, and recovered 17 guns at courthouse checkpoints. He said deputies made about 268 arrests in the courthouse and conducted roughly 800 inmate transports. Sergeant Wilkinson oversees the courthouse screening program, the sheriff said.

Commissioners and the sheriff discussed how many contract deputies the department currently uses; the sheriff said there are 18 contract deputies. Commissioners also asked about the prevalence of repeat offenders and county recidivism; the sheriff said the county tracks recidivism in the jail and that repeat-offender rates nationwide are high, though he said Lapeer County’s rates are lower than some other counties because of local jail programs and follow-up services.

The sheriff described changes in the detective bureau, including the appointment of Bob Wells as detective lieutenant and the addition of one detective since the millage-funded expansion. He said the sheriff’s office is sending deputies to specialized training — including cyber- and child-protection-related investigations — made possible by the training funds.

Several speakers praised interagency coordination after a fire at Village West Apartments in the sheriff’s district. An email from Chief Mike Voigt, read into the record by a commissioner, thanked city and county responders and highlighted coordination among police, sheriff’s deputies, Michigan State Police, emergency management, the American Red Cross and the county dispatch center. Emergency manager Sarah Whaley and the county dispatch center were singled out for coordinating sheltering and incident communications.

Commissioners and department heads noted that the county’s collaborative response across fire, EMS, dispatch and law enforcement is unusually strong compared with other counties, and that the county has drawn on mutual-aid policies to conserve local fire apparatus while adding manpower to the scene.

The sheriff encouraged commissioners to visit the jail to view the new systems and said he expects more millage-funded projects in 2025. He also said he is returning to uniform after surgeries and that additional personnel and equipment improvements will continue to be prioritized.

Less urgent details: the sheriff said many people who bring firearms to the courthouse simply forget them; he encouraged lawful carry but urged people to remember courthouse screening rules. He described how deputies handle small edged tools and pocket knives routinely: property is returned to its owner and people are allowed to leave items in their cars or retrieve them after screening.

The sheriff’s presentation concluded with commissioners thanking him for the report and for accounting to taxpayers on how millage funds were spent.