Sgt. Lisa King	(734) 973-4694
Dep. Jon Voelkner	(734) 973-4667

Boater\'s Safety Classes	Marine Safety
Crime Prevention Tips	Neighborhood Watch
School Liaison Officers	TEAM
Tip Telephone Lines	Traffic Services

Crime Prevention Tips

Property Crime Prevention

The Washtenaw County Sheriff\'s Department has had tremendous success in recovering property in cases where citizens have been able to furnish a sufficient description of their stolen articles, complete with serial numbers. Therefore, to ensure that your stolen property is retrieved and returned to its rightful owner, the Sheriff\'s Department offers these simple suggestions on property identification:

• Take the time to record the serial numbers of all your property and valuables. Some of the most repeatedly stolen items include: radios, televisions, stereos, microwave ovens, computers, guns, lawn mowers,   snow blowers, etc.  Serial numbers are usually recorded on a sales invoice at the time of purchase, or can typically be found on the back of the property. This is good information to jot down and maintain on file in a safe place.
• Engrave a personal identification number on each unit or item.  A driver\'s license number would be one of the most readily identified numbers to use.  Be certain to include the name of your state before the number. 
• Hide your valuables.  Do not leave expensive jewelry or other such personal possessions in plain view.  Place the items you wear only occasionally in an inconspicuous place.  A safety deposit box should be considered for fine jewelry and large sums of money.  When leaving your home for extended periods, it is wise to move large valuables where they cannot be seen from windows and put small appliances out of sight. 

Although these suggestions cannot prevent thefts from occurring, they could dissuade a thief from stealing a particular item, and will certainly assist the law enforcement agency in identifying the stolen property as yours if/when it is found.

Of course the best way to prevent a theft is to make sure that your home or office is secure before you leave it. A theft can occur in any neighborhood, so do not assume you are exempt from becoming a victim of property crime.  Make sure all doors and windows are locked when you leave your home, including sliding glass doors and garage doors.  Also, join your Neighborhood Watch Program.  There is added security if you and your neighbors keep a close eye on each other\'s property.  If a thief is aware that there is a Neighborhood Watch Program in your community, and that neighbors are watching out for one another, they might be less likely to target your home for a break-in.

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School Liaison Officers

The School Liaison Officer Program is part of a cooperative effort between education, law enforcement and the community.  The program promotes positive and effective communication between youth, teachers and law enforcement.

The goals of the program are:

• Create a safer school environment, by encouraging more positive attitudes towards rules, laws and society; supporting conflict resolution and the responsibilities of citizenship; teaching young people the concepts of the criminal justice system, objectives of law enforcement--as it regards public and individual safety; assisting in the prevention of delinquency and criminal activity among young people.
• Dispel misconceptions about law enforcement and society;
• Act as a sounding board for students\' concerns;
• Act as liaison with courts, social services and other community programs.
• Be a resource for information and community presenters.

At present, there are four School Liaison Officers, based at four County high schools:  Ypsilanti High and Willow Run High in Ypsilanti Township, Lincoln High, and Dexter Community Schools. The duties of those Sheriff\'s Deputies include:

• develop and maintain a positive and open relationship with students, faculty and parents;
• provide informal counseling to students, or send referrals to the guidance office,
• act as a classroom instructor, providing lessons on law enforcement-related subjects,
• help to maintain a safe and orderly school-student community,
• provide technical assistance to the faculty, students and parents in the area of crime prevention or other law enforcement-related work,
• patrol and observe the halls, cafeteria, parking lot and other areas on or adjacent to school property where students frequent,
• assist school administrators with the general supervision of the student body and all persons coming onto school property,
• exercise police authority in criminal situations which require immediate action and serve as Washtenaw County\'s law enforcement representative in non-emergency matters,
• refer matters of normal school discipline to the principal, and assist the school administration in the formation and implementation of security practices and crime prevention measures to address trends in the school and the community.

Washtenaw County Sheriff\'s Office School Liaison Officers:

Dexter Community Schools Deputy Paul Mobbs 734-426-0576	Lincoln High School Deputy Jeff Gontarski 734-484-7006, ext. 7642
Willow Run High School Deputy Tom Boivin 734-481-8300, ext. 3224	Ypsilanti High School Deputy Eric Kuhn 734-482-8880

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Neighborhood Watch

The Neighborhood Watch program is a citizen involvement program of people just like you, in partnership with the Washtenaw County Sheriff\'s Office, directly participating in crime detection and prevention.  The Sheriff\'s Office remains responsible for enforcing the law and apprehending criminals and you become better educated on how to protect your family and property.

Neighborhood Watch becomes a great asset in many situations, such as missing or lost children.  By becoming alert Neighborhood Watch citizens, criminal activity can be greatly reduced in your neighborhood.  By providing valuable information to the Sheriff\'s Office and keeping your Neighborhood Watch group informed (through the Block Captain Network), we can make our community a safe and more pleasant place to live.

You can do something about crime and make your neighborhood a safer and more pleasant place to live.  This can be accomplished by becoming actively involved in our Neighborhood Watch Group (NWG).  Remember, it has been proven that when citizens within their neighborhood become actively involved in watching, caring and protecting of their neighborhood, criminal activity is greatly reduced.

Crime is not a police problem; crime is a community problem.  Crime prevention and detection is a cooperative effort between you and the Sheriff\'s Office.  For more information, contact Sgt. Lisa King at 734-973-4694.

Traffic Services Section

The Traffic Division Secondary Road Patrol enforces traffic laws and investigates accident on roadways in Washtenaw County.  They are responsible for traffic enforcement, motor vehicle accident investigation, and educating the public on traffic safety. This unit is comprised of four traffic investigators.   These investigators have advanced accident training and investigate all major traffic accidents involving serious bodily injury or death.

The Traffic Services Section is also responsible for the purchasing, maintenance and training in radars and lasers, abandoned vehicle inspection program, and special event coordination.

Personal Protection Order Information

Marine Safety

The Marine Safety Section is supervised by Deputy Keith DeZwaan.  It is staffed by part-time Marine Safety Officers from memorial Day to Labor Day. Pursuant to Michigan Public Act 303, the Marine Safety Act of 1967, the County Sheriff has jurisdiction on waters in the county. The Marine Safety Section performs certain functions to insure the safe operation of watercraft on county waterways.  Marine Safety personnel inspect and license boat liveries, conduct classes in boating safety, enforce safe boating laws on county waterways and function as support personnel to the Water Rescue and Recovery Team.

The Water Rescue and Recovery Team is also part of the Marine Safety Section.  The team consists of ten certified scuba divers who are trained for rapid response and management of aquatic accident scenes as well as non-emergency underwater recovery operations.

Who May Operate a Boat ?

Those less than 12 years of age:

• May legally operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than 6 horsepower (hp) without restrictions.
• May legally operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 6 hp but no more than 35 hp only if they are directly supervised onboard by a person at least 16 years of age.
• May not legally operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 35 hp under any conditions.

Those 12 to 15 years of age:

• May legally operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than 6 hp without restrictions.
• May legally operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 6 hp only if they:
• • Have passed a boating safety course approved by the Department of Natural Resources and have onboard their boating safety certificate or...
  • Are accompanied onboard by a person at least 16 years of age.

Those 16 years of age or older:

• May operate any boat on the waters of Michigan. Note: see Who May Operate a PWC below.

Who May Operate a PWC (Personal Watercraft)?

No one less than 12 years old may legally operate a PWC.

A person who is 12 or more and less than 14 years of age may operate a PWC only if:

• He or she obtained a boating safety certificate prior to January 1, 1999 or...
• All of the following conditions are satisfied:
• • The person is accompanied solely by his or her parent or legal guardian.
  • Both the person and the parent or legal guardian have obtained a boating safety certificate.
  • The PWC is equipped with a lanyard-type ignition safety switch and the parent or legal guardian has the lanyard attached to his or her person, clothing or PFD (life jacket).
  • The PWC is designed to carry at least two people.

Those 14 years of age or older:

• A person born after December 31, 1978, may operate a PWC only if he or she has obtained a boating safety certificate.
• Those born December 31, 1978, or earlier may operate a PWC without restrictions.

(taken from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website; http://boat-ed.com/mi/handbook/whomayoperate.htm)

You can learn more about Michigan Boating by going to the DNR Michigan Boating Safety handbook at http://boat-ed.com/mi/handbook/.

2008 Boater\'s Safety Classes -

2008 Boater Safety Classes

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03-15-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Ypsilanti Township - Recreation Dept	(734) 544-3800
04-08-08 & 04-10-08	3:00P - 7:00P	Manchester Community Education	(734) 428-9711	Two day class
04-12-08	8:00A - 4:00P	PBWOA (Association)	N/A	Association members
04-19-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Ypsilanti Township - Recreation Dept	(734) 544-3800
04-26-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Dexter Community Schools	(734) 424-4180
05-03-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Ann Arbor Community Rec & Ed	(734) 994-2300
05-10-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Saline Community Education	(734) 429-8020
05-17-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Chelsea Schools - Community Services	(734) 433-2208
05-17-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Lincoln Community Education	(734) 484-7007
05-20-08 & 05-22-08	6:00P - 10:00P	Ann Arbor Community Rec & Ed	(734) 994-2300	Two day class
05-31-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Milan Community Education	(734) 439-5272
06-07-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Saline Community Education	(734) 429-8020
06-10-08 & 06-12-08	6:00P - 10:00P	Washtenaw County Sheriff - LLRC Building	(734) 973-4713	Two day class
06-14-08	9:00A - 5:00P	Klave's Marina	(734) 426-4532
06-28-08	8:00A - 4:00P	Washtenaw County Sheriff - LLRC Building	(734) 973-4713

You must pre-register for the boater safety classes as class sizes are limited.  Please call the location you wish to attend to verify availability and reserve your seat.  You may call (734-973-4713) or e-mail Dep. Keith DeZwaan if you have any questions.

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Last Update:  03-17-08
Maintainer:  Haley Gibson