From the Desk of Sheriff Abbott – 5/19/2026

• Our Narcotic Detectives received information on the location of a Wanted Felon in Possession of a Handgun. Detectives were able to locate him in a vehicle he was a passenger in and conducted a traffic stop on it for a traffic violation in Waverly Township. The suspect was arrested on his warrants and was found to be in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun. Another passenger had multiple warrants, and they were arrested as well. The initial felon they were looking for now faces multiple new felony charges.
• Dispatch took 7,384 phone calls in April, putting the total at 30,525 for the year. Uniform Response handled 736 calls for service in April, putting the total for the year at 2,875. Uniform Response made 415 traffic stops in April, putting the total number of stops for the year at 1,423.
• Dispatch Director Mike Hostetler is attending the Michigan Public Safety Telecommunications Conference this week in Muskegon. They go over a lot of information to aide Dispatchers and Directors do their job at a professional level.
• Our Office is Participating in Click it or Ticket Campaign running through June 2nd. Deputies will be focusing on no seat belt use but will also be stopping vehicles for other violations as well.
• Our Office assisted with the USAT National Event in Geneva Township. It was a four-day event which was a national qualifier. It was a huge turnout having 908 individual athletes from 4 countries: USA, Canada, Mexico, and Macedonia. 47 states and the District of Columbia all had participants. The only states not represented were Alaska, Wyoming, and North Dakota.  Our office’s mounted division, uniform response division, reserve division, and emergency management division were all involved. The event organizers are Covering All Our Costs we had to work the event, thus, Zero county tax dollars were used.
• Uniform Response handled a Single Vehicle Motorcycle Crash in Columbia Township. A passerby drove up on a motorcycle that had left the roadway and crashed. The passerby found the female driver face down with life threatening injuries and called 911 immediately. Aero med was unable to fly so the driver was transported priority one to the trauma unit by the ambulance. Speed appears to be the cause entering into a curve too fast.
• I received a text Saturday night in reference to a subject with a Major Bond Violation. Uniform Response was given the information, confirmed that he was indeed of the major violation, located the suspect, and placed him into custody. He now faces additional charges for the violation.
• Uniform Response assisted with a House Fire in Bloomingdale Township. Shortly after the call came in, a report of a naked male came in running around on the road and in nearby fields. Deputies located the individual and chased him on foot as well as with a canine. The individual was taken into custody on outstanding warrants. A Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the fire. The male was one of the residents of the house that was on fire. Once the investigation is complete, it’ll be sent to the Prosecutors Office for review on charges.
• Uniform Response handled a BOL for a Possible Drunk Driver in Waverly Township. Deputies located the vehicle stopped in the travel lane on M43hwy that had almost hit the caller head on. Deputies made contact with the driver, and it was obvious due to his actions and smell of intoxicants he had been drinking. Dexterities were performed, a PBT was administered, then he was placed under arrest.  While being handcuffed, he became resistant and started fighting with Deputies. Before it was done, the Sergeant was headbutted, and a Deputy sustained abrasions and cuts to his elbows, knee, and hand. The Deputies pants were also torn during the resistance. The driver now faces numerous additional charges.
• Our Marine Division will be conducting Free Boat Safety Inspections on Saturday, May 23rd from 12:00PM to 3:00PM at the South Haven Black River Public Boat Launch.