Address
219 E Paw Paw Street
Paw Paw, MI 49079-1429
Hours
Monday to Friday: 8:30 AM - 5 PM
Contact
(269) 657-8200
From the Desk of Sheriff Abbott – 6/12/2026
- Congratulations to Deputy Kyle Gabrielse and Deputy Cory Delich for being selected to be our newest members of our SWAT Team. Tryouts and interviews were done for internal candidates as well as external candidates from other agencies. No question these two will do a great job on the team.
- Dispatch handled 8,344 phone calls in May, putting the yearly total at 39,444. Fun fact, they’ve taken 14,084 911 calls to date. Uniform Response had 391 traffic stops in May, bringing the yearly total to 1,814. Uniform Response took 819 calls for service in May, bringing the yearly total to 3,694.
- There is a New Scam going around “Free” Prize. The scammers are using well-known places such as Costco or Marriott for example. They tell you you’ve been selected for an exclusive opportunity and all you must do is respond to a quick survey. They also let you know that you’ll be awarded a brand-new iPhone. If you complete the survey, you’ll be prompted to enter your credit card number and personal information to pay a small delivery fee for the new iPhone. Remember, it’s unlikely that a legitimate organization will ask you to pay a fee with your credit card to receive a free prize. Use caution when you receive an unexpected message that claims you won a prize, especially if it pressures you to act quickly. Lastly, if you receive a suspicious email, don’t select any links in it. Instead, check the organizations official website or contact them directly to verify if the survey is legitimate.
- Uniform Response handled a Larceny in Columbia Township of an UTV. A camo Kawasaki mule was taken from a farm. The UTV has aftermarket oversized tires, a plastic roof, and an aftermarket sound system mounted to the roof behind the front seat. Anyone with any information is asked to call our office.
- Congratulations to Deputy Eric Calhoun and Deputy Randy Whitmore for Receiving MSA’s(Michigan Sheriffs’ Association) Distinguished Service Award at this years Summer Conference that just took place. They were honored with the award for their initial actions in Pine Grove Township which involved an individual setting off pipe bombs trying to injure or kill them.
- Uniform Response handled a Break-in in Waverly Township. The unknown suspects at the time stole a 2016 Yamaha Kodiak four-wheeler, green in color. They also stole a Husqvarna 440 chainsaw and a Johnson chainsaw, red in color. Our Criminal Investigations Unit and Narcotic Unit executed two search warrants in Waverly Township which was related to these items stolen as well as drug activity. Detectives did locate the stolen quad and the Johnson chainsaw. Detectives also located methamphetamine. Two adult males were lodged for the break-in, possession of meth, and additional charges are pending through the Prosecutors Office. The quad and chainsaw were returned to the victim.
- Our Office along with Decatur PD Assisted the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office in Locating a Suspect Wanted on an Attempted Murder Warrant. While Detectives were doing surveillance on the residence, Decatur PD and Uniform Response located the suspect vehicle driving in the village. A traffic stop was made and Detectives from our office and Allegan went to the location to interview the driver. While the driver was being interviewed in the village, Detectives observed a vehicle leave the residence which they were still doing surveillance on, and a stop was made on that vehicle. The wanted suspect was found hiding in the backseat and taken into custody.
- Our Narcotic Detectives received information about an individual in the Harford Area with a Large Amount of Methamphetamine in his Possession. Detectives along with Uniform Response did locate the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it for traffic violations. The suspect fled from Deputy’s and Detectives. Upon coming into Hartford City, Pokagon Tribal Police attempted to deploy stop stix’s, at which time the suspect avoided them by going into a parking lot. Once in the parking lot, he was taken into custody. A stolen 9mm, nearly an ounce of methamphetamine, and an open pint of whiskey was found in the vehicle. The suspect now faces numerous charges.
Additional Information
For immediate reporting contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at (269) 657-3101. Additional reporting is also available at Crime Stoppers 1-800-342-7867, Silent Observer (269) 343-2100 or your local Police Department.
Mobile phone users and online users can provide anonymous crime tips to the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office by sending a text Tip Soft message by sending a text message to “CRIMES” (274637) with the keyword VBCTIP from a mobile phone. Click here to submit a tip online.
Van Buren County Sheriff's Office
205 South Kalamazoo St.
Paw Paw, MI 49079-1594
T: (269) 657-2006 | F: (269) 657-3161
More Sheriff News
Click the button below to read more news from the Sheriff's Office.
