Our goal is to work directly with local elected officials, businesses, school and community leaders to target specific areas and identify strategies to respond to their needs. We believe the proactive measures involved in community policing concepts will have a direct impact on reactive actions required of law enforcement. Community Policing Officers provide retail businesses with safety and security presentations that may aid in keeping safe shopping environments for merchants and consumers, and follow up with enforcement needs related to shoplifters. Officers have made themselves available to speak on a variety of law enforcement issues to a number of community groups, including senior citizens, church organizations, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops and other civic associations. Training citizens in CPR and basic first aid has been made available as well.
Deputies attempt to tailor their presentations based on the organizations interests.
Juvenile Justice Development of a community policing plan, with a focus on juvenile crime, began in October of 1996 and continues, with a cooperative effort by the Juvenile Court, area school districts and the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. The primary activities of these deputies is to work in conjunction with Juvenile Court staff, handling an intensive supervision caseload, coordinating communications to the Court and to work within the schools with probationary youths. In addition to these primary activities, deputies assist the Family Court operation with process needs arising from criminal and neglect cases, and will continue to support the Juvenile Court's effort to improve the Juvenile Justice System. This includes staffing the jail, training officers, feeding inmates, providing medical services for inmates and maintaining the infrastructure in and around the jail. The Sheriff's Office is also responsible for security in the Circuit Courts, District Courts and Family Courts.