Independence Township

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office Independence Township Substation affords residents the ability to:

• Place their house on the House Check List, providing extra patrol during extended periods of vacancy.
• Make reports of incidents or accidents when a police officer was not called to the scene.
• Have officers available to talk to community groups, homeowners' associations and businesses on topics of concern.

For information on obtaining a Personal Protection Order (PPO), visit our Personal Protection Orders page for a list of the different PPOs based on type of relationship.

• Oakland County Court Information
• Michigan Courts and Forms

• Michigan Safe Schools
• Welcome to HAVEN
• Oakland County Health Department
• Kids and Gun Safety
• Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities

• See Something, Say Something - To report any suspicious or illegal activity.
• House Check Form - To request your home be checked when on vacation, etc.
• Special Needs Form - To alert Dispatch and responding personnel that a person at the residence has special needs.
• Business Emergency Contact & Information Form - To provide Dispatch and responding personnel with a responsible party who can be called or can respond to incidents at the business address.
• Inventory Form - To assist in keeping track of information relating to your valuables.
• Sheriff's Office Updates - To receive notices regarding community events and public safety, either through email or social media.
• Medical Information Form - Health history and list of your medications for those who may need to assist you.

Below are links relating to various traffic safety issues. In addition, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office has numerous free publications that can be picked up at the substation. Deputies are also available to speak to school and community groups, business organizations and homeowners' associations.

• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Office of Highway Safety Planning
• Traffic Improvement Association of Michigan

The Oakland county Sheriff's Office is dedicated to responding to traffic crashes and enforcing the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code.

If you have questions or concerns regarding traffic enforcement, contact the Independence Township Substation at 248-620-4968.

The substation has publications available, such as "Establishing Realistic Speed Limits," which address many concerns related to speeding in residential areas and the use/placement of traffic control signs.

Several times during the year, enforcement is stepped up through federal and state grants. These enforcement efforts are publicized, including" "Click It or Ticket," "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" and specific Red Light Enforcement grants.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office Independence Township Substation, in partnership with the citizens of Independence Township, strives to build a free-flowing network of information to achieve the common goal of preventing crime, solving problems and making Independence Township a safe place to live.

Community Policing is a collaborative effort between the Sheriff's Office and local citizens that identifies problems of crime and disorder, and involves all elements of the community in the search for solutions. It is founded on close, mutually beneficial ties between deputies and community members. At the center of community policing are three essential and complementary core components:

• Partnerships between deputies and citizens
• Problem-solving methods that target particular areas of concern to the community
• Making changes within the Sheriff's Office to support increased community involvement

Community Policing is a philosophy for effective law enforcement. Problem solving employs tactics and strategies designed to address issues of crime and neighborhood decay. Partnerships are the tools or means with which positive problem-solving takes place.

The President's Commission on Criminal Justice in 1967 provided the framework for many of the changes found today in the criminal justice system. The crime rates in America during the 1960s had been gradually climbing, which prompted the government to investigate the status of the justice system and find new ways to improve its functioning. The Crime Commission's report conclusions stressed improvements in policing and community empowerments as a few of the strategies designed to reduce the overall crime rate.

Traditional methods of policing rely heavily on deterrence through a visible presence of police officers or deputies on patrol. However, many social changes have occurred over the decades, and traditional policing methods may not be effective in addressing the needs of citizens. Communities have become more diverse and problems have changed; drugs and violent crimes have become more prevalent in urban areas. Additionally, the budget deficits of the early 1990s prompted law enforcement administrators to seek out many creative solutions for providing effective law enforcement services to the community.

What It Is

A program involving a joint effort between the Sheriff's Office and the community, designed to enhance neighborhood security, heighten the community's power of observation and encourage mutual assistance and concern among neighbors.

Need for the Program

In recent years, neighborhoods have experienced rapid change. The old, well-established, tightly-knit neighborhoods have been replaced by growing communities where residents seek more privacy. Unfortunately, opportunities for criminal activity have increased, along with citizens' vulnerability to crime. This creates a need for a crime prevention program which will enhance neighborhood security, heighten the communities' powers of observation and encourage mutual assistance and concern among neighbors.

The main objective of Neighborhood Watch is to reduce the incidence of crime by:

• Increasing citizens' awareness of burglaries and other neighborhood crimes through a continuing information program (literature distribution).
• Training citizens in the means of better property security and provide them with assistance to help them implement improvements (Operation Identification and Security Surveys).
• Developing a neighborhood action program where neighbors watch each other's property and report suspicious persons and/or activities to law enforcement agencies (Neighborhood Watch).
• Encouraging all citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in reporting crime.
• Enrolling each home/apartment/business in Operation Identification.

Registration Procedure for Neighborhood Watch

Please fill out the Neighborhood Watch Registration Form to register your association or update your associations' information. Send the completed form to:

Lieutenant T. Hill
Oakland County Sheriff's Office Independence Twp. Substation
6560 Citation Drive
Clarkston, MI 48346

Or you can fax the form to (248) 620-4869. If you have questions about the form or the Neighborhood Watch Program, call the substation at (248)620-4968.

No. You must go to the Records Bureau, located behind the Oakland County Jail. See the Records Unit page for more information.

We do not provide court-ordered PBTs at this time.

No. This must be provided by the Michigan State Police. You can obtain an instant check by using their ICHAT System.

No. Neither the Sheriff's Office nor the Township of Independence requires you to register your alarm or pay a fee. For more information, visit the Independence Township Offices website or call 248-625-8111.