Mackinac County Police Blotter

Mackinac County police blotter records cover law enforcement activity in this unique Upper Peninsula county that sits at the gateway between Michigan's two peninsulas, including the iconic car-free Mackinac Island. The Mackinac County Sheriff's Office in St. Ignace handles county law enforcement and maintains public records under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act. This page covers how to access Mackinac County police blotter records, what you can request, and how the process works.

Mackinac County Sheriff's Office

The Mackinac County Sheriff's Office is located in St. Ignace, the county seat at the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula just north of the Mackinac Bridge. The sheriff's office provides county-wide law enforcement coverage and maintains the official police blotter and incident records for the county.

Mackinac County has some unusual law enforcement considerations. Mackinac Island, which is part of the county, bans motor vehicles. The island has its own small police department, and the sheriff's office may also respond to incidents there. Getting to the island requires a ferry or air travel, which complicates some law enforcement logistics.

The Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan State Police both play roles near the bridge. Incidents on or near the bridge may involve MSP or MDOT, with records held by those agencies rather than the county sheriff. The area also draws very large numbers of tourists during summer months, which affects the character and volume of law enforcement activity.

Requesting Police Blotter Records

Michigan's FOIA statute, beginning at MCL 15.231, applies to all public bodies in Mackinac County. Any person can submit a written request for public records. You don't need to be a Michigan resident, and you don't need to state your reason.

Write a clear description of the records you want and send it to the FOIA coordinator at the Mackinac County Sheriff's Office, 100 S. Marley Street, St. Ignace, MI 49781. Mail it or bring it in person. Identify dates, names, incident types, or case numbers when you have them. The more specific your request, the more likely you are to get what you need promptly.

The office has five business days to respond under MCL 15.235. A ten-business-day extension is allowed for large or complex requests, but they must tell you in writing. Copies cost $0.10 per page. Labor is billed at the rate of the lowest-paid employee capable of handling the request. Fees over $50 may require a deposit under MCL 15.234.

If you qualify as indigent, you can request that the first $20 in fees be waived. Include a signed financial statement with your FOIA request.

What Mackinac County Police Blotter Records Include

The police blotter is the county's official log of law enforcement calls and incidents. Entries note the date, general area, and type of activity. Summary-level blotter data may be available without a formal request. Full incident reports need a FOIA request.

Records that can typically be obtained through FOIA from the Mackinac County Sheriff's Office include arrest records, incident and offense reports, traffic crash reports, and jail records. The nature of incidents in Mackinac County may vary significantly by season, with higher volumes of calls during peak tourist periods in summer and early fall around the Straits of Mackinac area.

Records that cannot be released include open investigation files, juvenile records, victim personal information, and certain personnel records for officers. The full exemption list is in MCL 15.243. Any partial denial must identify what was withheld and the legal basis for withholding it.

Statewide Resources for Mackinac County

Michigan state databases cover Mackinac County as part of their statewide systems and can help supplement a local records request.

The Michigan Courts case search portal is free. It lets you search Mackinac County circuit and district court records by name. You can find charges, case status, and outcomes. This is the best tool for seeing what happened to a case after an arrest in the police blotter.

The ICHAT system costs $10 per name and shows statewide criminal history for felonies and serious misdemeanors. You need to register an account before you can search. ICHAT does not show minor misdemeanors or local ordinance violations.

The screenshot below is from the Michigan Criminal Justice Information Center, which collects and distributes crime data including statistics from Mackinac County law enforcement.

Screenshot from michigan.gov/msp/divisions/cjic/micr:

Crime data from the Mackinac County Sheriff's Office is submitted through this system and is available in the annual Michigan Crime Reports.

The OTIS offender tracking system covers people in Michigan Department of Corrections custody. The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is searchable by name or area and is free to use.

Mackinac Island Law Enforcement

Mackinac Island is one of the more distinctive locations in Michigan law enforcement. Motor vehicles are banned on the island, so patrol is done by horse or bicycle. The island has its own small police department. The Mackinac County Sheriff may also respond to serious incidents on the island, though transit requires a ferry or small aircraft.

If an incident occurred on Mackinac Island, the records may be held by the island's police department rather than the county sheriff. Contact Mackinac Island City Hall or the island's police department directly to confirm which agency responded and holds the record. Do not assume the county sheriff's office is the right agency for island incidents.

The island also falls under some Michigan State Police jurisdiction for more serious matters. Identify the correct agency before filing any FOIA request, since the wrong recipient can't legally forward it for you.

Nearby Counties

Mackinac County is in Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula. Neighboring counties have their own sheriffs and separate police blotter systems.