Search Macomb County Police Blotter

Macomb County police blotter records cover arrests, incidents, and law enforcement activity across Michigan's third-largest county, a major Detroit suburb with nearly 870,000 residents. The Macomb County Sheriff's Office serves unincorporated areas and operates the county jail, while dozens of city and township police departments handle incidents in their own jurisdictions. This page explains how to access Macomb County police blotter data, how the county's FOIA process works, and what tools are available for searching records.

Macomb County Sheriff's Office

The Macomb County Sheriff's Office is headquartered in Mt. Clemens and is the primary county-level law enforcement agency. The sheriff's office patrols unincorporated townships, operates the county jail, and maintains county-level police blotter records. The county's large size and dense population mean a high volume of incidents processed through this office.

Macomb County is one of the more complex counties in Michigan for records requests. It includes dozens of municipalities, each with its own police department. Cities like Warren, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, Roseville, Eastpointe, St. Clair Shores, and many others all maintain separate police forces. If an incident happened in one of those cities or townships, the record is held by the local agency, not the county sheriff. Always confirm which agency responded before submitting a request.

The county jail at the Mt. Clemens facility holds inmates from across the county, including those arrested by city and township police who use the county jail for holding. Jail records are held by the sheriff's office. Arrest records for the underlying incident may still be at the local agency.

How to File a FOIA Request in Macomb County

Macomb County has a documented and somewhat centralized FOIA process. FOIA requests for county records, including sheriff's office police blotter data, are processed by the Office of Corporation Counsel, not by the sheriff's office directly. This is an important distinction. Send your request to the right office or it will be redirected and delay your response.

You can email your request to foia@macombgov.org or use the FOIA request page at macombgov.org/departments/corporation-counsel/macomb-county-foia-requests. You may also mail a written request to the Office of Corporation Counsel at Macomb County government offices in Mt. Clemens. Describe what you want clearly. Include dates, names, locations, case numbers, or report numbers if available.

Michigan FOIA, starting at MCL 15.231, gives any person the right to inspect or copy public records. No reason is needed. No residency is required. The county must respond within five business days under MCL 15.235, or notify you of a ten-day extension for complex requests.

Copy fees run $0.10 per page. Labor is billed at the rate of the lowest-paid employee capable of the work. Under MCL 15.234, Macomb County may request a deposit when estimated costs exceed $50 before beginning to process a large request.

What Macomb County Police Blotter Records Include

The Macomb County police blotter covers incidents handled by the sheriff's office. Because so much of the county is served by municipal police departments, the sheriff's blotter reflects activity in unincorporated areas and townships that don't have their own departments. The blotter is a log of calls and incidents, noting date, area, and type of event.

Records commonly available through the county include sheriff's office arrest and booking data, incident and offense reports, jail records, traffic crash reports for county roads, and sex offender registration information. Booking records at the county jail may also show inmates transferred from municipal agencies. The jail's inmate roster can be checked through the sheriff's website.

Records not available to the public include open investigation files, juvenile records, victim home addresses and personal identifiers, and law enforcement personnel records. MCL 15.243 sets out all exemptions in detail. The county must release everything that is not legally exempt. Partial releases are common for records that contain a mix of exempt and non-exempt information.

Online Resources for Macomb County Records

Several statewide databases provide access to records covering Macomb County without the need to file a formal FOIA request.

The Michigan Courts case search portal is free. It covers Macomb County circuit and district court records. Search by name to see charges, hearings, case status, and outcome. Macomb County has both a circuit court and multiple district courts, all searchable through this tool.

The ICHAT criminal history system costs $10 per name and shows statewide conviction records for felonies and serious misdemeanors. Account registration is needed. It won't return results for minor ordinance violations or dismissed charges.

The screenshot below is from the Macomb County Sheriff's Office portal, where you can access county public safety resources and start the FOIA request process.

Screenshot from macombgov.org:

This page is the starting point for finding Macomb County police blotter records and links to the county's FOIA request process.

The OTIS offender tracking system covers Michigan Department of Corrections inmates, including those sentenced in Macomb County courts. The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is free and searchable by name, city, or zip code. Given Macomb County's size, a significant number of registered offenders reside here. The Michigan Crime Reports page provides annual crime statistics for Macomb County agencies.

Municipal Police Departments in Macomb County

Macomb County has many municipal police departments that handle incidents in their own jurisdictions. Major ones include Warren Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Clinton Township Police Department, Roseville Police Department, St. Clair Shores Police Department, Eastpointe Police Department, Fraser Police Department, and Utica Police Department, among others.

Each of these agencies maintains its own FOIA coordinator and processes requests separately. If you're looking for a specific incident from one of these cities or townships, file your request directly with that agency rather than with the county. Sending it to the wrong place will delay your response.

The county sheriff's office can tell you which agency was the primary responder if you have a report number or date and location. That information helps you find the right FOIA coordinator quickly.

Nearby Counties

Macomb County is in the Metro Detroit region and shares borders with several other major Michigan counties, each with its own police blotter system.