Oakland County Sheriff

Board of Commissioners Raise Awareness for Gun and School Safety

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners will recognize National Safety Month with their annual Gun Safety Awareness press conference on Tuesday, June 19th at 1:30 p.m. The conference will be attended by county officials, safety advocates, and over 30 local law enforcement agencies. It will highlight the importance of safe firearm storage in curbing gun violence, tragic accidents, and suicide.

The Board is partnering with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the Oakland County Health Division, and Oakland Schools to focus its efforts on school safety this year, with special attention directed toward Youth Suicide Prevention, Active Shooter Preparedness, and Anti-Bullying. Resources for these topics, and others, are available on the Board of Commissioners School Safety resources webpage.

Members of the public are invited to attend the press conference at the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Auditorium at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac where free gun locks will be available. You can join the conversation online during the event by following @OakGov on Twitter and using #OaklandCounty. Continue reading →

Spread Warmth this Winter with Coats for the Cold

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment
Four young girls bundled up in winter coats drinking hot chocolate.

The warmth of your generosity could help those less-fortunate this winter. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is accepting donations of new or clean, used coats through November 30th as part of their 30th annual “Coats for the Cold” coat drive.

Donated coats will be sent to a variety of local charitable organizations, who in turn distribute the coats to community members most in need.

“Coats for the Cold is an easy way for the community to reach out and help someone less fortunate stay warm this winter,” Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said. “For the past 29 years, we have worked with local charitable organizations to provide free coats to those in need. The community’s generosity has been wonderful every year.”

Spotlight | Coats for the Cold Drop-Off Sites

This year’s coat drive is sponsored by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with 1-800-Self-Storage.com, COWS (Container on Wheels Mobile Storage), Real Estate One, Genisys Credit Union, Amp97 Detroit, and several other Oakland County charitable organizations.

As a special promotion this year, coat donors will receive $10 off of the cost of a pet adoption at the Oakland County Pet Adoption Center for each of the first five coats donated (limit $50).

If you’d like to know more about Coats for the Cold and other Community Outreach Initiatives of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, visit their website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.

Like what you see? Visit the Oakland County website, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more news year round. Join the conversation using #OaklandCounty.

Oakland County Launches Website to Address Growing Opioid Epidemic with Map for Safe Prescription Drug Disposal

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

Prescription drugs and prescription drug abuse are driving an epidemic of overdose deaths that include the boundaries of Oakland County. Prescription drugs account for nearly 60% of all deaths from drug overdose, and pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone are involved in 3 of every 4 prescription drug overdose fatalities.

Oakland County has developed a comprehensive partnership to create a coordinated, strategic action plan for reducing prescription drug abuse and overdoses in our county. The Oakland County Prescription Drug Abuse Partnership has a strong coalition of partners who have an active interest in preventing prescription overdose deaths. Members of the partnership gathered today, April 28, 2017, at the Oakland County North Oakland Health Center for a press conference launching the latest initiative combating the opioid epidemic.

Oakland County Prescription Drug Abuse Partnership members in attendance at the 4/28/17 Press Conference.

In honor of National Prescription Take Back Day, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, and the Oakland County Prescription Drug Abuse Partnership launched a new website, www.OakGov.com/PrescriptionDrugs that hosts an interactive map identifying disposal programs locations throughout the county. The website will also host educational materials about how to monitor, dispose, and secure prescription medications to prevent prescription drug abuse. Continue reading →

Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinet

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

Person grabbing medication out of a medicine cabinet.

Warm weather is right around the corner and that means it’s time to Spring clean closets, cars, and garages. Don’t forget to also sweep the medicine cabinet for prescriptions that are unused, expired, or unwanted. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office provides residents with a venue to properly dispose of those prescriptions, with no questions asked, through Operation Medicine Cabinet program. Use one of the 36 drop-off locations around the county to dispose of medication in your home this spring, and year round, with some locations open 24/7.

Continue reading →

ICE: A Clear and Present Danger

Oakland County, MI Government 1 Comment

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

The glaciers that shaped Oakland County have gifted us with beautiful lakes that support winter recreational activities of every imaginable focus. These lake activities range from high-speed ice boating to the peaceful solitude of a lone ice fisher staring solemnly into a dark hole, waiting for a fish to bite.

Sadly, winter often brings ice related accidents and sometimes fatalities. These tragedies result from a combination of four factors: excitement, poor judgment, poor decision making and inadequate information. The fact of the matter is clear; anyone that ventures onto ice must accept the fact that NO ICE IS SAFE ICE (a mantra of the United States Coast Guard). There is always risk. That is a lesson I learned last winter.

Ice that appears solid may not be; my initial crossing was uneventful.

Ice that appears solid may not be; my initial crossing was uneventful.

Continue reading →