Emmet County is located in the northwestern most part of the lower peninsula of Michigan.

The Administrative Office and Correctional Facility is located at:

Jeffrey P. Bodzick Administrative Office and Correctional Facility
Brenda K. Ford, Jail Administrator
450 Bay Street, Petoskey, MI. 49770
Tel: 231-347-2036
Fax: 231-348-0666

The Road Patrol, Animal Control, and Marine-Snowmobile Divisions are located at:

Richard L. Zink Law Enforcement Center
Lt. Michael L. Keiser
3460 Harbor Petoskey Rd.
Harbor Springs, MI. 49740
Tel: 231-439-8900
Fax: 231-439-8917

DIAL 911 FOR ALL POLICE REQUESTS
BOTH EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY

The primary mission of the Emmet County Sheriff's Office is to coordinate and lead the efforts with the community to preserve the public peace, protect the rights of persons and property, prevent crime, operate the jail, provide security in the courts, and generally provide assistance to citizens in urgent situations. The office enforces State Laws, and county ordinances within the boundaries of Emmet County.

The office must enforce the law in a fair and impartial manner, recognizing both the statutory and judicial limitations of police authority and constitutional rights of all persons. It is not the role of this department to legislate, render legal judgements, or punish.

This office serves the people of Emmet County by providing law enforcement service in a professional manner and it is these people we are ultimately responsible to.

The Sheriff's Office was first organized back in 1855, the first Sheriff being Thomas Smith. In the early years the Sheriff's Office was made up of a Sheriff, Undersheriff, Chief Deputy, two jailers and a secretary. There was no road patrol. If a problem arose, the Sheriff, Undersheriff or Chief Deputy would take care of it, calling upon the State Police for assistance if necessary.

As Emmet County grew in the 1970's, special deputies and then auxiliary officers were added to assist with evening and weekend patrols. In the 70's the Sheriff's Office even gave drivers license tests, and issued drivers licenses. Back in the 1970's the Sheriff's Office had a fleet of four patrol cars. Things did not start to change as far as the formation of a road patrol until 1973 when the Sheriff's Office was contracted to provide Airport Security for commercial flights out of Pellston. During the next few years six deputies were added, and thus the beginning of the road patrol.

Starting in the 1800's the duties of the Sheriff's Office have been mandated by law. Those duties include: to operate a jail which holds prisoners arrested within the county, provide basic police services to the various Villages and Townships within the County.

Today the duties of the Sheriff's Office far exceed those of the past. Listed below are the various divisions of the office:

Road Patrol, Detective, Evidence Tech, Dare, Corrections, Animal Control, Marine, Snowmobile, Civil Process, Bailiff, ECSAR Team, Dive Team.