- Delta Township relies on Eaton County deputies for law enforcement, but a critical millage vote in May could eliminate those patrols.
- If the millage fails, Delta may have to create and fund its own police force, at a significant cost to the township.
- Watch the video above to see input from township leaders and neighbors.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Saginaw Highway sees tens of thousands of cars travel through Delta Township daily.
But you won’t see the Delta Township Police Department on this road — because that department doesn’t exist.
Instead, the township pays Eaton County for sheriff’s deputies to patrol Delta Township. It’s called Delta Patrol.
Business owner Al Salas said he’s been impressed by the quick response times when deputies are called.
“Police were within no more than seconds. It seemed like they were here ASAP because we have the presence of police in the area,” Salas said.
But recent county projections show the township’s contract for those deputies could be at risk due to budget constraints — not in the township, but at the county level.
County leaders have said if a public safety millage fails on the ballot next month, the road patrol could be completely cut. That would leave Delta Township without sheriff’s deputies from Eaton County.
I asked township supervisor Fonda Brewer about the possibility.
“Can Delta Township afford its own police force?”
“Oh gosh, that’s a whole lot of money, Will. That is a ton of money that would cause grave harm to us, I do believe,” said Brewer.
The Eaton County–Delta Township policing relationship has spanned 40 years. This year, the township will pay more than $4.5 million as part of the Delta Patrol contract. The county is chipping in $1.5 million, for a total cost of about $6 million this year.
Cutting the contract would save the county its $1.5 million portion — but it would also eliminate 35 positions within the sheriff’s department.
Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich supports the millage and vouched for the mutual benefit of the arrangement.
“Delta is important, I think, very important for the county. The county is very important to Delta, so it goes both ways,” Reich said.
Still, neighbors like Mike Stenberg believe Delta Township should either pay more or fund its own police force.
“The Delta contract is skewed on its own. It was never enough for the services that they received,” Stenberg said.
“Delta Township needs to have a police force, and they can fill that building on their own,” Stenberg added.
Voters will decide the future of the public safety millage during the May 6 election.
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