Meridian Township Police Has Cut Patrol Hours in Williamston

I come from a family of police officers and needless to say, I have a lot of respect for the men and women of blue who spend their time serving, protecting and doing what's best for our local communities.

I live in Okemos which is home to the Meridian Township Police Department. In fact, the police department is only a few blocks from where my wife and I live.

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Most recently, Meridian Township had to cut its patrol hours in half for Williamston Township.

The biggest reason for cutting patrol hours boils down to not enough people to cover shifts.

Meridian Township will still be responsible for all calls from Williamston Township, it just means that dedicated service will be much lower than usual.

Lansing State Journal has this to say:

According to Meridian Township officials, the main reason Meridian Township couldn't renew the old contract is because of the difficulty of recruiting and retaining police officers. The 2022 township budget includes funds for 41 officers, but in January the department had 35.

We certainly appreciate everything that the Meridian Township Police Department has been doing and will continue doing to answer calls from both the Okemos and Williamston areas.

If we take a look back in 2021 in Williamston Township, courtesy of the Lansing State Journal:

Meridian Township police wrote 280 reports, responded to 1,500 calls for service, arrested 12 people and issued 95 citations in Williamston Township in 2021, according to a report from the police department.

Meridian Township and Williamston Township are under current contracts and nothing can be changed at this point.

The Ingham County Sheriff's Office would like the opportunity to respond to Williamston calls, but due to existing contracts. this cannot happen.