Sheriff's marine patrol set for Upper Long Lake

By Lisa Brody

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees approved an agreement between the township and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for marine patrol services on township lakes at their meeting on Monday, May 23, with a contract then approved for Upper Long Lake.

Township clerk Martin Brook explained the Oakland County Sheriff's Office offers its marine patrol services to homeowner's associations on lakes for a fee. The agreement, which he said had already been approved for the sheriff's office by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, is for 2022-2024, for its marine patrols, and pertains to all marine laws.

According to the agreement, the sheriff's office shall assign to the municipality the number and rank of sheriff's deputies to perform all of the marine patrol services determined necessary under the agreement.

Further, it is the “Sheriff's sole and exclusive right, obligation, and responsibility to determine, establish, modify, or implement any and all operational policies, procedures, orders, rules, regulations, ethical guidelines, and/or any other judgment, policy or directive which, in any way, governs or controls any activity.”

Trustees voted 6-0, with trustee Michael Schostak not in attendance, to approve the agreement between them for all township lakes. However, Brook noted that only one lake, Upper Long Lake, currently contracts for the service.

Trustees voted 6-0 to approve the contract for Upper Long Lake patrol services from May 1, 2022 through September 30, 2024.

“Lake owners all collect funds to pay into funding it,” noted trustee Val Murray. “That's how we do it on Walnut Lake.”

It was noted that if any other lake is interested in sheriff's marine patrols, township clerk Martin Brook would be the contact person.