BIG RAPIDS â A 36-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman from Evart face several felony offenses, including breaking and entering, after leading police on a chase through multiple counties Monday.
At 9:46 a.m. on April 19, the Mecosta County Sheriff s Office was assisting the Newaygo County Sheriff s Office with locating suspects involved in a reported breaking and entering on Baseline and Thornapple in Newaygo County s Wilcox Township, according to police. The suspect vehicle eventually was located in Mecosta County and police said upon attempting a traffic stop of the vehicle on Mecosta County s 7 Mile Road near Elder the suspect vehicle fled police.
9 & 10 News
April 20, 2021
April is Distracted Driving Awareness month, and officers are cracking down on those who are texting and driving.
“We’re just trying to bring awareness to basically put the phone down when you’re driving,” said Big Rapids Department of Public Safety Community Relations Officer William Sell
Since 2010, Michigan law prohibits texting while driving.
“Usually it’s something where we’ll see an offense occur, either running a red light or running a stop sign,” said Officer Sell. “Then when you go up and make contact with the driver, they’ll tell you, ‘Oh, I was on my phone’.”
9 & 10 News
April 6, 2021
Every police car with the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety now has a calming bag.
They include items like ear muffs and stress balls for officers to use if they encounter someone with autism caught in a stressful situation involving police.
The items can also improve communication between police and those with autism during an emergency.
“It’s good we can provide them with something that if the sirens are too loud or anything like that, they have earmuffs in them, they can put those on, and it’s just something to keep them calm. It’s stressful situations they have to deal with and this can help to calm them down a little bit,” said Officer William Sell.
Tuscola detective rewarded for solving sexual assault case
Mary Drier, For the Tribune
Feb. 27, 2021
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For his part in helping with a sexual assault case, Tuscola County Sheriff s Department Detective Sgt. Scott Jones received a Professional Excellence Award. (Courtesy Photo)
Tuscola County Sheriff Glen Skrent recently awarded Detective Sgt. Scott Jones a Professional Excellence Award for going above and beyond to give a sexual assault victim closure to move on with her life.
“Our agency received a well-written and heartfelt letter from Detective Tyler Haynes of the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety,” said Skrent. “Jones learned the suspect may have been involved in further criminal activity in the Big Rapids area and reached out to them to obtain the police reports.”
Dog Walker Watch program aims to get you involved in public safety
While taking a walk through your neighborhood, Sell encourages you to keep an eye open for anything suspicious. Whether it s an open door or an unknown person.
Credit: National Association of Town Watch Author: Nate Belt Updated: 10:56 PM EST February 25, 2021
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. A West Michigan police department wants to turn dog walkers into safety patrols, and it s a program every city and community can do. Its like a modern day neighborhood watch, says Officer Bill Sell with the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety.
The Dog Walker Watch program aims to get more eyes on the street than just Big Rapids Police.