Ottawa County Sheriff's Office

Community Policing

Recognizing that a significant amount of law enforcement response is reactive in nature, the administration of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office has consistently moved in the direction of community-oriented policing. Our goal is to work directly with local elected officials, schools, courts, businesses and community leaders to identify specific areas of need and develop strategies to address those needs. We believe that the proactive measures involved in community policing concepts have a direct impact on the reactive actions required of law enforcement. Community-oriented policing has proven to be a valuable tool in dealing with the rapid growth occurring within Ottawa County.

Cooperative efforts between local units of government, school districts, and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office have lead to many successful Federal grant awards over the years, such as the Department of Justice “COPS” Grant. These programs have provided much of the initial financial foundation for the growth of community policing in Ottawa County. Continued support and partnerships by local units of government, schools, and the county have made community-oriented policing a stable, effective method of proactive law enforcement within Ottawa County.

Community policing deputies are a visible presence in the communities they serve. In addition to actively participating in community events, the deputies work closely with local units of government, schools, and courts on issues specific to that particular entity. Listed below are some examples of the various Community Policing Programs and activities in which deputies participate.

Crime Free Multi-Housing Programs	Zoning Ordinance Enforcement
Bicycle Patrols	Child Passenger Safety Education
Neighborhood Watch	Bicycle/Helmet Safety Education
Hunter Safety Instruction	Boating Safety Instruction
Senior Citizen Issues/Presentations	Business Interests/Presentations
Bicycle Registration Programs	Quality of Life Issues
Traffic Control-Selective Enforcement	Vacation Property Watch

In addition to the programs listed, deputies also focus their efforts on temporary problem solving, such as traffic enforcement in a newly created construction zone, follow-up on school bus violations, and enforcement of sex offender registration laws. Finally, all community policing deputies carry a criminal investigation caseload as a part of their obligation to the community they serve.

Deputies assigned to township or city community policing positions are as follows:

Holland Township	Park Township	Hudsonville City
Sgt. Ed deVries Deputy Brent Converse Deputy Bill Cousins Deputy Michael DeWitt Deputy Garry Fox Deputy Mark Vandenberg Deputy Jacob Mucha Deputy Michael VandenBosch	Sgt. Ed deVries Deputy Eric DeBoer Deputy Garry Fox Deputy Jacob Mucha Deputy Michael VandenBosch	Sgt. Mike Bagladi Deputy Chad Klaver Deputy Jon Knott Deputy John Ortman Deputy Jim Scholma

Georgetown Township	Zeeland Township	Spring Lake Township
Sgt. Bob Tease Deputy Scott Dyke Deputy Dean Hanson Deputy Nick Knott Deputy Michele Sampson Deputy Adam Schaller Deputy Mike Hallmeyer	Sgt. Valerie Weiss Deputy Tonya Kimber Deputy David Tuttle	Sgt. Valerie Weiss Deputy Sara Fillman

Allendale Township	Jamestown Township	Port Sheldon Township
Sgt. Dean DeVries Deputy David DeWitt Deputy Bridget Schickinger	Sgt. Valerie Weiss Deputy Sarah Flick	Sgt. Valerie Weiss Deputy Kathie Kolean

Coopersville City	Grand Haven Township	Polkton, Chester &Tallmadge Townships
Sgt. Dennis Luce Deputy Travis Babcock Deputy Valerie Beemer Deputy Dan Lewkowski Deputy Rick Sykes Deputy Mark Sheren	Sgt. Valerie Weiss Deputy Keith Biros Deputy Derek Gerencer Deputy Tim Smith Deputy Mike Veldkamp	Sgt. Dennis Luce Deputy Tyler Kempema