01/17/2026
Good afternoon,
I am sounding the alarm because Independence Township residents are being forced to absorb a public safety burden that rightfully belongs to the Michigan State Police.
Independence Township maintains a limited fleet of patrol vehicles and pays Oakland County Sheriffs’ deputies to protect our community. Despite this, we are now being required to backfill core responsibilities that the State Police are walking away from — including responding to crashes and critical incidents in our jurisdiction.
Make no mistake: MSP will still be present when it comes to writing tickets and generating revenue. But when it comes to actually keeping people safe, assisting motorists in distress, and responding to emergencies, they are effectively stepping aside and leaving local taxpayers to pick up the tab.
This is outrageous.
It creates an immediate safety risk for our residents, strains our already constrained resources, and represents an unfair cost shift onto Independence Township families who are already paying for professional law enforcement coverage. Public safety should not depend on which agency decides it is “convenient” to show up.
As Supervisor, I will not accept a situation where our residents are left with fewer protections while paying more for them. I expect transparency from the State, accountability for their statutory responsibilities, and a clear plan to restore full coverage.
I welcome your coverage of this issue — our community deserves to understand what is happening and what is at stake.
Best regards,
Chuck Phyle II
Supervisor
Independence Township
O) (248) 625-5111
C) (248) 222-6185
[email protected]