Leelanau County Sheriff's Office

08/26/2026

🚍 SCHOOL IS STARTING SOON! 🚸

With students returning to school, yellow school buses will soon be back on our roadways. Please remain alert and use caution when approaching a school bus with flashing yellow lights, they are preparing to stop, and the lights will soon turn red.

Remember, when the red lights are flashing, traffic is required to stop. School bus violations can result in significant fines, points on your driving record, and increased insurance costs.

Slow down, stay alert, and help keep our children safe!

History: 1949, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949 ;-- Am. 1956, Act 48, Eff. Aug. 11, 1956 ;-- Am. 1957, Act 284, Eff. Sept. 27, 1957 ;-- Am. 1958, Act 160, Eff. Sept. 13, 1958 ;-- Am. 1962, Act 92, Eff. Mar. 28, 1963 ;-- Am. 1963, Act 149, Eff. Sept. 6, 1963 ;-- Am. 1969, Act 240, Eff. Mar. 20, 1970 ;--....

08/20/2026

FOUND DOGS

UPDATE - The Dogs and the owner has be reunited.

Two female Great Pyrenees,-type dogs found roaming together on S. Townline Rd, Cedar, MI near E. April Rd. The black dog has some white markings on her chest and feet, and no collar. The white is mostly white, possibly some brown. She apparently rolled in something and is very dirty. She does have a collar but no tags. If you know these dogs or know someone who may know these dogs, please contact the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office at 231-256-8800.

08/17/2026

UPDATE
Owner located and the dog has been returned.

FOUND DOG
If you are the owner or know the owner of this white, female mixed breed, please contact Leelanau Dispatch at 231-256-8800. The dog was in the Veronica Valley area, South Lake Leelanau Drive and Maple Valey Rd.

07/31/2026

FOUND DOG

On Friday, July 31st, 2026, the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the area of South Shore Drive in the Village of Suttons Bay for a report of dog at large. Deputies located a brown and white mixed bred with what appears to be a bluish colored containment collar. There were no other identification tags or an ID chip. The dog, which was friendly and approachable, was collected and transported to the Sheriff's Office for safe keeping. Attempts to locate the owner in the immediate area where unsuccessful. If anyone has any information on the animal or is aware of who the owner is, you are asked to contact Leelanau County Dispatch at 231-256-8800.

07/31/2026

Annual Woolsey Pancake Fly-in Canceled

Due to weather concerns, the Annual Woolsey Pancake Fly-in has been canceled for tomorrow, August 1st.

07/22/2026

PSA REMINDER

Please remember that blocking a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier from delivering mail is a civil infraction under the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code.

If you are having work done at your home, please remind contractors and visitors to avoid parking in a manner that blocks a mail carrier's access to your mailbox. Keeping mailboxes accessible helps ensure timely mail delivery and prevents unnecessary violations.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping keep our neighborhoods safe and accessible.

257.674 Prohibited parking; exceptions; bus loading zone; violation as civil infraction.
(1) A vehicle must not be parked, except if necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the law or the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places:
y. On a street or highway in such a way as to obstruct the delivery of mail to a rural mailbox by a carrier of the United States Postal Service.

07/02/2026

JURY DUTY SCAM

The Leelanau County Sheriff's Office is aware of a recently reported scam attempt on a local citizen. This scam involved multiple phone calls to the citizen. The first to their place of employment and the second to them directly reporting that they had missed jury duty and had to pay a fee to freeze a warrant that had been issued for their arrest. The caller on this incident was reported to be a former long standing former employee of the Sheriff's Office, who retired many years ago and recently passed away. The caller attempted to get the citizen to send their Zelle or Apple pay information to a 10 digit "confirmation" number.

The Sheriff's Office would like to remind people that scams of this nature are happening everyday and that citizens must remain vigilant in protecting their assets. Although employees of the Sheriff's Office may make contact with citizens via the telephone, these conversations will only be for the purposes of taking statements, gathering information, or making arrangements to meet in person at some location. Leelanau County Sheriff's Office personnel or other Law Enforcement Officials will never contact you via any telecommunications device, phone, email, or text in an attempt to execute an arrest warrant or collect a monetary amount related to possible fines and costs. Any contacts related to arrest warrants for you or other related family members will always be done in person.

06/17/2026

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Sheriff Mike Borkovich swore in new Animal Control Deputy Eric VanThomme. VanThomme, a 9-year veteran employee of the Sheriff's Office, recently transferred from the Corrections Division to the position of Animal Control Deputy.

Deputy VanThomme will be replacing Animal Control Deputy Wayne Kalchik, who will be retiring on August 31, 2026, after almost 31 years of service to the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office. Kalchik first served as a seasonal Marine Patrol Deputy for 17 seasons before joining the team fulltime as the Animal Control Deputy in 2013.

We would like to wish Deputy VanThomme and Deputy Kalchik the best of luck as they venture into their new phases of life.

05/29/2026

SEEKING APPLICATIONS FOR CORRECTIONS DEPUTY

The Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office is currently seeking applicants to fill an upcoming position in the Corrections Division.

See the attached poster for more information, and to complete an application.

Application deadline: Until filled

04/28/2026

Car Seat Inspections

The Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind citizens that we offer free child car seat inspections to help keep our community’s youngest passengers safe.

Have your child's car seat inspected by a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician for recalls, proper installation, and other safety concerns. Proper installation is critical, and we’re here to help ensure your child’s seat is installed correctly and fits your vehicle and child as intended.

Deputy Jennie Block is our certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and is available to assist you.

To schedule an inspection or ask questions, please contact her at 231-256-8661 Sunday-Tuesday.

Your child’s safety is our priority—don’t hesitate to reach out.