While the Holiday Season is normally the most wonderful time of the year, Calhoun County Sheriff Steve Hinkley is warning of Grinches looking to steal your holiday joy and more.

Community message from Sheriff Steve Hinkley:
In the last few weeks, Calhoun County has seen a rise in larcenies, particularly from motor vehicles. Most recently, local law enforcement responded to larcenies on the west side of the county, generally in the Leroy Township area.
Nighttime patrols were increased in Newton and Leroy Townships over the weekend, and Calhoun County detectives located the suspected vehicle involved in these incidents. The vehicle was stopped by the Michigan State Police for speeding, Sheriff's detectives seized that vehicle and executed a search warrant, and they seized a large amount of stolen property connected to the larcenies in Leroy Township.
This activity is not unusual around the holiday season, and community involvement and communication with law enforcement is critical in preventing and solving these crimes. We are aware of social media groups that act as a neighborhood watch, with community members sharing information with each other to enhance safety in their area. While this information is valuable to your neighbors, it's pivotal to law enforcement as well. However, law enforcement cannot monitor all social media sites to gather specific information that may be helpful to an investigation.
Please share safety concerns that you have about your neighborhood and community with law enforcement, not just on social media pages. If you have concerns about a suspicious vehicle, person or incident in your neighborhood, call your local police agency and file a report. If it is an emergency, please call 911. Do not assume law enforcement saw posts on neighborhood social media groups. If it concerned you enough to post it, warning others in your neighborhood may be a small piece of a bigger puzzle, and the information may be critical to detectives.
Also, don’t forget you can be proactive about preventing crime in your neighborhood. Although many Calhoun residents live in an area that may be rural, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take preventative steps to avoid becoming victim to criminal behavior. Oftentimes, criminals take advantage of our complacency. Be smart about your belongings: Remove firearms and personal valuable property from vehicles, and lock the doors. In many cases, criminals are entering unlocked vehicles, and then stealing firearms, identification, credit cards and other vital, personal information.
You can take an active role in the safety of your community. Please remember to secure your vehicle, lock your doors, and share any information with law enforcement that could help solve a crime.
Thank you, Calhoun County Sheriff Steve Hinkley

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