Algonac had a busy year of police services
By Barb Pert Templeton
The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department has a contract to provide police services to the City of Algonac and Sheriff Mat King delivers a report to the city council each year.
While he usually attends a council meeting earlier in the new year, scheduling conflicts kept King from doing so in January and February but he appeared at the March 4 meeting to share the 2024 data.
King reported that the St. Clair County Sheriff’s deputy responded to 5,079 calls for service in the city, conducted 1,266 traffic stops and did 2,908 public property and school checks.
Members of the Algonac City Council listen as St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King shares information about law enforcement service to the city in 2024.
“All in all, looks like we’ve been very busy and I don’t have any other things to report on but I’m here to answer your questions,” King.
Councilman Michael Bembas said he was pleased to see that even though officers had 450 extra traffic stops that the department issued 50 less tickets.
“To me that’s a positive thing, we’re not out just to get people but stop them and slow them down and all that,” Bembas said.
King replied that there are three reasons people get stopped including investigations for a vehicle doing something suspicious, education to get people to follow the traffic laws so the community is safer and the third reason is having to issue a ticket because warnings aren’t working and they have to start enforcing things.
“Or the individual demonstrates that perhaps they don’t understand and they need a ticket or perhaps a driving record situation and deputies have discretion and I’m proud of the deputies down here, they make good decisions,” King said.
He added that tickets are expensive so if they can get their point across and keep the community safe without issuing tickets that’s the best route.
Bembas then asked if the sheriff felt having a road diet in Algonac slows people down.
“Usually it does, I can talk to the deputies further on that but I would think so,” King said. “People realize, hey there are less lanes here, usually a road diet means that we’re trying to have a more residential area and business commercial area; just seeing a road diet does usually slow people down.”
Mayor Pro Tem Dawn Davey said she wasn’t surprised to see juvenile matters have increased over the last year.
King said those numbers could be from his deputies getting the message that they need to have more contact with juveniles to get ahead of problems, educate them and create those relationships so they don’t run when they see the deputies.
“Juveniles are going to be juveniles; they are going to create some mischief but if they (his officers) start to creates friendships or relationships, they start to go like hey let’s not do that even when the deputies not around,” King said.
Davey said she’s having her second run (raising) a teenager and there was a lot of tension over the past summer but she’s hoping things calm down a bit going forward.
“I think it’s going to with the help of our fine deputy over here,” Davey said.
King said he appreciated the credit because the deputies do work very hard.
“I’ve got to give some credit to the community and to the board too, for talking about it at a board meeting, for talking about it outside the board meetings, for saying let’s find solutions and let’s get involved,” King said, noting that when communities don’t get involved those things get worse.
Having the community involvement really matters, he added.
“It’s a group effort and I know it’s corny, takes a village and all, but it absolutely does,” King said. “Especially now a days when kids have the ability to outreach with so many things we can’t see like social media and phones.”
“I know a bunch of these kids and it’s a terrible thing to say but fear is good, sometimes they’re afraid,” Davey smiled.
King agreed that there is a level of fear and respect.
Bembas asked King if there was anything he needed from the council so he can be successful at what he does.
“I’ll just say what I always say, more of the same, communication is key,” King said.
The sheriff noted that he’s only 30-minutes away and he has a good relationship with the council and also the city manager.
Mayor Rocky Gillis said he had an incident with the sheriff’s department in his neighborhood and he was impressed to see the deputy who responded and deescalated the situation.
During the council comment section of the agenda at the end of the meeting Councilman Ed Carter thanked the sheriff for his presentation to the council.
“We appreciate your support and what your department, the sheriff’s department, is doing for us,” Carter said.
Council members Cathy Harris and Jake Skarbek also took time to thank Sheriff King for attending the meeting.
“Thank you for all your deputies that come out they’ve been rock stars and it’s definitely noticeable,” Skarbek said.
“As always your team does a great job and we appreciate everything we receive down here,” Mayor Rocky Gillis added.
The current agreement between the City of Algonac and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services was renewed by the council in Sept. 2024. At that time a three-year contract, beginning Oct. 1, 2024 through Sept. 30, 2027 was okayed by officials.
