Sheriff's Macomb Twp. Substation Gets $60,000 Makeover

Macomb Township Supervisor Mark Grabow and Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham today unveiled $60,000 in renovations to the on 23 Mile Road.

From the road, the façade of the substation looks unchanged, but inside, the improvements range from added workstations to granite countertops and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.

“The feedback from the deputies has been very positive,” Wickersham said. “From the sheriff’s point of view, we’re glad that the township stepped up and took care of us.”

On the township end, Grabow said he is pleased to report that the project was completed at no cost to taxpayers.

“We were able to actually spend zero taxpayer dollars out of the general fund for these renovations because this all came back from the county,” Grabow said.

Although the substation is not manned 24 hours a day, it houses 21 sheriff's office employees who patrol Macomb Township and also serves as a hub for other law enforcement agencies in the county.

Macomb Township contracts its law enforcement services from the Macomb County Sheriff's Office for approximately $3.1 million a year.

Before the renovations, the substation’s office space utilized approximately 1,300 square feet. With the renovations, the amount of office space was almost doubled to 2,400 square feet.

And , the substation’s energy efficiency was increased with the addition of new lighting and a dual heating and cooling system. These improvements are expected to save the township some $10,000 in energy costs.

All renovations were made with longevity in mind. 

“We believe these renovations will last for a lot longer than we will probably utilize this building,” Grabow said. “The durability that we have put in was designed specifically for the longevity.”

The “durable” improvements include granite countertops and ceramic floors–purchased at closeout prices–fiberglass resin walls that resist marking and recessed ceiling tiles.

Although the substation is not manned 24 hours a day, a call box located near the front door of the station allows residents to connect with the sheriff's office even when personnel are not at the station. 

In 2010, 28,000 incident complaints were generated with the township.

Other sheriff's substations are located in Bruce Township, Harrison Township, Lenox Township, Mount Clemens and Washington Township.