Sheriff Connect

(July 1, 2014) Detroit – A 20-year-old Wayne County Community College District student remains in custody in the Wayne County Jail after she allegedly stabbed another student in an altercation involving a class project.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is seeking criminal charges against the student for stabbing a 54- year-old student shortly before 6 p.m. Monday (June 30) at the WCCCD northwest campus in Detroit. The man suffered minor injuries to the top of his head and was not hospitalized, police said. Both students are residents of Detroit.

Following an argument about a group assignment, the woman ran towards her classmate as he attempted to leave the classroom. She punched him in the head and back and stabbed him in the head with a knife that had an approximately eight-inch blade, according to police. Police later found a bag of marijuana in the woman’s purse.

In addition to the Sheriff’s Office, Detroit Police and officers from the community college’s Police Authority also responded to the scene. Police said violence on campus is rare. “This is a very peaceful campus,” said Wayne County Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon, who responded to the scene.”This is an isolated incident. It certainly is not indicative of what we see on this campus.”

(June 13, 2014) -- Wayne County is seeking to hire up to 60 new officers to work for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in one of the three County jails. Candidates will be assigned to complete a 160-hour Jailer Training Academy. Upon graduation, new hires will be assigned to work in one of the jails on any available shift. New hires are paid a salary of $28,284 per year based on a 40-hour work week, a retention bonus of $1,200 per year, plus health care and other benefits.

(June 4, 2014) Detroit—Drag racing used to be a summer tradition in Detroit. But a concerted effort by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reclaimed the streets for the community last year.

On Wednesday, more than 100 bidders and spectators from metro Detroit checked out vehicles that were forfeited in an enforcement effort that began in 2011 and intensified in 2012 before the illegal racing virtually stopped by late summer 2013.

Sheriff’s deputies issued numerous tickets and more than 30 vehicles were forfeited during the crackdown in Detroit. In March, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the right of police to confiscate vehicles used for drag racing. To date, about 25 of the forfeited vehicles have been sold at various auctions, including several cars sold today at an auction held at a Detroit storage yard. A 2008 Corvette brought the highest bid today: $21,000. Seizing vehicles from racers and unruly spectators proved to be an effective and legal deterrent, said Wayne County Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon.

(May 15, 2014) Detroit— A 52-year-old Detroit man was detained by Wayne County Sheriff’s officers Thursday afternoon after a large knife was discovered inside the man’s walking cane at the Coleman Young Municipal Centre.

Officers were alerted when an x-ray machine detected a knife with a 15-inch blade in the cane. The handle of the cane also served as the knife’s handle. The man told police he received the cane from a friend and did not know it had a knife in it, said Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Harris.

The man said he was headed to the Detroit Retirement Board to conduct business. He was searched and later turned over to Detroit police for investigation of a possible concealed weapons violation.

There are no outstanding warrants for the man, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, Harris said.

Reserve Tuesday, June 17, 2014 on your calendar for some fun in support of a great cause. That’s the date for the 24th annual golf outing at the Warren Valley Golf Course in Dearborn Heights to benefit the Wayne County Sheriff Youth & Senior Education Fund.

Tee offs are scheduled at 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The event also includes lunch and dinner, an auction, prizes and trophies. Cost is $250 per golfer, $1,000 for a foursome or $100 for dinner only. Since its inception in 1990, the Fund has raised more than $700,000 to enhance the quality of life for youth and senior citizens through educational and safety programs. The greatest level of giving to the 501 ( c ) (3) Fund has come under the leadership of Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon, who serves as president of the volunteer board of directors.

The Fund has donated to various organizations that assist youth and seniors, including Ronald McDonald House, COTS, Make a Wish Foundation and Metro Detroit Youth Day. From lunches to summer camps for youth, the Fund provides drug awareness education presentations, first-aid kits, File of Life medical emergency information for seniors and handgun safety (Trigger Lock Program) as well as safety brochures, emergency cell phones and window locks for seniors. The golf outing is the only fundraiser for the Fund. With no salaries or administrative overhead, virtually all monies are distributed to area programs.

To reserve a tee-off time or make a donation, contact Daralene Nero at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 313-320-3834. Checks payable to the Wayne County Sheriff Youth & Senior Education Fund can be sent to 4747 Woodward, Detroit, Mi. 48201.

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(Saturday, May 3, 2014) -- The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office was well represented Saturday in the 5th annual “Run with the Cops, not from Them” charity fundraiser on Belle Isle. 
The event was sponsored by the For A Day Foundation, a charity which provides quality-of-life services for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses in metro Detroit. Activities include a one-mile walk and 5k and 10k runs.

Participating from the Sheriff’s Office in the walk/run were Lt. Dennis Ramel, Sgts. Jerona Green and Diane McKee and Deputies Charles Carlson, George Cipolla and Hisham Hammoud. Approximately 10 non-police participants also ran or walked under the Sheriff’s Office team name. Running for a good cause is nothing new for several members of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. 

Last year, a Sheriff”s team won first place in the 5k run at the Heroes on Hines Run to benefit the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Hines Park. Winners in the mixed team competition were Deputy Jason Horne (time of 26.57), Sgt. Mckee (33.09), Deputy Carlson (32.10) and Sgt/ Sharon Borieo (36.11).

Other participants included Capt. Zenola Seegar and Deputies Sheri Tanner, Randall Boyce and Marlena Hadden.
Sgt. McKee said most of the Sheriff’s participants are not competitive runners but enjoy staying fit and participating in events that benefit good causes. McKee is a supervisor in the Sheriff’s electronic monitoring unit.

(May 9, 2014) –A Wayne County Sheriff’s Office plan to assist inmates who are mentally ill and homeless while also saving taxpayers millions of dollars is scheduled for final approval by the Wayne County Commission next Thursday.

The Commission’s Committee on Public Safety voted this week in favor of a $432,000 contract with Elmhurst Home Inc. of Detroit to house up to 70 inmates a day at men’s and women’s facilities as they transition from the criminal justice system into society. The contract would run thru September 2017 and is estimated to save the county about $90 a day for each participant.

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(April 21, 2014) --With the start of the boating season, Wayne County Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon cautions Metro Detroit boaters and swimmers to use common sense to help stay safe.

“Follow the boating laws, wear a life jacket, pay attention to what’s going on around you, know the weather conditions and where the shallow spots are,” Napoleon said. “These may seem like basic tips but using basic safety precautions can help you have a good experience on the water.”

Napoleon notes that the county’s Marine Unit has responded to two incidents recently that show wrong actions can create far more dangerous conditions on the water.