Lenawee County Police Records

Lenawee County police records are public documents held by the Lenawee County Sheriff's Office in Adrian and by local law enforcement agencies serving the county's cities and townships. The county is in southeast Michigan near the Ohio border, and local agencies file reports for a wide range of incidents including arrests, crashes, and criminal activity. This page covers how to request Lenawee County police records through FOIA, what online tools are available, and which agencies maintain specific types of records.

Lenawee County Sheriff's Office

The Lenawee County Sheriff's Office is the main agency for police records in the county. The office is located at 405 N. Winter St., Adrian, MI 49221, and the phone number is (517) 264-5340. You can find general information on the sheriff's website at lenawee.mi.us/123/Sheriff. The sheriff covers unincorporated areas and many townships throughout Lenawee County. It also operates the county jail and tracks booking and release data.

To request police records from the Lenawee County Sheriff, submit a written FOIA request. Mail or deliver it to 405 N. Winter St., Adrian, MI 49221. Include your name, address, phone or email, and a clear description of the records you want. List the type of record, date range, and names or case numbers. Be specific so staff can find the right documents quickly. You can also check the county's main government site at lenawee.mi.us for any FOIA submission options the county may provide.

Lenawee County is home to several cities and townships that have their own police departments. Adrian City Police, Tecumseh Police, and Blissfield Village Police each maintain separate records. If an incident happened inside any of those jurisdictions, contact the relevant city or village police department directly rather than the county sheriff.

The Michigan State Police website gives access to ICHAT, the Traffic Crash Purchasing System, and FOIA tools for state-level records that supplement what the Lenawee County Sheriff holds locally.

How to Request Lenawee County Police Records

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL § 15.231 et seq. gives any person the right to ask for public records from government agencies. No residency requirement applies. You do not need to state why you want the records. The law covers incident reports, arrest records, booking data, dispatch logs, and other law enforcement documents held by Lenawee County.

Your written request should include your name, mailing address, and phone or email. Describe the records you need clearly. Give the type of record, date range, and names or case numbers if you have them. Under MCL § 15.235, the Lenawee County Sheriff must respond within 5 business days. They can extend this by up to 10 more business days by giving you written notice with the reason for the delay. Email and fax requests are treated as received the next business day.

Under MCL § 15.243, the agency may deny records tied to active investigations, personal privacy, or public safety. Any denial must be in writing and identify the specific exemption. You have 180 days to appeal. The appeal goes to the head of the agency or the board of commissioners. If the appeal fails, you can challenge the denial in Lenawee County Circuit Court. A court that finds the denial was improper can award attorney fees to the requester.

Lenawee County Records Request Fees

Under MCL § 15.234, standard paper copies cost $0.10 per page. Labor is charged at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who can do the task, billed in 15-minute increments. No labor charge applies for searches taking under 15 minutes. Fringe benefits may be added at up to 50% of the labor rate. If the estimated fee exceeds $50, the sheriff can require a 50% deposit before work begins.

Low-income requesters may apply for a $20 fee waiver by submitting an affidavit of indigency. The affidavit must show you receive public assistance or cannot afford to pay. You can claim this waiver up to twice per calendar year. Always ask for a written cost estimate before submitting a large or complex records request.

County FOIA portals across Michigan follow the same state rules shown here. Contact the Lenawee County Sheriff's Office at (517) 264-5340 to confirm the best way to submit your request.

Accident Reports in Lenawee County

Traffic crash reports in Michigan use the UD-10 form. If the Michigan State Police responded to the crash, you can purchase a copy through the Michigan Traffic Crash Purchasing System. For crashes handled by the Lenawee County Sheriff or a local city police department, submit a FOIA request to the appropriate agency.

LexisNexis BuyCrash at buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com and ReportBeam at reportbeam.com provide third-party access to many Michigan crash reports. These services skip the FOIA process and typically deliver reports within 7 to 10 days. Insurance companies and attorneys frequently use them for faster access to crash records.

Statewide Tools for Lenawee County Records

The Internet Criminal History Access Tool, ICHAT, is run by the Michigan State Police and covers felonies and serious misdemeanors from all 83 Michigan counties. The fee is $10 per search. Access it at michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat. ICHAT does not include traffic violations, juvenile records, or records from other states.

The Michigan Courts Case Search is free and lets you look up court records by name or case number from any Michigan court. It covers charges, hearing dates, and case dispositions for Lenawee County cases handled in the 39th Circuit Court. The Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry at mipsor.state.mi.us is free and statewide. OTIS at mdocweb.state.mi.us is free and covers people in state prison or on parole. The Michigan Attorney General's FOIA page at michigan.gov/ag/foia helps with guidance and appeals.

Michigan Courts Case Search covers records from Lenawee County's 39th Circuit Court and local district courts. It is free to search by name or case number and shows all case activity including charges and final outcomes.

The MSP FOIA page explains how to submit records requests for state police incidents in Lenawee County. Use it when an MSP trooper handled the call rather than the county sheriff or a local city department.

Nearby Counties

Lenawee County borders several southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio counties. Each has its own sheriff's office and FOIA process.