In Leelanau County, Michigan, arrest warrants are treated as judicial directives for detention. While this is the legally sanctioned definition of such orders, the fact is that the court cannot issue the order on its own. Another type of legal instrument known as a bench warrant is often used by the judiciary when police intervention is not available in the warrant issue process.
These detention orders are no match to active warrants that come with indefinite validity and no geography or time restrictions. In other words, while a bench warrant from Leelanau can only be used within the boundary of the county, active warrants can result in detention even outside the issuing state.
It is the norm to do a warrant search in Leelanau when offering a job to an applicant. However, it is also becoming increasingly common to initiate such an inquiry when forging personal ties. This is, of course, recommended given the crime wave sweeping across the nation. To get information on outstanding warrants issued in Leelanau County, you will have to go to the cops or the judiciary.
While all departments follow roundabout the same procedure for a warrant search, the information offered can vary. The county clerk’s office will search through their database of court dockets and offer details on criminal and civil cases that the subject is involved in.
On the other hand, the police will look through their database of arrest records and warrants from Leelanau County and provide crime-specific information. The magistrate’s court can be used when you need case-specific details or would like to learn about all judicial instruments issued against the subject. To connect with these agencies, go to
- Department of the sheriff: 8525 E. Government Center Drive, Suttons Bay, Michigan 49682
- Clerk of Court: PO Box 595, Leland, Michigan 49654
- The magistrate: Same as the office of the sheriff
How do you contact state agencies for an arrest report or details about warrants from Leelanau County over the phone? (Updated-2021)
- In order to approach the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office with general inquiries, use the dispatch phone line – 231-256-8800.
- In order to do a warrant search, call the Law Enforcement Division at 231-256-8604.
- In order to learn about arrests, contact the Correctional Facility at 231-256-8661.
- In order to connect with the Investigation Division for inquiries pertaining to a criminal case, call 231-256-8613.
- In order to connect with Victim/Witness Services, contact the Victim’s Advocate at 231-256-9872.
- In order to request certified copies of judicial records, contact the Clerk of Court at 231-922-4701 (Circuit) and 231-922-4580 (District).
Crime statistics of Leelanau County
Around 40 cases of property crimes and 7 cases of violent crimes were investigated by Leelanau County Police in 2019. The annual crime average was 46 incidents, which was almost the same as the crime average of 2018.
The 7 complaints against violent crime were filed against 2 cases of rape and 5 cases of serious assault. Complaints filed against property crimes included 11 burglaries, 27 larceny-theft reports, and 1 motor vehicle theft. In Leelanau County, MI, most crimes occur when the victim is very close to his workplace or residence. Fortunately, less than 100 criminal complaints are reported in the area despite almost 100% growth in violent crime rates and a spike of 90% in the average of overall criminal complaints. Through the nine years that started in 1999, no more than 700 crimes were reported in the area, which puts Leelanau County in the list of the state geographical divisions with the lowest crime rate.