Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich detailed the department’s operations in the year 2025 at the March Leelanau County Executive meeting, where he highlighted the department’s struggle with CSAM (Child Sexually Abuse Material), lack of staff, mental health issues and more.
“This is still a wonderful county and a safe place to live,” Borkovich said. “This is the county to be in out of 83 (in Michigan).”
Borkovich went through the 2025 annual report, which includes crime, traffic stops, and jail statistics, among others, that shape the underbelly of the Leelanau Peninsula.
“We have a larger problem with CSAM,” Borkovich said. “The phone is a huge negative effect with these kids, including some adults.”
Borkovich says the problem is with minors holding and exchanging forms of sexually explicit content that have caused societal issues.
Borkovich went on to say his department is seeing more and more mental health issues because of drug and alcohol. Most notably, today’s high-potency marijuana.
“We are getting a lot of mental health issues with drug and alcohol. There are family arguments; 15- and 16-year-old kids dealing with mental issues because of substances. Next, is people smoking in the car themselves which is a huge problem ... I was against legalizing marijuana from the beginning. These problem affect their behavior,” Borkovich said.
Borkovich admits there aren’t many armed robberies currently in this Leelanau paradise, but petty and serious financial crime are plentiful, along with a slew of child predators lurking.
Borkovich went through the 2025 annual report, which includes crime, traffic stops, and jail statistics, among others, that shape the underbelly of the Leelanau Peninsula.
Crime stats, according to the 2025 Annual police report: Bingham township: 601 total, 20 domestic and assaults combined, 4 DUI’s, 200 vehicle stops, 20 civil problems.
Centerville Township 6 domestic assaults, 26 traffic stops.
Cleveland Township 3 domestic assaults, 3 DUI’s, 30 traffic stops.
Elmwood Township 1,235 total; 5 assault, 4 domestic assault, 4 liquor law violation, 19 obstruction of justice, 6 obstruct police, one overdose, 467 traffic stops , 65 citations, 68 traffic violations, 4 weapon offenses.
Empire Township 273 total calls , 42 traffic stops, 8 obstruction of justice, harassment 5; one domestic assault, five identity fraud cases.
Glen Arbor 249 total calls; 25 traffic stops; one domestic assault.
Leelanau Township 480 total calls, 3 domestic assaults, 94 traffic stops, 7 stalking threats, three larceny reports, 10 fraud and identity scams.
Leland Township 621 calls, 12 family disturbances, 8 fraud, 7 identity scams, 9 obstruction of justice, 156 traffic stops, 22 watercraft offenses.
Solon Township 585 calls, 5 domestic, 242 traffic stops.
Suttons Bay Township (includes Suttons Bay) 1,165 calls, 10 domestic, 2 assaults, 5 CSC, 8 DUI, 16 harassment threats, 10 juvenile problems, 9 liquor law violations, 12 obstruction of justice, and six obstruct police, 435 traffic stops.
October had the most deer accidents with 12.
