Community Programs

At the May 16, 2023 Township Board meeting, the Board approved a Resolution to Support the Anonymous Gun Drop off Program offered at the Meridian Township Police Department. To learn more abut the program, read below.

Anonymous Gun Drop Off Instructions

If you find yourself in possession of any unwanted firearms or ammunition, you can surrender them to the Meridian Township Police by following the steps below:

1. Call the Police Department at 517.853.4800. Let the cadet know you have firearms to bring in for destruction.
2. An officer may ask you for your identification when you turn in the firearm(s) for documentation purposes. You are not required to provide your identity when turning in a firearm if you do not feel comfortable doing so. The officer will still accept the firearm(s) without your identification.
3. If you know how to safely unload the firearm(s), please do so. If you do not know how to unload the firearm(s), let the cadet know when you call. An officer can be dispatched to your home to assist if you prefer.
4. When transporting a firearm, the following must occur:
   • All firearms MUST be unloaded prior to transport in a motor vehicle.
   • All firearms should be stored in a case specifically designed for firearms.
   • The firearm must be transported in an area of the vehicle not readily accessible by the occupants (such as the trunk).
   • Ammunition must be transported in a separate area from the firearm. The glove box or passenger compartment of the vehicle are acceptable locations.
5. If possible, place a gun lock, chamber flag, flex tie or other obstruction to lock open the chamber on a revolver, the slide on a semi-automatic handgun, or the action on a long gun.
6. Drive directly to Meridian Township Police Department located at 5151 Marsh Road, Okemos, MI 48864. If you are stopped by police while transporting the firearm, immediately notify the officer that the weapon is in the vehicle and that you are on your way to the police department to surrender it.
7. On arrival at the police department, park your vehicle in a visitor space, make sure your vehicle is locked, and go inside to ask for further instructions.
8. Please do not bring any firearms into the Police Department building. Leave all firearms in their containers inside your vehicle until given further instructions by a police officer.
9. A report number will be generated and can be provided to you upon request.

What Happens to Items I Bring in?

• Firearms will be checked through a national database to be sure they have not been reported stolen or used in the commission of a crime.
• Firearms/ammunition is stored in a secure area until we have accumulated a sufficient quantity to send out for destruction.
• The Meridian Township Police Department does not sell firearms or ammunition. All firearms and ammunition turned in will be destroyed unless a legal owner can be identified.

Anonymous Gun Drop Off Instructions

How does the Neighborhood Watch Program work? 

Neighborhood Watch involves citizen participation in a self-help effort to combat crime in your neighborhood. The Neighborhood Watch Program will inform you about steps you can take to make your home more secure and how you can help the Meridian Township Police Department be more effective in its fight against crime. A Neighborhood Watch Program is the first logical step for any community organizing against crime. Neighborhood Watch requires minimal effort and gets people to care about and talk to one another.

Neighborhood Watch Coordinator

The Neighborhood Watch Coordinator is the liaison between the neighborhood and the police. The coordinator is the leader who helps the neighborhood organize its Neighborhood Watch Program. The coordinator recruits block captains, develops a notification system, and initiates its use.

Block Captains

Block captains canvass their assigned areas and explain the Neighborhood Watch Program to residents. Block captains obtain names, addresses, and contact information of those residents who wish to be Neighborhood Watch members. They help the coordinator design the notification system and help activate it when necessary.

Notification System

The notification system used should distribute information throughout the community as quickly as possible. Examples include email alerts, telephone trees, Twitter, Facebook, etc. When deciding on the type of notification system to use, one that provides the most immediate response to the most people is preferred. After the Police Department receives the notification system plan, Neighborhood Watch signs will be installed at the neighborhood's entrances.

Neighborhood Watch Coordinators may be alerted by Meridian Police of criminal activity that has occurred within the watch areas. This is done through the community police officer and Ingham County's emergency alert system Smart911. The coordinator passes this information along to the block captains, who contact residents via the notification system. Within a very short time, an entire neighborhood can be alerted to a problem.

Training sessions for your Neighborhood Watch group may be scheduled with the neighborhood officer. Professional instruction will be given on how to better secure your home, what suspicious activity is, how to identify someone, and how to report a crime to the police.

What Each Member Can Do:

• Get to know your neighbors and become familiar with their routines. Remember, this is a partnership.

• Look after your neighbor's home when they are gone. Ask them to look after yours.

• Be suspicious. Report unusual or suspicious behavior to the police.

• Write down descriptions of people or vehicles. License plate numbers are important.

• Keep in regular contact with your neighborhood officer, participate in the notification system, and sign up for Smart911.

What is Smart911?

Meridian Township has partnered with Ingham County to bring residents the RAVE Smart911 mass notification system. When you sign up with RAVE Smart911, you choose the types of alerts you would like to receive and the areas in which you would like to receive them. You will be notified via text message, phone call, and/or email of critical information, such as unexpected road closures, missing persons, serious incidents, severe weather, boil water advisories, and other emergencies. 

To sign up, visit the link below:

Smart911 Emergency Alert Program Signup

If you have any questions or need help with setting up your Smart911 account, please call Ingham County 911's administrative line at 517.272.6026.

How to Report

Call 911: For assaults in progress, robbery, gunshots, burglary in progress, larceny from auto in progress, fire or explosion, auto accidents involving injury, suspicious person, a person with weapons, odor of gas, or injuries.

Call 517.332.6526 for property crimes that occurred previously, auto accidents with no injury, abandoned vehicles, loud parties, or any incident not life-threatening.

When Calling the Police:

• Give your name, address, and phone number.

• Briefly describe the event - what happened, when, where, and who was involved.

• Important Suspect Information: Sex, race, age, height, weight, hair color, clothing, scars, marks, tattoos, beard, mustache, glasses, accent

• Important Vehicle Information: License plate number, make, model, body style, color, special descriptions (stickers, dents, or decals)

If you are interested in obtaining additional information regarding the Neighborhood Watch Program, please contact the Meridian Township Police Department at 517.853.4800.

A prescription drug drop box is available to the public inside the MTPD Lobby (5151 Marsh Road, Okemos).

The drop box is available seven days a week. Lobby hours are as follows:

• Monday through Friday: 7:00 am to 9:00 pm 
• Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Further, disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash can pose environmental and health hazards.

Procedures for utilizing the drop box located inside the MTPD Building:

• Certain medications (prescription and over-the-counter) must be disposed of using a drop box. Others are safe to be flushed down the toilet. For a list of drugs that are safe to be disposed of by flushing them down the toilet, please review the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Flush List. 
• For medications that are to be disposed of using the drop box, empty the drugs from their container into a clear ziplocked bag and bring them to the station. The bag must be sealed to keep the drugs from spilling into the collection box. Plastic shopping bags are not an acceptable container for medications.
• Liquid medication is accepted as long as it is in its original container and stored in a ziplocked bag. Public members are encouraged to black out the name and contents on the label using a black marker. 
• Bring the ziplocked bag to the cadet desk for inspection. The cadets will ensure the ziplocked bag is sealed properly and no prohibited items are inside.
• Drop the ziplocked bag directly into the drop box.
• The following items are not accepted: Sharps such as needles, lancets and pen needles, bloody or infectious waste, aerosol cans or IV bags or thermometers.
• Sharps can be disposed of at: Ingham County Health Department (5303 Cedar Street, Lansing) or Granger Disposal Center (16500 Wood Road, Lansing).

Accepted Items:

• Pain relievers (Vicodin, Hydrocodone, Demerol, Oxycotin, Fentanyl)
• Anti-Depressants (Valium, Xanax, Zoloft, Prozac)
• Sleep Aids (Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata)
• Behavior Modification Medication (Ritalin, Methylphenidate, Adderall)
• Cough Medication (with Dextromethorphan)

Non-Accepted Items:

• All other prescription medications
• Medicated ointments & lotions
• Needles, syringes, lancets, epi-pens
• Bloody or infectious waste
• Over-the-Counter drugs
• Vitamins & supplements
• Thermometers
• Insulin and inhalers 

For questions or concerns, please call the department's non-emergency line at 517.853.4800. For those in crisis and in need of assistance, please call 911.

The Meridian Township Police Department offers three programs for senior citizens who may live alone and need occasional check-ins:

• Check-In Program
• Elderly Call program
• Senior Watch Program

These programs were created for seniors, but are available to anyone who may need assistance. More information about each program, along with a link to sign up, is available below. 

Check-In Program:

• The Check-In Program involves the resident deciding on a day and time that they will call the police department and check in with them. If they do not contact the department on the scheduled day and time, an officer will call them or stop by to check if everything is okay.

Elderly Call Program:

• The Elderly Call Program consists of designated days and times that the police department will call the residents' homes to check on their welfare. If no contact is made, an officer will be sent to the home to check if everything is okay. 

Senior Watch Program:

• The Senior Watch Program is for people who may need more assistance than others. These community members may not have family or friends nearby to check on them, and that's where we can fill the gap. For this program, a police officer or designated volunteer will visit the resident once a week (or more) to check on their welfare.

Applying for a Program:

• To apply for the Senior Watch Program, visit the following link: Senior Watch Program Application and select the program you'd like to be enrolled in. 
• Once the application has been received, the department will contact the resident to set up a schedule based on the program they chose. 
• As part of the application process, a site evaluation of the resident's home will be completed by a police officer. This evaluation will help determine any safety concerns or special requirements needed at the residence.
• For questions, please contact the department's non-emergency line at 517.853.4800.

Program Volunteers:

• The police department welcomes volunteers to participate in the Senior Watch Program and to check in on residents enrolled in the program. All volunteers are required to undergo a thorough background check and receive training in the needs of the elderly. 
• To inquire more about volunteering, please contact the department's non-emergency line at 517.853.4800.

Senior Watch Program Brochure

• Senior Watch Program Brochure
• Neighborhood Watch Brochure
• Citizen Complaints Brochure
• Traffic Crash Brochure
• Traffic Stops Brochure
• Citizen Academy Brochure
• Cadet Program Brochure

MTPD partnered with the Mobile Crisis Services Team from Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties (CMHA-CEI) launching the Telehealth Program in 2021, and continue to provide mental health services to the community. 

Through this program, officers are equipped with tablets to virtually bring clinicians to those in crisis. The goal of this program is to increase both hospital and jail diversions by providing additional support in stabilizing and connecting people with services in their time of crisis. In 2022, the program is expected to expand to be used for follow-up care. 

“This was a great opportunity for our Department to create a partnership with the Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties to improve service to our Meridian and Williamstown Township community,” said Meridian Township Police Chief Rick Grillo.  “We want people in crisis to know that we will do everything we can to provide them a safe connection to resources that will help them through their situation.”

For questions about this program, please contact the department's non-emergency line at 517.853.4800.  For those in crisis and in need of assistance, please call 911.