Community Programs

Bicycle Registration

In an effort to reunite found bicycles with their owners, the Novi Police Department has developed a free bicycle registration program. Please complete the information below and the Novi Police Department will mail you a numbered decal for your bicycle. If your bicycle is lost or stolen, the number on the decal will allow officers to contact you once the bicycle is found. For additional questions about the program, please call Yahira Lopez at 248-348-7100.

The Novi Police Department has a Chaplain Program for use by the department. This program is comprised of several clergy from the City of Novi. The Chaplain Program serves a variety of purposes.

The Police Chaplains promote a positive relationship between law enforcement officers and the community of Novi. Chaplains can be called to assist when officers are required to make death notifications, investigate domestic family problems, help in disaster situations or in other high stress matters. The Chaplains have many  resources at their disposal to assist officers or citizens and can be called on to offer spiritual assistance or to offer compassion and guidance when needed.

Chaplains can also aid in personal and family related problems and can render spiritual assistance to individual officers in need.  Chaplains are available at all hours to assist the Novi Police Department and the Novi Community in times of need.  Police Chaplains have to meet strict qualifications and must be specially trained to be involved in the Novi Police Chaplain Program.

Citizens Police Academy

What Is It?

Citizens Police Academy Application

The Novi, Wixom, Walled Lake, Wolverine Lake and South Lyon Police Departments have created the Lakes Area Citizen’s Police Academy. This Academy is a 33 hour block of instruction designed to give the public a working knowledge of the police department’s personnel and policies. It is a series of classes held once a week for three hours.  The instruction covers a different area of the police department every week for eleven weeks and also includes a graduation. The Academy is held once a year, in the spring.

Who may Attend?

The class is made up of a cross-section of the five communities. Anyone 18 years and over may enroll; you must live or work in the cities of Novi, Wixom, Walled Lake and South Lyon or the Village of Wolverine Lake and pass a background check.

Go behind the scenes of the criminal justice system - 44th session of the Lakes Area Citizen’s Police Academy starts March 8th 2023. The registration deadline for those interested in attending is February 20. The first class will meet at the Novi Police Training Center. For more information contact Detective Sgt. Steven Snell at 248-347-0542.

The Purpose?

The Lakes Area Citizen’s Police Academy was created in order to provide enough information to the citizens that attend so that they are able to make informed judgments about the police department and police activity. The instructors hope to increase public awareness about the police department and to increase police/community rapport through this educational process. The department, in turn, becomes more aware of the feelings and concerns of the community from the students’ interaction and input. It is a two-way learning process. 

Topics

The Lakes Area Citizen’s Police Academy covers such diverse topics as training, communications, criminal investigation, drunk driving procedures, crime prevention, family violence, juvenile law and the tactical team. Emphasis is placed on the patrol division as that is the segment of the police department the public most often comes in contact with. Instruction consists of lectures, tours, demonstrations and hands-on experiences.

Courtesy Security Awareness notices (CSA’s) are notices that officers from the Novi Police Department can fill out and leave at a home or business when they notice a security problem at a particular location. If a patrol officer finds an open garage door, newspapers piled up or no exterior lighting, they can complete a CSA notice and leave it at the home or business to alert the owner/resident of the security problem. These notices are only left after a complete check of the area has determined that no criminal activity has taken place.

These notices are used for a variety of situations; however, the open doors seem to be the most common. Also printed on the notices is the crime prevention telephone number that residents and business owners can utilize in order to obtain tips on making their property safer and more secure.

Novi residents and business owners who buy and sell on Craigslist or other exchange sites may conduct their transactions in the parking lot or front lobby of the Novi Police Department. The parking lot and front lobby are active throughout the day, monitored by staff and security cameras 24 hours a day, and are well-lit in the evening.

With the increase of contacts related to buying and selling over the Internet, a recommended safeguard is to conduct the matter in a safe location. Providing your home address to unknown persons or completing transactions in an unfamiliar area is a safety concern to the Novi Police Department.

According to a 2010 study, Craigslist had approximately 50 million users and was linked with 330 crimes, 12 murders and 105 robberies or assaults in the United States. Craigslist is only a facilitator of commerce however, and can’t be held responsible for what happens amongst its users.

Selling smaller items, such as phones, computers, cameras, coin collections or jewelry, often requires the seller to invite the purchaser to his/her home to inspect or pick up the sold item(s). Meeting in the police department parking lot helps to reduce any potential danger to the seller or the seller’s family and property.

While items cannot be stored at the police department or in the parking lot, if the item can be safely transported the seller should consider conducting the transaction at our facility.

Additional safety tips for those conducting a transaction with an unknown buyer include the following:

• Only accept cash or a cashier’s check for sale. Personal checks carry some risk.
• Conduct sales during weekdays so banking or financial institutions can be contacted if there is a problem.
• Don’t go alone and trust your instincts.

The Novi Police Department will now accept unwanted prescription medications on a continuous basis. We recognize the importance of providing the community with a secure place to do this. By creating a secure place to dispose of prescription medications we will be able to reduce the amount of unused and/or expired prescription medications from accidentally or intentionally being consumed by children, sold on the street or improperly disposed of in landfill or sewer systems which can negatively affect our environment. It is the intent of our department to allow citizens to turn in unwanted medications 24 hours a day by bringing them to the Novi Police Headquarters located at 45125 West Ten Mile Road. A person turning in prescription medications can remain anonymous if they choose.

Please note:  We do not accept needles, liquids or creams.

“As a steward of the community, I am entrusted to keep my eyes and ears on Novi. It’s my duty & responsibility to be alert for public hazards, emergencies and concerns I encounter during the day and to make timely contact with the City Department responsible for resolving these issues.” Eyes and Ears Hangar

The Novi Eyes & Ears program is designed to provide community members with the appropriate department information and contact numbers to quickly and efficiently report suspicious activity.

Communities who have implemented this type of program have seen significant results in identifying items to be repaired and generally see an improvement in their sense of community.

Contact the right City Department from 8:00am to 5:00pm to report maintenance problems or potential hazards.

Type of Concern/ Problem	Dept.	Phone (all 248 area code)
Car Parked Across Walkway	Police	347-0575
Catch Basin Obstruction	DPW	735-5640
Dead Animals	DPW	735-5640
High Grass/ Weeds	Ordinance	735-5678
Leaking Hydrant/ Water Line	DPW	735-5640
Malfunctioning Traffic Signal	Police	347-0575
Missing Street Sign	DPW	735-5640
Pot Holes	DPW	735-5640
Road Hazard	Police	347-0575
Street Light Outage	Police	347-0575
Abandoned Vehicle	Police	347-0575

What You Need to Know

The non-emergency Dispatch phone # is 248-347-0575. Pre-program your cell phone. Use this for all non-life threatening emergencies and after regular weekday business hours.

Call 9-1-1 if you witness a crime or emergency in progress.

The Dispatcher will ask you:

• Who are you? (Name and Department)
• Where you are? (Give special instructions on how to get the location if needed)
• The nature of the emergency
• Is the incident in progress?
• Any circumstances that may help or impede response personnel

If Reporting a Crime

Make sure to get descriptions of all parties involved.

• Male/Female
• White/Black/Other
• Approximate age
• Clothing description
• On foot or in vehicle (license plate if available)
• Direction of travel
• Color of vehicle
• Type of vehicle
• Any weapons (guns, knife, etc)

The Novi Police Department has free gun locks available to residents upon request.  If you wish to receive a free gun lock, you may pick one up at the Novi Police Department front desk at any time, including after hours or on weekends.  You may also complete the form below to request one, and it will be delivered to your Novi residence, typically within 7 days or less of the request.  A member of the department will personally deliver the lock to your home, and if no one responds during the delivery attempt, it will be left at the front door or other similar location at your home.

(*) = required



 

HAVEN is a nationally recognized non-profit leader in Oakland County providing comprehensive solutions and innovative programs that promote violence-free homes and communities. HAVEN serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse in Oakland County through treatment and prevention services.

The goals of HAVEN are:

Provide direct services to child and adult victims and families experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault.

Provide direct intervention services to perpetrators of domestic violence in order to prevent future occurrences.

Work toward eliminating domestic violence and sexual assault through prevention education services.

Serve as a systems change agent for community efforts related to domestic violence and sexual assault.

HAVEN provides free court accompaniment, support, crisis intervention and support for families. They also offer services for the family and friends of victims, exploration of victim’s financial options, step by step information on victim’s rights and court procedure resources and referrals.

The Novi Police Department works with HAVEN to insure that victims are aware of the programs and services available. Police officers investigating abuse cases provide HAVEN pamphlets to victims and explain the services available. Officers contact HAVEN when they are with a victim of domestic or physical abuse if requested and a HAVEN representative responds to the location to speak with the victim.

The Novi Police Department shares the philosophy of HAVEN in that we believe that all people have a right to violence-free lives. Domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse should not be tolerated or condoned. We believe that these acts have a devastating effect on victims, their families and the entire society. We believe that abusive acts are acts of power and control that the victim does not provoke, enjoy or deserve. We believe that victims can regain control of their lives through appropriate support services. We believe that education is a vital component in working toward the prevention of physical and sexual violence.

Click here to visit the HAVEN website.

Home Watch

Thieves often target homes of citizens who are on vacation or otherwise gone for an extended period of time. In response to this unique factor, the Novi Police Department has developed, implemented and seen great success from the Home Watch Program.

Novi residents can come to the police station, call and speak to an officer, or complete the online form below to arrange a Home Watch check.

Home Watch Application

 

Neighborhood Speed Watch

Speeding drivers on neighborhood streets is one of the most common complaints received by the Novi Police Department. Neighborhood Speed Watch is a three-part program designed to address the concerns of our community. The program is a partnership between the Novi Police Department and our citizens and is initiated by citizens concerned about speeding vehicles in their neighborhood.

The “Shield 12” speed monitoring devices are what is utilized by the Novi Police Department on busy city streets as well as in subdivisions. The Shield 12 is a self-contained speed display unit, that can either be placed on a permanent speed limit sign or affixed to the back of a Novi Police Patrol unit. These are specifically designed to promote speed awareness. The Shield 12 uses a radar unit to determine the speed of vehicles approaching or driving away from the unit. That speed is displayed on the front of the device and has a strobe feature to catch the attention of oncoming traffic.

Novi Police Department Speed Watch Request Form

 

Residential and business security surveys will be conducted by officers and crime prevention detectives when requested. Crime prevention detectives will continue to provide this service during regular business hours. When a survey is requested for a time when a crime prevention detective is not working, members of the Uniform Section will conduct the survey. Residential Security Survey Business Security Survey To schedule a security survey, the citizen or business owner should contact Detective Sergeant Kevin Gilmore to arrange a time.

The Novi Police Department is pleased to offer residential and commercial security surveys to the residents and business owners in the City of Novi. This confidential security survey is a free service offered to you by the Novi Police Department. It is designed to reduce your vulnerability to crime by identifying existing or potential security weaknesses.

Although the recommendations are effective, there is no guarantee you will not be victimized by crime. If good security practices are in effect, the surveys can help you minimize your risk to criminal activity.

The security survey covers such topics as:

• Perimeter fencing/gates
• Landscaping
• Exterior lighting
• Exterior doors
• Windows
• Locks
• Vehicle theft prevention
• Operation Identification

If you would like to schedule a security survey, please contact the Novi Police Department at 248- 348-7100 or submit an email. 

 

VIP team members will enhance the safety of the Novi community by observing and reporting incidents requiring a public safety response. Team members will also have the opportunity to enhance the level of safety in the community by educating citizens in crime prevention and safety topics.

VIPS Flyer

Mission

The mission of the Novi VIPS Program is to “Observe, Report and Educate.” VIPS members can help educate community members about rules and local ordinances for the safety of all residents. VIPS members will also be able to observe and report on any situation requiring public safety response.

Reasons to Volunteer

• An opportunity to give back and serve the Novi community
• A productive way to spend free time and stay engaged
• A great opportunity to meet volunteers and members of the community
• A way to learn more about public safety operations

VIPS Activities

• High visability, non-confrontational patrol
• Patrolling Novi community parks (during special events)
• Handicap Parking enforcement
• Conducting checks as part of Homewatch Program and reporting problems
• Educating public on home safety and crime prevention topics

Qualifications

• Be at least 21 years old
• Possess valid MI driver’s license
• Maintain satisfactory driving record
• Have no criminal convictions
• Pass background check
• Attend training session

Click here to learn more about volunteering.

Contact Sergeant Mark Boody (248) 348-7100 with questions.