Livingston County Sheriff's deputies are increasingly being asked to appear at community meetings because of safety concerns, according to Sheriff Mike Murphy. 

"Some of them frankly have gotten to the point where we're there every meeting just because of the rift between the public and the particular board," said Murphy. 

In recent months, Murphy said the department has gotten calls from Tyrone Township, Genoa Township, and, most recently, Howell Township because of a meeting to discuss the possibility of a new data center. Murphy said that for meetings like those, local officials often call ahead to ask for deputies. 

"We live in a free country, right? But it needs to be done with some decorum," he said. "If they're going to make that request, they're going to need to open up their checkbook." 

In Livingston County, a municipality pays $70 an hour to have a deputy at a meeting. The department says it is also monitoring any threats online. 

"It's no different than we'd do with like school threats, for example. We try to vet them as quickly and efficiently as we can," Murphy said. 

Murphy said he thinks social media plays a big role in amping people up, but Livingston County isn't alone. Data from the Brennan Center for Justice found a 74% increase in threats and harassment against local officials just between 2022 and 2024. 

"The internet and social media is the devil's tool," he said. 

Murphy encouraged communities to have discussions face-to-face instead of on social media, and just pausing before you speak can help bring the temperature down.