The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is increasing targeted patrols in several areas of Pontiac after a spike in vehicle crashes involving pedestrians. 

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the patrols will focus on multiple "hot spots" that his department has identified as the most likely for a vehicle crash involving pedestrians. 

The goal of the increased patrols is to encourage pedestrians to use crosswalks when crossing roadways. 

"There have been far too many serious pedestrian accidents in Pontiac," Bouchard said. "These saturation patrols are intended to reduce the behavior that has caused them. For the pedestrians, we are not looking to write formal tickets, but to change street crossing habits. For those that are driving recklessly, carelessly and dangerously, they will be receiving citations."

According to the sheriff's office, there have been seven hit-and-run crashes in Pontiac in 2025, which caused serious injury or a fatality. Two of those crashes occurred within blocks of each other on Baldwin Avenue on July 3 and Aug. 5. Both crashes resulted in the death of a pedestrian due to a hit-and-run.

Deputies will be increasing patrols in the areas of Huron and Saginaw streets, Walton Boulevard and Perry Street, Baldwin Avenue and Montcalm Street, and Auburn Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard. 

Pedestrians will receive written warnings, and deputies will increase traffic enforcement for speeders and reckless drivers. 

The sheriff's office says from Jan. 1, 2023, to Sept. 2, 2025, there were 70 crashes involving pedestrians in Pontiac, seven of which resulted in fatalities, including five in 2025, and 19 in serious injuries.