Annual report shows traffic violations, crime drop in Washtenaw County, sheriff says

The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is highlighting its public safety approach in its annual strategic impact report.

Sheriff Alyshia Dyer reports that traffic violations, crashes, reported crime and the jail population are down, all while saving more than $4 million to balance their budget.

"This is laying the groundwork for something that's more healing, a people-centered, and it's also not impacting crime. Crime is actually going down," Dyer said.

Strategies like a 61% reduction in traffic stops for things like a cracked windshield or a missing license plate bolt that she says disproportionately impact people of color and people in poverty.

"We are really trying to move away from stopping people for the minor offenses and really focus deputies' time on building relationships and on the actual serious safety hazards," she said.

The department is also prioritizing descalation over incarceration. We saw part of that strategy firsthand during a ride-along with one of the county's deputy and social worker teams, also known as co-response units.

"We've never arrested anyone. A lot of times, people are more willing to talk to a clinician than to a police officer. It allows us to take a situation that could often end up in criminal charges and avoid it entirely from happening," said Deputy Richard Traskos.

"We can connect people who are in the community and may need mental health treatment, and because of their lack of access to mental health treatment, they may get the police called on them because of how they're acting," said social worker Emily Rader-Scheitz.

This coincides with 184 fewer bookings at the County Jail in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to the report.

Dyer says the report proves their progressive strategies can create more positive interactions with law enforcement, while also making the county safer.