Crime & Safety

Michigan Puts $1.5 Million Toward Planned Macomb County Operations Center

Macomb County has plans to house its various public safety services, from sheriff's dispatch to emergency management, in an $11 million state-of-the-art Operations and Communications Center on Groesbeck.

The State of Michigan is giving Macomb County a $1.5 million boost toward the creation of its state-of-the-art Operations and Communications Center, which will be built inside the Macomb County Department of Roads building on Groesbeck.

The Michigan Department of Treasury notified the county Oct. 26 that it will give $1.5 million of Competitive Grant Assistance Program (CGAP) funding to supplement the center's $11 million cost.

“Collaboration isn't just a buzz word in Macomb County – it’s action. The level of funding received is an indication by the governor that Macomb County actions are relentless and positive," said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, in a prepared statement. "I’d like to thank Governor Rick Snyder and Treasurer Andy Dillon for making this possible. I’d also like to thank our Macomb Legislative Caucus, local communities and county department heads who assembled this project and made it possible."

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The county unveiled its plans for the center, which will serve as a central office for the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office dispatch (911 calls), the Department of Roads Traffic Operations Center, the Information Technology Data Center and the county’s Emergency Management & Communications Department, on Aug. 1.

By consolidating these four elements of public safety and their various technologies in a single place, Emergency Management Coordinator Vicki Wolber said the county should be able to “reduce and eliminate redundant systems,” while improving the county’s emergency response.

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The $1.5 million award will be used to purchase equipment and technology for the Sheriff’s Office dispatch located within the Operations Center to accommodate the expansion and consolidation of E 9-1-1 dispatch services with other local jurisdictions that are interested in partnering with the county.

Although the center’s primary purpose will be to consolidate county services, Hackel said during the announcement Aug. 1 that any municipalities wishing to partner with the county to enhance their own emergency services are welcome to do so.

Read more: Clinton Twp. Police Debate Consolidating Dispatch with County

The grant to Macomb County was the second highest award amount provided under this round of funding from the Department of Treasury.

It is projected that the center will cost about $11 million to build, with secured funding coming from a variety of sources:

  • The County will be covering $4.34 million – $3.57 million will come from capital improvements and $770,500 will come from the Sheriff’s Office.
  • Michigan Department of Transportation, $3.98 million
  • Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), $1 million
  • Emergency Operations Center Grant Program,  $250,000
  • Homeland Security, $725,000
  • Economic Vitality Incentive Program, $2 million

Year-to-year operational costs for the center will be covered by the budgets approved for the sheriff’s office, emergency management, MCDOR and IT, the four departments housed in the facility.

Center Highlights

The new Macomb County Operations and Communications Center will be located at the current site of the Department of Roads building on Groesbeck. It will be more than  25,000 square feet, accommodate some 70 current staff and allow for future growth of the center. Renovations related to the creation of the center include:

  • A 20-by-40-foot video wall that will be accessible to the Department of Roads, Sheriff’s dispatch and Emergency Management.
  • Eight traffic monitoring positions
  • Twenty-four dispatch positions
  • A fully-functional Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and data center
  • Emergency generator power
  • Computer lab/training room facility
  • Shared communications and technologies (radio, voice, data, video)
  • Shared shipping and receiving
  • Shared conference rooms


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