One of the Oldest Townships in Michigan
Bloomfield Township was granted its charter as a Township on April 12, 1827 when it was designated a 36 square mile area. In 1932, the City of Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham (1933) incorporated as separate cities, leaving Bloomfield Township with 25 square miles. What started as an area known for its agriculture and vacation homes has turned into a thriving community of high-end residences and commercial establishments. What once were dirt roads and trails have become four lane boulevards and paved bike paths.
Constables or sheriff's deputies policed Bloomfield Township until its own Police Department was established in 1957. In 1971, Bloomfield Township hired its first female officer at a starting salary of $12,695.
Longstanding K-9 Unit
The Bloomfield Township Police Department's K-9 Unit is the longest standing unit in Oakland County. Formed in the mid-1960s when Bloomfield Township was more rural than suburban, the unit reached its heyday in the 1970s. At the time, Bloomfield Township Police Department boasted a premier K-9 Unit comprising seven dog-handlers and seven dogs, which responded to police dog service requests from all over the county and throughout Metro Detroit. Over the course of the years, the unit was downsized as other police departments, recognizing the value of a well-trained police dog, established their own units.
School Liaison Officer Program
The Bloomfield Township Police Department has the longest running School Liaison Officer program in the state of Michigan. The program was started in the 1960s by Dr. Jerry Tobias. At the time it was known as the Bloomfield Township Police Youth Bureau. Bloomfield Township has continued to partner with the schools to provide a liaison between the police department, the school district, and the community. These officers can be seen walking the halls of our schools or presenting programs like Safety Town, the Sixth Grade Program, Drug/Alcohol Prevention, Parent Networking, and civics/law classes.
High Profile Cases
Bloomfield Township is no stranger to high profile cases. The 1970s were a busy time for investigators, with the Jimmy Hoffa case and others. Jimmy Hoffa disappeared from the Machus Red Fox located at Maple and Telegraph on July 30, 1975. The building is now an Andiamo Italian Restaurant. The Department will also involved in investigating the unsolved crimes of the Oakland County Child Killer. .aspx)
In the 1990s, Jack Kevorkian, known for his assistance in 120 patient suicides, used the Holiday Inn on Telegraph Road north of Square Lake as one of his offices. The building is now a Lowe's store.
Line of Duty Death
On May 13, 2004, at 0300 hours, Officer Gary Davis was killed in an automobile accident while transporting a prisoner to the police station.
He had just arrested the driver, suspected of DUI, on I-75 and was turning around through a median when his patrol car was struck by a car driven by a drunk driver. Officer Davis was killed in the accident. His prisoner and the other drunk driver were seriously injured.
The suspect, who has a previous drunk driving conviction, was charged with second degree murder, drunken driving causing death to emergency personnel, failing to use care while passing a stationary emergency vehicle causing death, and drunken driving causing serious injury. On October 6, 2005, the suspect was acquitted of the murder charged but convicted of two misdemeanor charges.
Officer Davis had served with the Bloomfield Township Police Department for 12 years. He is survived by his wife, a retired Waterford police officer.
Images of the Police Department Through the Years
The Department has complied an album of historical photos showing the Department through the years.
Police Department Historical Photo Album