Northville Spent $25,000 on Security Issues at Former Psychiatric Hospital in 2012

Northville Township spent $25,948 in public safety costs from arrests and officer runs to the former Northville Psychiatric Hospital property in 2012, according to Public Safety Director John Werth.

Werth briefed the Northville Township Board of Trustees about security issues at the Seven Mile Property at its meeting Thursday night.

Werth said that in 2011, the township made 63 arrests for trespassing on the property and made 213 additional runs to the property on reports. In 2012, the township made 193 arrests, 22 of which were juveniles, and made 608 runs to the facility.

In 2012, arrests on the property cost the township $12,796, officer runs to the property cost $10,782 and department administrative costs were $2,370.

Werth called the attractiveness of trespassing on the site a "nuisance."

He said the police have tried to board up the first floor, but that the boards are always broken into the next day. He also mentioned that some residents recommend fencing in the area, but police already find the fence on the south side of the property cut through on a regular basis.

"It's been taking up our time—spending officers time who are on patrol, which is taking them from other duties of enforcement and patrolling of subdivisions," Werth said.

Werth said he has some ideas for how to keep trespassers out until the buildings can be demolished in a few years. Township Supervisor Bob Nix asked Werth to bring a list of cost-effective ideas to the next meeting, which is on Jan. 17.

"This is telling me that not only do we have a problem, but we have a problem that's continuing to grow," Nix said.

Read more:

• Trespassing Citations at Former Northville Psychiatric Hospital Have More Than Doubled

• Northville Township Approves $82.6 Million Park Plan for Seven Mile Property

• Demolition of Northville Psychiatric Hospital Not Expected to Begin Until 2015