The Police Department sponsors both a VIPS, (Volunteers In Police Service) program and an Explorers Program. The VIPS are a group of citizens that assists the police department in various aspects of the profession. For further information visit the website at www.portlandvips.com.

The Explorers program is for students 13-19 years of age who are interested in the police profession as a career. Anyone interested can contact Officer Star Thomas, (program coordinator) at 517-647-2947.

The Police Department conducts DARE (Drug Abuse and Resistance Education) for all 5th grade classes in Portland. The Police Department also sponsors an identification/fingerprinting program for area children, and a car seat safety inspection program. For more information on these programs, please call (517) 647-2934 during normal business hours Monday - Friday from 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

You may stop in Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to take care of such matters as report fees, pistol purchase permits, and accident reports. Below is a list of fees applicable to these services:

     P.B.T. (Preliminary Breath Test) for probationary purposes
          $5.00 for City residents
          $10.00 for non-residents
 

Accident reports can be accessed at www.tracview.com. To obtain a copy of your report, you will need the report number and date of the accident.

A copy of any police report must have a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) form completed prior to the report being released. A charge of $2.00 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page will be charged. A fee of $11.00 will be charged for any in-car video. Once completed the form must be brought to the Police Department. The Department has 5 days to complete the report and contact the requesting party. To obtain a copy of the FOIA Policy click here.

Parking citations must be paid at City Hall during business hours Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. You may also use the after hours drop box located in the drive thru (off Academy St.) at City Hall at 259 Kent St. If paying your ticket via drop box, please fill in the name and address at the top of the citation. Only parking violations may be paid at City hall. All other citations must be paid according to the instructions on the citation.

If you need to speak to an officer regarding a police complaint you may also stop in at the office or call (517) 647-7521. The business telephone number will connect you to Ionia County Central Dispatch who will then contact the officer on duty. Please stay on the line with the dispatcher until they inform you they have all the information needed. If you come to the station after normal business hours, at the front entrance of the Emergency Services Building there is a 9-1-1 phone for public use. Simply pick up the receiver and the phone will automatically dial Ionia County Dispatch for you. Please, do not hang up without speaking to a dispatcher. Dispatch will then notify the officer on duty of your needs.