Special Investigations Unit cleaning up crime, looking to expand in Madison Heights

MADISON HEIGHTS — Five years ago, the Madison Heights Police Department reinstated its undercover Special Investigations Unit, looking to clean up crime in hotels and motels that ranged from narcotics to human trafficking.

That crucial work continues today, and officials say there are plans to grow the team.

“We’re preparing to increase staffing for the SIU,” said Brent LeMerise, the chief of the Madison Heights Police Department. “We’ve actually had some success increasing our staff at the Police Department in general, thanks to some improved incentives to bring qualified candidates here.”

Madison Heights has two major freeways crossing town: Interstates 75 and 696. As such, transient crime has been a problem over the years, as criminals pop in and out of hotels to engage in prostitution, drug deals, and human trafficking that preys upon vulnerable groups including children, women and people with intellectual disabilities or substance use disorders.

Authorities say that the most effective response has been to deploy the undercover officers of the SIU, who usually stake out crime scenes and investigate suspicious activity in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles. In addition to their work at the hotels and motels, they also address issues of vandalism and blight, as well as liquor and tobacco enforcement.

“The SIU allows the Police Department to investigate certain crimes or incidents that would simply be too difficult for uniformed officers to resolve. Their ability to remain anonymous is key,” LeMerise said. “The SIU officers are tireless. They work hard on tons of investigations — a lot that keeps them busy. And we certainly appreciate all the work they put into cleaning up the city.”

City Council reinstated the SIU in October 2018 at the urging of City Councilman David Soltis, mere days after two minors had been sexually assaulted in Madison Heights hotels. The SIU had been on hiatus since 2010, when it was cut as a cost-saving measure during the Great Recession.

Leading up to the SIU’s return, Soltis also proposed an ordinance penalizing high-crime hotels, which the City Council adopted, and he personally contacted the executives of hotel chains, asking them to pressure their franchisees to better police their properties.

The idea was to squeeze noncompliant hotels from all sides, with the SIU being the mechanism that directly uncovers the crimes. The result, Soltis said, is that hotels no longer feel like safe havens for criminals.

“When I heard about the human trafficking in our city — teenagers being victimized — I was adamant about resurrecting the SIU,” Soltis said. “It’s really the most effective way to rid our city of this scum. We drew a line in the sand and said, ‘That’s it. No more. We don’t want you here, so get the hell out.’ And with the ordinance for the hotels and motels, I really wanted to put their feet to the fire and hold them responsible for what’s going on in their buildings. We wanted to clean up that seedy behavior and make sure criminals know that we’re going to catch them, put them in jail and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

“I know a lot of these criminals were coming to Madison Heights because we’re so close to the major freeways. We unfortunately became the epicenter for a lot of their illegal activity,” he continued. “And so, the SIU is important for obliterating these crimes of opportunity.”

Corey Haines was the police chief of Madison Heights when the SIU was reinstated. He is now the police chief of Eastpointe, which has its own SIU. He said via email that the SIU is an integral part of police operations.

“The hotels in Madison Heights had a large problem with human trafficking of victims that were being forced into prostitution. Our SIU unit was very successful, and led the area in pursuing and successfully prosecuting these cases. In fact, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office dedicated an entire unit to the prosecution of human trafficking suspects,” Haines said. “The SIU also formed a close collaboration with victim services, so that they could immediately provide the victims of human trafficking with the help they needed to be safe and secure away from their traffickers.

“There are many crimes that occur in all cities that are not easily investigated by uniformed officers and require the use of undercover police officers. The SIU is that model, and has been extremely successful in the arrest and prosecution of many criminals,” Haines said. “The unit is a necessity for any police department. I can’t thank Councilman Soltis and the entire City Council enough for reinstating this unit, and for their continued support of the SIU.”

Soltis praised the dedication of the team.

“The real heroes are the officers — the undercover officers who day in and day out see all this crap and the worst of humanity, and put their lives in danger each time they get out there,” Soltis said. “They do it to protect the rest of us, and rescue those in need.”