Birmingham, MI

Updated: Sep 9, 2021

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The Birmingham Police Department cooperates with agencies located throughout Oakland County to provide assistance for victims of crime. Common Ground and Haven are two of the organizations to which the department refers crime victims. The Birmingham Community Coalition is another organization that is responsive to preventing substance abuse.

Common Ground
Common Ground offers many services to residents of Oakland County. For over forty years, Common Ground has been helping people cope with crisis. Crisis intervention is offered by telephone, 24 hours per day at 248.456.0909 or 800. 231.1127. Common Ground offers information and referral regarding suicide prevention, domestic violence, substance abuse, and sexual assault. Victim assistance programs, legal clinics, prevention education, community education and training, crisis response, and emergency psychiatric screening is offered by Common Ground to the people of Oakland County. Common Ground's Victim Assistance Program (VAP) will work with victims of crime in helping them move from crisis to hope. This could be accommodating them to court, helping them file a personal protection order, or creating a safety plan. These services are available to victims of any crime (assault, robbery, homicide, etc.) and are no charge to the person receiving services.

Haven
Haven is a domestic violence and sexual assault program for women and children. In addition to an emergency victim shelter, Haven also provides counseling, court advocates, PPO assistance, sexual assault kits, and community programs. Haven maintains a 24 hour crisis line at 248.334.1274, and this line can also be used to access their available programs.

Victims of domestic violence should call the police department to file a criminal complaint. Domestic violence victims have the right to go to court and file a petition requesting a personal protection order, to protect self or household members from domestic abuse, which restrains or enjoins the abuser:

from entering onto premises
from assaulting, beating, molesting, or wounding
from threatening to kill or physically injure
from removing minor children, except as otherwise authorized by a custody or visitation order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction
from engaging in stalking behavior
from interfering with efforts to remove children or personal property from premises that are solely owned or leased by the abuser
from interfering at places of employment or engaging in conduct that impairs employment relationships or environment
from engaging in any other specific act or conduct that imposes upon or interferes with personal liberty or that causes a reasonable expectation of violence

Victims of crime have rights to information, protection, and possible compensation under law, as established by the Crime Victim's Rights Act.

Oakland County law enforcement agencies are dedicated to preserving and protecting those rights. Any victim of a crime or witness to a criminal act who has been threatened or fears any other form of intimidation should immediately inform their local police department or the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office.

Emergency services and medical care are available to crime victims. Inquiries about compensation benefits to crime victims should be forwarded to:
Crime Victims Compensation Board
P.O. Box 30026
Lansing, MI 48909

Victim Assistance Programs