NILES CHARTER TOWNSHIP — A regular Berrien County Sheriff’s Department report delivered by deputy Ryan Sullivan drew the attention of Niles Charter Township board members during their Monday evening meeting at Niles Township Hall, 320 Bell Road.

Sullivan said taking precautions when driving in wintry conditions and when leaving vehicles unattended could make a positive impact on citizen and officer lives.

The deputy said this is the season where upticks in traffic crashes occur due to driving in snowy and icy conditions, but he noted that not all crashes were entirely unavoidable.

“Remember, you do have not only have a legal but probably a moral responsibility to drive reasonably given the conditions,” Sullivan said. “That means if it’s a blizzard and it’s a 55 mile-an-hour road, you probably shouldn’t drive 55 miles an hour.”

Abiding by common sense safe driving techniques in bad conditions can lessen vehicle damage, personal injury and sheriff’s department responses, he said.

Sullivan also noted the increase in vehicle break-ins and vehicle thefts occurring in the Michiana area for the past few months. He said this was the partial reason behind an increase in larcenies seen in his department’s monthly report for the township.

Sullivan said that hours before the township board meeting began, deputies responded to vehicle break-in and theft calls. While a stolen vehicle was recovered, a shotgun and a rifle in it were not. The thieves have not been caught.

As at other township meetings, Sullivan encouraged residents to lock their vehicles and leave valuable items out of them.

In total, the sheriff’s department handled 369 complaints, issued 37 tickets and made 34 arrests in October in Niles Charter Township. County-wide, the sheriff’s department handled 1,229 complaints, gave 286 citations and made 203 arrests.

Trustee Richard Cooper also delivered a proactive report. He had gathered the first of two quotes for a furnace fix in the township hall basement. A needed fan motor would cost about $500, while a new furnace would be about $8,000.

The board decided to wait on deciding until the second quote came in.

Additionally, a positive announcement was delivered by Supervisor Jim Stover. He reported that the township received a perfect score on its Audit of Minimum Assessing Requirements from the state. Board members attributed the recognition to assessor Carol Hill, who plans to retire next spring.

In addition to the board meeting’s reports and announcement, the following agenda items were approved at Monday evening’s board meeting:

• Expenditures and transfers totaling $230,116.

• The building, fire, revenue/expense and code enforcement reports for October. Among the information highlighted by the board in the reports was the construction of six buildings.

• Certificates of completion for work by members of Niles Township’s fire department.