Michigan typically has both county sheriffs and, in areas with more population, city or township police offices. There are even a few “mini” stations as well in areas with senior housing. Some well-to-do towns are willing to pay additional taxes for the prestige of having their own police force though this is becoming less common. Depending on how the county’s population is distributed it may be practical to have a branch police office in a remote town to reduce the response time.
We have a single police officer in my township (population 1600) and one or more part-time deputies. And trust me, it’s because the we’re in the remote category. For reference, the village where the police station is located has a population of about 450.
In any case, 24 hour coverage wouldn’t be essential since the county or state police could provide coverage in the off hours. I think you could describe a situation like this in the northeast and no one would think twice about it.
