Crime & Safety
Oakland County Sheriff: No One Wants to Be a Cop Anymore
Law enforcement agencies across the country are having a tough time filling positions.
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — If you’re looking for a career in law enforcement, Oakland County is the place to be.
The sheriff’s office has openings for corrections, court, roads and parks deputies, as well as dispatch specialists.
The problem is, finding applicants is proving as difficult as finding Jimmy Hoffa’s body near his former Bloomfield Township home.
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“I think part of it points to, you know, less interest in going into this career,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told WWJ Radio. “It used to be, statistically, almost 80-plus percent would recommend this as a career for family and friends; and a recent poll came out and north of 80 percent would not anymore.”
Bouchard, who runs one of the largest sheriff’s departments in the county, said the problem isn’t isolated to Metro Detroit. Rising tensions between police and civilians and a spate of deadly attacks on law enforcement officers, including one in Dallas, TX, this summer that killed five and injured seven others, have thwarted recruitment efforts.
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Some 165 positions were eliminated from the department in the 2009 budget crisis and filling in the ranks has been tough. And that costs taxpayers through more overtime costs, he said. Police positions require unique qualifications and can’t be filled by temporary workers.
The sheriff’s department is stretched “extremely thin” during big events, like the Woodward Dream Cruise and Renaissance Festival, as well as Amber Alerts and manhunts.
Overtime isn’t just costly for taxpayers. It takes a toll on police offices as well.
“Overtime can burn you out and you want people, obviously, sharp and rested and you want them to have a family life, so that’s why we’re moving to aggressively to try to fill those spots,” he said.
The sheriff’s department is hosting recruitment fairs and reaching out to the public for qualified applicants.
The sheriff’s office has both full- and part-time openings. You can learn more about them at this link.
Image via Shutterstock
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