Oakland County Sheriff Announces Plan to Ease Tensions

Flanked by members of his new Sheriff’s Relations Team, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard announced efforts to improve relations between the sheriff’s office and members of the Pontiac community at a city council meeting last week. (Photo submitted)

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A new 26-member team has been formed to help strengthen relationships between the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and the Pontiac community.

The Sheriff’s Rations Team is comprised of community leaders, local elected officials, clergy leaders and representatives of the sheriff’s office.

The SRT is chaired by Oakland County Commissioner David Bowman, and co-chaired by Pastor Douglas Jones of Welcome Missionary Baptist Church of Pontiac.

Committees within the SRT include the Sheriff’s PAL (Police Activities League) Committee, Education, Relationships, and Communication. Besides Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard, the SRT meets monthly and as of today, members include:

• 50th District Court Judge Cynthia Walker
• House Minority Leader Rep. Tim Greimel
• Ponitac Mayor Deidre Waterman
• Pontiac city Council President Patrice Waterman
• Secretary, Pontiac School Board secretary Carol Turpin
• Former Oakland County commissioner Mattie Hatchett
• Pontiac News publisher Frank Russell (also representing theOakland County Diversity Council)
• Former state representative Hubert Price
• Attorney and community leader H. Wallace Parker
• Centro Multicultural La Familia President and CEO Sonia Acosta
• Webber Media Arts Academy representative Art McDonald
• Pastor John Gunn, executive director, The Power Company Kids Club
• Providence Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Robert Martin –
• Brother El of American Unity
• Bishop William Murphy of William H. Murphy Ministries
• Pastor James Keys of Monument of Faith Missionary Baptist
• Angela Powe, District Director, State Rep. Tim Greimel
• Tanesha Taylor of Quest Cheer and Dance
• Pastor Roger Jackson of Oakland County Ministerial Fellowship/ Greater Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church
• Bishop Kenneth Anthony of Redeemed Christian Center
• Reuben Ellis of Woodside Bible Church
• Chris Northcross of Pontiac Optimist Club
• Sgt. Robert Ford of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office
• Lt. Andre Ewing of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office
• Capt. Tim Atkins of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office

Bouchard said the SRT wants Pontiac residents to feel comfortable interacting with law enforcement and encourages them to share information they feel is important and pertinent as it relates to their relationship with with Sheriff’s Office personnel.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is committed to open communication with residents and feels the SRT is a channel which will encourage this, he said.

Additionally, the mission of the Sheriff’s PAL program is to create a safe environment and a structure within which law enforcement will support and inspire young people to reach their full potential, utilizing athletics, and other programs geared to improving the lives of participants.

Last month, Bouchard and sheriffs in Wayne and Macomb counties unveiled so-called Police 2.0 proposals aimed at increasing accountability, but strongly opposing the routine release of body-cam video they said exposes police to mockery in “cheap reality TV” programs easily created by anyone with a video camera and Internet connection.

Also on Patch:

• Cops Call for Accountability, Seek Limits on Body-Cam Video
• Oakland Co. Deputies Receiving Death Threats Over YouTube Videos

Bouchard, Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham and Wayne County Undersheriff Daniel Pfannes appealed to state and federal politicians to stop “peppering” law enforcement with proposals to improve community relations and instead talk to police and sheriffs about what’s needed to ease growing tensions.