Issues

The Role of Sheriff

To be effective, a Sheriff must demonstrate leadership to the tax payers of the community and the members of the department he is charged to lead. A Sheriff must be committed to work full time in that capacity alone, acting solely on behalf of the citizens of Oakland County and the members of the Office he represents. A Sheriff with one foot in the door and one foot out the door is providing a disservice to those who elected him and those he is charged to lead.

Most of us remember that, while earning a $130,969 Sheriff's salary in 2005-2006, Michael Bouchard was away from the Oakland County Sheriff's Department for long stretches of time while campaigning for the U.S. Senate. He lost that election. Looking ahead, party leaders have approached Michael Bouchard about running for Governor in 2010, a position he admittedly wants. Which begs the question: "Does Michael Bouchard believe that Oakland County taxpayers should continue to pay his Sheriff's salary while he is, again, absent from Oakland County in 2009-2010, campaigning for a completely different job?"

I have over 20 years of Law Enforcement/Command experience including 18 years with the Sheriff's Office. I can assure you that I am not using this election and a taxpayer funded paycheck as a stepping stone to further my personal career ambitions. I have spent my entire adult life working for and protecting the communities of Oakland County, Michigan. I will be a hands-on Sheriff who will display professionalism as a standard, not something that is preached while traveling the state in search of another tax payer funded office.

Jail Overcrowding

Paying an absent Sheriff's salary, however, seems to pale in comparison to other decisions Michael Bouchard has made as Sheriff. For example, closing the Sheriff's Department Boot Camp program - a highly successful military style rehabilitation program that served as an alternative to incarceration. Since established, the program saved taxpayers $18 million and reduced jail overcrowding. Chief Judge Wendy Potts said the boot camp closure, "Is giving me nightmares". Not surprising, since 900 inmates are released into our community each year due to overcrowding.

The closing of the "Boot Camp" program can be looked upon as nothing less than political grandstanding. The Sheriff insisted he had to cut the "Boot Camp" as a direct result of budget cuts and would reopen it in October of 2008 if County Commissioners made the funds available again. First, that statement makes no sense at all. According to the Sheriff's Department annual report to the Commissioners, the boot camp program "saved taxpayers $1 million each year." How can it possibly be "cost effective" to eliminate a program that "saved" money? Second, on September 19, 2008, the Oakland County Commissioners drafted a resolution which would have made funds available to reopen the boot camp program in October, as promised by Michael Bouchard:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners supports the Sheriff's Boot Camp program and is committed to working with the Sheriff to reinstate the program, increase participation and find future funding for the program Board of Commissioner Minutes, September 2008

Woodward moved to take money for the Boot Camp currently within the Sheriff's budget and appropriate it specifically for the Boot Camp and to take $600,000 from Budget Transition Fund to offset costs of overtime as a result of operating the Boot Camp. Supported by Zack. Finance Committee, August 2008

This resolution was put to a roll call vote at a Finance Committee Meeting, August 2008. Michael Bouchard, however, was nowhere to be seen when the Resolution was opened up for discussion. Indeed, he was not even in Michigan that day. Not surprising, due to a complete lack of involvement by the Sheriff, the Resolution failed to garner the support it needed and failed.

Radio System

Also during Michael Bouchard's tenure, Oakland County chose not to apply for its share of $600 million in federal funds to purchase communication equipment which would allow police, fire and other emergency responders to communicate with one another. Instead, Oakland County chose and Michael Bouchard supported, a radio system which was not eligible for those funds and cost Oakland County taxpayers $43 million to purchase and $3 million each year to operate. Today, this system is still not up and running. It is over budget and three years behind schedule.

In hard economic times such as this, taxpayers of Oakland County cannot afford to pay the salary of an absent Sheriff, the County should expand - not eliminate - money saving programs, and should apply for federal funds whenever possible. No longer will successful programs be sacrificed for personal, political motives. When I am elected, I will apply for federal monies whenever available and will work with County Commissioners to reopen the Boot Camp.