Public Safety

Restore Public Safety

Of all the services provided at the county and local level, perhaps none is more important than public safety services provided through the Oakland County Sheriff's Department. 

The county has enjoyed a reduction of crime since Sheriff Bouchard came aboard. With the influx of foreign crime rings, the Sheriff’s Department resources are being stretched. 

While the officers in the Oakland County Sheriff's Department exhibit exemplary performance, they are tasked with ever-growing responsibilities without an equally growing budget which a more fiscally responsible Board of Commissioners would vote to approve.

Continual replacement and maintenance of equipment, police vehicles, and safety gear are critical resources for which the department must receive adequate funding. The availability of new officers must keep up with demand as current officers have an increasingly greater demand placed on them. Like any profession, training for officers is also a necessity. A training academy would help overcome this challenge. 

Yet there seems to be an increase in spending by the current Oakland County Board of Commissioners for non-basic programs, which have greatly contributed to an increased budget (by 40% in the last four years alone). For example the current County Executive and board have instead supported new-found, partisan priorities like the 20-year Parks & Rec .35 millage increase proposed during this November's general election, which doubles existing millage (Please Vote No). This is being placed above providing the resources to match this growing public safety responsibility.

We need to restore budget restraint in the county, so it can maintain public safety service. Under-representation will deny some residents appropriate protection from crime.