Bouchard named 2022 Sheriff of Year
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has been named 2022 Sheriff of the Year by the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association.
The award was presented June 12 at the association’s annual awards dinner in Bay City.
Bouchard, named Sheriff of the Year in 2016 by the National Sheriffs’ Association, is the first sheriff in Michigan to receive both the state and national awards.
“I’m very humbled and honored to receive this award,” Bouchard stated in a news release. “But I view this as more a reflection of the skill and dedication demonstrated every day by our team at the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office than by me as an individual. It’s a tremendous honor I share with the entire staff and I’m very grateful. An award from your peers or coworkers means a great deal because they know the demands of the profession.”
The award recognizes a sheriff for making “outstanding contributions to law enforcement and the criminal justice profession,” as well as for demonstrating “exceptional service to their community,” the news release states. The awardee also has “contributed to the betterment of the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association.”
Bouchard, in his sixth term, is the longest serving sheriff in Oakland County history. He was appointed on Jan. 11, 1999 to succeed the late Sheriff John F. Nichols. Bouchard runs one of the largest sheriff’s offices in the United States, overseeing more than 1,400 employees and an annual budget of more than $166 million.
The sheriff’s office provides primary law enforcement services in 15 communities, for more than 350,000 of Oakland County’s 1.2 million residents. It includes:
• Forensic Science and DNA Lab
• Computer Crimes Unit
• Technology Unit
• Canine, aviation, motorcycle and bicycle patrol units
• Community policing
• Mental health programs
Bouchard is the recipient of more than 50 awards and honors from various law enforcement, civic and government organizations including:
• Legislator of the Year from numerous organizations
• Silver Star for Bravery from the American Police Hall of Fame
• Patrick Henry Patriot of the Year Award from the Patriot Week Foundation
• Identified as one of the most influential people in security by Security Magazine
Under Bouchard’s leadership, the sheriff’s office received national acclaim for its handling of the tragic shooting at Oxford High School in 2021.
Bouchard is a former Michigan legislator, having been elected to serve in both the House and Senate. He is a graduate of Michigan State University, the U.S. Secret Service Dignitary Protection Program, the FBI National Executive Institute Program, and the National Sheriffs’ Institute.