Rochester Life

Michael J. Bouchard Honored with 2022 Michigan “Sheriff of the Year” Award

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI – June 13, 2022 –Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard was named the 2022 “Sheriff of the Year” by the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association.

Bouchard received the award Sunday in Bay City before more than 200 attendees at the association’s annual awards dinner. He was named Sheriff of the Year in 2016 by the National Sheriffs’ Association, becoming the first sheriff in Michigan to receive both the state and national awards.

“I’m very humbled and honored to receive this award,” Bouchard said. “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 who has made outstanding contributions to law enforcement and the criminal justice profession, demonstrates exceptional service to their community, and has contributed to the betterment of the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association.

: (l-r) MSA CEO/Executive Director Matthew M. Saxton, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, MSA President/Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole

Now in his sixth term, Bouchard is the longest serving sheriff in Oakland County history, having been appointed on Jan. 11, 1999, to succeed the late Sheriff John F. Nichols. Bouchard runs one of the largest Sheriff’s Offices in the country, overseeing more than 1,400 employees and an annual budget of more than $166 million.

Under his leadership, the Sheriff’s Office has grown in size and scope, providing the primary law enforcement services for 15 communities and more than 350,000 of Oakland County’s 1.2 million residents. It has its own Forensic Science and DNA Lab, a Computer Crimes Unit, a newly created Technology Unit as well as canine, aviation, motorcycle and bicycle patrol units, community policing and mental health programs.

(l-r) Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and MSA President/Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole

The Sheriff’s Office received national acclaim for its handling of the tragic shooting at Oxford High School in 2021. Within minutes of their arrival at the school, Deputies neutralized the threat and took the gunman into custody, likely saving many more lives as Deputies recovered 18 unspent rounds.

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

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 Sheriff’s Institute.

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