By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office graduated 25 new patrol deputies from the Oakland Police Academy’s 18-week training program on May 29, 2026 — a class significantly larger than the department’s historical average of eight to ten sponsored candidates per cycle over the past three years.
- Sheriff Mike Bouchard and department spokesperson Deputy Tyler Sweers credited a targeted, comprehensive recruitment strategy for the increased class size and a broader surge in hiring that has brought more than 150 new employees into the agency over the past year.
- The new deputies have been assigned to the Field Training Officer program within the Homeland Security, Wellness and Professional Development Division, with pay funded through the sheriff’s general fund budget.
- Upon completion of field training, the deputies will be deployed to patrol duties across the 12 cities and townships that hold law enforcement service contracts with the sheriff’s office.
- The department has not yet reached full staffing levels but characterized its recruitment pipeline as strong, with officials expressing confidence that full or near-full staffing is achievable in the near term.
PONTIAC, Mich. — The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office graduated 25 new patrol deputies from the Oakland Police Academy on May 29, 2026, marking one of the department’s largest single academy classes in recent years and reflecting a sustained effort to address staffing shortfalls that have affected law enforcement agencies across the country.
Department spokesperson Deputy Tyler Sweers described the graduating class as considerably larger than the office’s recent norm of sponsoring between eight and ten candidates per academy cycle over the past three years. Sweers attributed the increase to a deliberate and comprehensive recruitment initiative designed to attract qualified candidates to the agency. More than 150 total employees have been hired by the sheriff’s office over the past year — a figure Sweers said is also significantly above the department’s historical average.
The 18-week Oakland Police Academy curriculum covers criminal law, patrol procedures, defensive tactics, firearms proficiency, emergency vehicle operations, crisis intervention, and report writing, among other core law enforcement disciplines. All 25 graduates have been assigned to the Field Training Officer program within the sheriff’s office’s Homeland Security, Wellness and Professional Development Division, where they will receive hands-on field instruction and mentorship while working in communities throughout the county. Their salaries during this phase are funded through the sheriff’s general fund budget. Once field training is complete, the deputies will be assigned to patrol duties across the 12 cities and townships under service contract with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
“This day marks the beginning of an extraordinary career of service for these 25 new deputies,” Sheriff Mike Bouchard said at the graduation ceremony. “At a time when recruiting and retaining quality law enforcement professionals remains a challenge across the nation, we are especially proud to welcome these outstanding individuals to our team.”
Despite the progress, the department has not yet achieved full authorized staffing levels. Sweers said the agency’s recruitment pipeline remains active and that officials are optimistic the office will reach or approach full staffing in the foreseeable future. No specific timeline or target staffing number was publicly disclosed.