Sheriff Bouchard Appointed to Presidential Commission Work Group on Law Enforcement
(OCSO, Feb. 21, 2020)
Pontiac, MI- Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard has been appointed to the working group on ‘Respect for Law Enforcement and the Rule of Law’ as part of the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, which was announced by the Department of Justice at the end of January 2020.
The Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice is the first commission on law enforcement since President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Administration. This Commission will study crime on two fronts – how it can be reduced as well as how to boost the public’s confidence in law enforcement.
Some of the topics to be explored by the working groups include Police Officer Health, Social Problems Impacting Public Safety, Reduction of Crime, Re-Entry Programs and Initiatives, Respect for Law Enforcement and the Rule of Law, Law Enforcement Recruitment and Training, Rural and Tribal Law Enforcement, Grant Programs, Technology, Business and Community Development, Criminal Justice System Personnel Intersection, Victim Services, Data and Reporting, and Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Crime.
Subject Matter Experts, including Sheriff Bouchard, have been appointed to develop recommendations on these various topics which will be reported to the Commission for final review and publication. This is the first time in over 50 years that law enforcement has been examined from all angles and viewpoints.
“I am honored to serve as a member of the workgroup on ‘Respect for Law Enforcement and the Rule of Law’,” said Sheriff Bouchard. “Law enforcement cannot succeed without the public’s involvement, trust, and respect. I have spent my life connecting law enforcement to the community it serves and look forward to sharing my ideas with the Commission on how we can enhance faith in this noble profession. The women and men who serve this calling are second to none and I am proud to serve alongside of them.”
Sheriff Bouchard was named National Sheriff of the Year in 2016 by the National Sheriffs’ Association, the only Michigan Sheriff to have ever receive this honor. Additionally, in 2019, Sheriff Bouchard was among the first ever named ‘Master Sheriff’ by the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association as well.
The final report by the Commission is projected to be published in Fall 2020.