Police Officer Shortage Leads to Short Term Contract for OCSO Support in Lake Orion
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 10, 2023)
Lake Orion, MI – Residents in Lake Orion might notice more Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputies over the next three months as the Village is contracting with Orion Township to borrow deputies from the Orion substation to help cover shifts due to a staffing shortage.
Village Manager Darwin McClary told Oakland County Times “The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, through its agreement with Orion Township, will provide one deputy for two 8-hour shifts per day Monday through Friday and three 8-hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday. The services started on Sunday, December 3, 2023.”
A Facebook post on Wednesday by the Lake Orion Police Department explains the situation. “This past Sunday, Village Council held an emergency meeting, joined in part by Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett, to discuss a temporary plan that would relieve pressure from the department, and provide partial schedule coverage by our colleagues from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Orion Substation.
“This relieved pressure will allow for our department and village leadership the opportunity to fill recently vacated positions with well qualified police officers over the next 90 days. In doing so, OCSO is dedicating deputies to the village, and therfore both the township and village will continue to have the coverage they always have. Neither are loosing manpower,” it said.
Lake Orion Police are in the same boat as departments across the state – there are just not enough people interested in law enforcement careers to fill needed positions. According to a Sept. 2019 survey by International Association of Police Chiefs, 78% of agencies reported having difficulty recruiting qualified candidates, with 75% saying that recruiting is more difficult than it was five years prior. 50% of agencies reported having to make changes to agency policies in order to attract more candidates.
The report gave reasons for “the recruitment crisis,” including the public image of law enforcement, increased expectations of work-life balance, and benefits.
The post by Lake Orion Police expresses similar challenges. “As for why we have a shortage of staff, well it would seem that all those children that wanted to become a police man/woman, chose to become something else. That would be our fast-answer. But the truth of the matter is, we have lost some to retirement and others to opportunities that simply benefit them more. We’ve also had our share of candidates that just didn’t fit the needs, be it scheduling or qualification.”
The subcontracting is expected to be temporary. “At this time the Lake Orion Police Department is fully supported by it’s council members and village management. Our boat, if you will, has run aground and we simply need a bit of rain to get it floating again,” according to the statement.
According to the contract, Lake Orion is paying Orion Township for use of the deputies, as well as associated legal expenses for the agreement. The contract may be renewed in 30 day increments if both parties agree.
McClary confirmed that Lake Orion Police Chief Todd Stanfield is in the process of vetting new hires.
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