Captain Bart Wilson is the Commander of Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Services Division. In this position, he oversees road patrol deputies and support staff assigned to 10 different substations in Oakland County, as well as special units such as the Marine, Aviation and Drone Units, the Search and Rescue Team and the SWAT Team.

Captain Wilson began his career in law enforcement more than 30 years ago with the Grand Blanc City Police Department in Genesee County, serving as a Patrol Officer and a Narcotics Detective. During this time, he was assigned to a multi-jurisdictional Narcotics Unit and an FBI Task Force Unit. Captain Wilson joined the Sheriff's Office in 1996. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2001, Lieutenant in 2014, and Captain in 2020.

Captain Wilson has previously served as the Commander of the Rochester Hills Substation, and has worked in Corrections, Road Patrol, the Detective Bureau and the Narcotics Enforcement Team. As a Lieutenant, he was first assigned to the Rochester Hills Substation as a Patrol Lieutenant and was then assigned to the IFS Division as the Lieutenant overseeing the Fugitive Apprehension Team, Computer Crimes Unit, Warrants Division and Special Investigations Unit.

Captain Wilson has received many awards, including Sheriff’s Distinguished Unit Citations, Meritorious Service Citations, Commendation Certificate, Unit Citations, Professional Excellence Citations and Commendation Citations. In 2018, he received the Command Officer of the Year Award.

Captain Wilson holds an Associate’s Degree from Mott Community College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Ferris State University.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office 416 Traffic Unit is a state-funded program designed to provide traffic enforcement on secondary roads within Oakland County. The 416 Traffic Unit is available upon request to all police agencies in Oakland County for any traffic-related enforcement and assistance, including accident investigations.

Deputies assigned to the 416 Traffic Unit perform several duties, including:

• Patrolling and monitoring traffic violations.
• Enforcing the criminal laws.
• Investigating accidents involving motor vehicles.
• Providing emergency assistance.

This group of highly trained deputies is a mobile strike force that can respond to serious multiple-car crashes or police emergencies anywhere in the county. Through daily directed patrols, the 416 Traffic Unit has helped to make our secondary roads safer for the citizens of Oakland County.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol Enforcement (AE) Unit was created in 1980 to combat the rise in alcohol-related crashes. The AE Unit is proactive, specializing in the detection, apprehension and prosecution of drug- and alcohol-impaired drivers. Originally, the Unit was funded with a combination of state and federal grants. In 2013, the AE Unit held an impressive conviction rate of ninety-nine percent for impaired driving arrests. Since its creation, the AE Unit has arrested over 14,400 drug and alcohol impaired drivers from the streets of Oakland County. The AE Unit can also assist at the scenes of fatal and serious injury crashes to determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.

Deputies from the AE Unit have completed advanced training in drug and alcohol impaired driving enforcement. In addition, the AE Unit has deputies that are certified by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) as Drug Recognition Experts.

The AE Unit has also made a commitment to educating the community on the dangers of impaired driving. Deputies from the AE Unit are frequent speakers at schools and community groups.

The AE Unit has shown dedication in promoting traffic safety on the roadways of Oakland County and has proven to be a valuable asset to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff's Canine Unit is comprised of fourteen dogs trained in bomb detection, tracking, property recovery, handler protection, and narcotic detection. In 2020, the Sheriff's Canine Unit responded to 705 requests for police service, including 173 searches throughout the County and 135 tracks. The Canine Unit is available and on call to any police agency in the County who requests them.

The Canine Unit has assisted in finding lost children, robbery suspects and burglars throughout the year. They have also assisted in a number of narcotic searches during drug raids for several police agencies, including the Oakland County Narcotics Enforcement Team, and is responsible for the seizure and recovery of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of hidden drugs.

These exceptionally well-trained four-legged crime fighters are extremely adept in recovering stolen property and recovering evidence from crime scenes. Called upon by various school districts throughout the County, our K-9 team assists with narcotics searches in upper-grade-level schools and school parking lot areas as well.

Becoming a Canine Officer

Candidates for the canine unit are selected by the Sheriff. Each applicant must have at least three years' seniority with the department and at least one year in Patrol Services. Once the officer is selected, they enter an intensive five-week training academy with a dog that is pre-trained by the Oakland Police Academy. The finished team is provided a special vehicle and weekly training in order to maintain and reinforce their skills.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office Parks Unit provides law enforcement services to 13 Oakland County Parks, including Addison Oaks, Groveland Oaks, Independence Oaks, Red Oaks and Waterford Oaks County Parks. The Parks Deputies provide both a visible patrol force and supervise work details of prisoner trusties who help keep our parks among the cleanest and most beautiful in the state. Deputies provide a number of services, including citizen assists, traffic enforcement, and response to dispatched calls for police services within the parks.

The Parks Unit consists of Mountain Bike Patrols and Mounted Horse Patrols, as well as Golf Cart Patrol. Deputies in the Parks Unit provide the citizens with personal interaction and service while visiting our parks. Parks Deputies can also been seen at various other events such as the Woodward Dream Cruise, Festival of the Hills in Rochester Hills and many other local events. Parks Deputies strive to provide outstanding service and community involvement to the visitors of the Oakland County Parks.

If you are interested in becoming an Oakland County Sheriff's Parks Deputy, please contact Lieutenant Brent Miles at milesbr@oakgov.com or (248) 858-1597.

The Crash Reconstruction Unit is an integral part of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Traffic Division. The unit consists of one sergeant and seven deputies. They respond on a 24/7 basis to serious injury and fatal vehicle crashes for our agency and for any other police agency needing assistance. This is a highly-skilled, well-trained group of deputies providing a critical service to Oakland County residents and area law enforcement agencies.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard serves as the premiere ceremonial body of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Representing the Sheriff’s Office at parades, ceremonial functions, and special events with dignity and respect, it follows all ceremonial protocols. The OCSO Honor Guard provides support to Sheriff’s Office personnel, local officials, and other dignitaries and their families whenever called upon. Additionally, it provides support to members of the law enforcement community killed in the line of duty. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Honor Guard maintains the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and honor both on and off duty.

The Motorcycle Unit was initiated by Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard in 1999 and has proven to be an asset both in law enforcement and community relations. Because of its success, the unit was increased from 12 motorcycles in 1999 to its current fleet of 24 Police Harley Davidson Motorcycles, making it one of the largest motorcycle units in the State.

The Unit trains monthly during the riding season and participates in several motorcades for the President and Vice-President, as well as other political dignitaries from the United States and abroad.

The deputies who make up the Motorcycle Unit have all completed a rigorous 80-hour training course to maximize the use of the cycles and to keep the riders safe. Deputies enjoy the flexibility the motorcycles bring to any law enforcement situation and the public enjoys the way the bikes keep the officers accessible and in touch with the public.

Established in 1948, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Mounted Unit is one of the oldest horse patrol units in the country. The Mounted Unit assists the Parks Unit in providing law enforcement services to Addison Oaks, Groveland Oaks and Independence Oaks Parks. With their prominent perch on horseback, the mounted deputies provide a visible patrol force as well as a friendly attraction for the thousands of Oakland County's annual park visitors.

Comprised of 18 part-time deputies who provide their own horses, the Mounted Unit is also called upon for parades and special events throughout the county. The mounted deputies participate in various Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day parades, as well as the Rochester Hills, Clawson and Oak Park Fireworks, the Woodward Dream Cruise, Paint Creek Trail, Superbowl XL, Holly & Novi Expos, Walled Lake & Ortonville Military Funerals, Ortonville Halloween, Auburn Hills Police Week, and other protection details for the United States Secret Service.

If you are interested in becoming an Oakland County Sheriff's Mounted Deputy, please contact Sergeant Dave Roddy at roddyd@oakgov.com or (248)858-1597.