About us

To achieve our mission, we must accomplish the following objectives:

• Acknowledge citizens as the source of our authority.
• Recognize the dignity and worth of all people.
• Provide quality service in a compassionate, professional and safe manner.
• Promote a community policing philosophy by encouraging and supporting citizen involvement.
• Continually enhance the working relations with other public and private organizations.
• Utilize only that force necessary in the apprehension and safe keeping of offenders.
• Enhance organizational excellence through education, training and technology.
• Identify and analyze problems, explore alternatives and provide solutions.
• Promote job satisfaction, open communication, team building and decision making through employee participation.

The Office of the Sheriff is more than 1,000 years old. From the beginning of English and Scottish law, the Sheriff's Office was the local center for the administration of justice. The word "reeve" meant an administrative officer and the word "shire" was the equivalent of a   county. Therefore, the first office title was "Shire-Reeve" which in time was shortened to the word "Sheriff" as we know it today.  In Macomb County, the first sheriff was James Fulton, who took office in 1818.  

Many of Macomb County’s sheriffs were pioneers, community leaders and prominent citizens.  The office has a rich history, spanning more than 200 years, with movie-ready stories of deputies engaging in gun battles with bootleggers, smashing slot machines with axes on raids and solving murder mysteries.  

The Sheriff’s Office implemented its first motorcycle unit in 1920 to patrol Gratiot Ave., the first paved road in the county, and enforce the 25 mph speed limit.  Deputies did not wear uniforms until 1926, and it was not common for the sheriff to wear a uniform until the 1970s. 

During Sheriff George Smith’s term, which ran from 1923 until 1926 and 1933-1936, the department began using in-car radios via the Detroit Police system.  Sheriff Smith was also the first to keep the department open 24 hours a day, as it had previously closed between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m..  One of the first overnight patrols was an immediate success when the deputies spotted a fire in a farmhouse near Utica and was able to extinguish the blaze before it spread.  

The first sub-station was established in 1927 in Center Line.  The station was later moved to Warren and operated until 1952.

The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office was the first agency in the United States to transport prisoners via airplane.  In 1931, Sheriff Wylie Wilkinson used an airplane to transport two prisoners from Mount Clemens to the State Prison in Jackson to avoid gang members trying to break them out along the land route.

The 1950s saw enormous growth, not only for the county, but for the Sheriff’s Office as well. Sheriff Harley Ensign progressively grew his force, from 43 deputies in 1954 to 80 by 1957.  Sheriff Ensign also recognized the need to regularly police the county’s busy waterways and began patrolling in his own boat. In 1956 he was able to purchase a county-owned department boat and establish the regular Marine Patrol.

The Sheriff’s Office merged with the city of Mount Clemens police in 2005 and the village of New Haven police in 2013, with the Sheriff assuming policing responsibilities for those communities.

The first jail for the county was built onto the back of the Sheriff’s house in what is now Marine City, as the county at that time also encompassed St. Clair County.  A new jail was built in Mount Clemens in 1819, and there were several others until 1881, when a new jail and Sheriff’s Office was built at Northbound Gratiot at Cass Avenue on the banks of the Clinton River. The building would also later house the Mount Clemens Police Department in the basement and remained the home of the Sheriff’s Office until the current location on Elizabeth Road was erected in 1954. 

The new jail cellblocks contained 12 dormitory-style cells, which would sleep as many as 12 prisoners, with nearly two dozen segregated cells for hardened criminals. There were two small apartments provided: one for the Sheriff and one for the matron. 

In 1969 the jail was found to be inadequate for the growing community and again in need of additional space. The jail was built with a capacity of little more than 100 prisoners when it opened in 1954, whereas the average enrollment per day in the 1960’s was 150.  New additions were added in 1970 and again in 1977, increasing the jail’s capacity to 354 inmates.

In 1987, the 12-story “tower” portion of the jail was completed, and in 1998, another 200-bed jail annex was added.  Despite the nearly constant additions, the jail was frequently over capacity with nearly 1,500 inmates at times.

Currently, plans are moving forward to build a central intake facility which would include a new mental health housing area and eliminate many of the structures from the 1950s and 1970s.     

A special thank you to Macomb County Historian Cindy Donahue for her research and assistance.

Sheriff Joachim Matthews

EOW: Friday, Dec. 2, 1910

Cause of death: gunfire

Sheriff Matthews was shot and killed while attempting to serve a cruelty to animals warrant at a farm in Harrison Township. A 14-year-old boy in the house was ordered by his mother to fire a rifle through the door as Sheriff Matthews knocked. Hit in the chest, the Sheriff was able to drive his horse and wagon back to town where he collapsed on the floor of the office and succumbed to his wounds.  The boy and his mother were charged with murder. During their trial the mother testified that she thought the man at the door was a burglar and ordered her son to shoot. The boy was acquitted and charges against his mother were dismissed.

Sheriff Matthews was 60 years old at the time of his death.  His son, John Matthews, was undersheriff and continued to serve with the department.  Four months after his father’s death, John was shot in the head while in pursuit of a suspect on Lake Saint Clair.   

Deputy Sheriff John Matthews

EOW: Sunday, April 16, 1916

Cause of death: gunfire

Son of former Sheriff Joachim Matthews, John had previously served as undersheriff for four years, sheriff for 33 days after his father was murdered and was a deputy for four years.  On April 11, 1911, Sheriff Harris, Undersheriff Culver and Deputy Matthews attempted to serve a warrant on Sandy DeHartier for robbery.  He had been working on a farm in Harrison Township and was suspected of some thefts in the area.  The officers found DeHartier fishing on a sailboat in the channel near Conger Bay.  Deputy Matthews borrowed a rowboat and tried to talk the suspect into coming in.  DeHartier raised a shotgun and yelled to Matthews, “you’ll never get any closer to me than you are now!”  DeHartier fired from less than 20 feet, striking Deputy Matthews on the right side and head.  The suspect fled across Lake St. Clair, leading to the formation of a posse of both American and Canadian authorities.  He was later shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with deputies in Harrison Township.

Deputy Matthews never fully recovered from his wounds and died from complications in 1916 at the age of 37.  He was survived by his wife, mother and three brothers.    

Deputy Sheriff Clarence LaCroix

EOW: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 1925

Cause of death: Motorcycle crash

Deputy LaCroix was killed in a motorcycle accident while on patrol. He was riding west on Nine Mile Road near Van Dyke. when an automobile turned in front of him. The motorcycle was hurled into a ditch after brushing the auto, then fell on top of him. Attendants from the Detroit Police ambulance who took the call said that his neck was broken, and he lived but a short time afterwards. No charges were brought against the driver of the vehicle.

Deputy LaCroix was known as an expert cyclist. He had served as a dispatch rider for the U.S. Army in France with the American Expeditionary Forces for 22 months during World War I. He was buried with military honors, having won honorable mention overseas, a military firing squad, buglers corps, color guard, and both a police and sheriff escort accompanied the American Legion in the procession to the St. Peters Cemetery.

Deputy LaCroix was survived by his wife and two daughters and was 29 years old.

Deputy Sheriff Edwin Wormsbacher

EOW: Monday, Sept. 3, 1934

Cause of death: Motorcycle crash

Deputy Wormsbacher left his home in Mount Clemens on his way to police the Romeo Peach Festival.  As he traveled up North Avenue on his department motorcycle, he glanced at a passing vehicle near 24 Mile Road and did not see that the car ahead of him had come to a stop.  Deputy Wormsbacher struck the rear of the automobile and was thrown through the back window.  He succumbed to his injuries five hours later at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Mount Clemens.

Deputy Wormsbacher was 30 years old and left behind a wife and two young children, one of whom went on to become a Mount Clemens police officer.  Deputy Wormsbacher’s father, John, was appointed as a deputy upon his son’s death.

Deputy Sheriff Theodore Radlinski

EOW: Wednesday, Feb. 7, 1940

Cause of death:  Motor vehicle crash

Deputy Theodore “Todge” Radlinski was struck by an automobile as he walked across Van Dyke Ave. at Nine Mile Road at 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 28, 1940. He was critically injured and succumbed to his injuries 11 days later.

Deputy Radlinski, assigned to the Warren substation, was a very popular figure in the community.  He had served full time with the department for Sheriff Havel since January 1, 1937.  Previously he had severed as a special deputy for Sheriffs Moore and Wilkinson.  Deputy Radlinski was 31 years old and was survived by his mother, three brothers and two sisters.

Patrolman Robert Ahrens

Mount Clemens Police Department

EOW: Thursday, Nov. 1, 1973

Cause of Death: Gunfire

Patrolman Ahrens was shot and killed after responding to a jewelry store holdup alarm at 82 Macomb Place. He entered the store alone and was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with three suspects who were in the process of robbing the business. One of the suspects was later shot and killed during the standoff with authorities. The other two were apprehended and sentenced to life in prison.

Patrolman Ahrens had been with the agency for four years and was 28 years old.

Sheriff Anthony Wickersham began his career at the Macomb County Sheriff’s office in 1986 as a correctional officer. Over the years, he has served in every rank of the department until he was appointed to his current position as Sheriff in 2011.

Early on, Sheriff Wickersham was promoted to deputy sheriff and assigned to the Macomb Township Substation. During this time, he also served as a member of the County of Macomb Enforcement Team (COMET) as a narcotics investigator.

With his hard work and dedication to the department, he was quickly promoted to Sergeant 1 and assigned to the afternoon shift until his promotion to full sergeant.

As a full sergeant, he was reassigned to the midnight shift. Before long, he was selected to be the administrative sergeant for the detective bureau. Sheriff Wickersham was promoted to lieutenant and spent a short time on the midnight shift until he became the detective lieutenant in charge of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau.

Sheriff Wickersham is a firearms instructor and hostage/crisis negotiator at the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Wickersham obtained his associate degree in law enforcement from Macomb Community College, a bachelor of arts degree from Wayne State University in interdisciplinary studies and graduated from the Northwestern University Center of Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command. He also attended the 208th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, as well as, the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection School in Washington, D.C.

Sheriff Wickersham is committed to maintaining the vital services that are needed to keep our community safe.  He was born in Detroit and raised in Warren and now resides in Bruce Township.

sheriff@macombsheriff.com

Undersheriff Elizabeth Darga started at the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in 1987 as a corrections officer. She was promoted to deputy sheriff in 1991, sergeant 1 in 1997, sergeant in 2000, lieutenant in 2002, and captain in 2011.  During her career with the Sheriff’s Office, she has worked as a traffic and accident investigator, evidence technician, fire investigator, detective/team leader, Macomb Auto Theft investigator, uniform services lieutenant, detective lieutenant, and administrative services captain.

Elizabeth Darga was appointed to the position of undersheriff on Jan. 16, 2016, by Sheriff Anthony Wickersham. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the third-largest sheriff’s office in the state of Michigan. Undersheriff Darga’s responsibilities also include the department’s $90 million dollar budget while managing more than 573 employees.  Some of her other duties entail labor contracts and negotiations, disciplines and lawsuits.   

Undersheriff Darga’s educational background consists of:

• Bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Wayne State University - 1986
• Master of science degree in administration from Central Michigan University - 1995
• FBI National Academy - 2006
• Northwestern Police Staff and Command – 2009

Undersheriff Darga is a member of the Macomb County Association of Chiefs of Police, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, Southeastern Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, National Association of Women in Law Enforcement Executives and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

elizabeth.darga@macombcountymi.gov

Commander Jason Abro was the first Chaldean-American hired by the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and began his career as a dispatcher in 2001.  He later was promoted to deputy sheriff in 2003, fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a police officer.  Throughout his tenure at the Sheriff’s Office, he has worked various assignments, including road patrol, Marine Division, investigations, Macomb Township Substation, mobile field force, and uniform services.

Commander Abro was assigned to the detective bureau as an investigator from 2006 to 2011, later being promoted to sergeant 1 in 2011 and being re-assigned as the afternoon shift commander. In 2013, Commander Abro was reassigned to the detective bureau and held the position of afternoon shift investigator and team leader.  He was promoted to full sergeant in 2015, and became the administrative supervisor within the detective bureau.

In 2016, Commander Abro was promoted to lieutenant and was designated to supervise the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office detective bureau.  As the detective lieutenant, he was responsible for overseeing the detective bureau, youth bureau, Friend of the Court investigators, the polygraph operator and criminal jail investigations.  Commander Abro is also responsible for the creation and supervision of the crash investigations unit. Later in 2018, Commander Abro was designated to the Uniform Services Division, which sought supervision over the K-9 unit, fleet, community policing, traffic unit, mobile communications, and special events.

Commander Abro has received numerous commendations, including Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year in 2011 and a Lifesaving Award.

Commander Abro was one of the original members of the Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard and currently assists with overseeing its operation. Commander Abro was formerly a member of the Macomb County Gun Board.

Commander Abro is a graduate of Macomb Community College and Macomb Regional Police Academy and is a member of numerous civic and fraternal organizations. He completed the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 2017. 

jason.abro@macombcountymi.gov

Captain Steven Briney started at the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in 1994 as a corrections officer. He was promoted to deputy sheriff in 1996, sergeant 1 in 2002, sergeant in 2005, and lieutenant in 2013.  During his career with the Sheriff’s Office he has worked as a field training officer, community policing officer, liquor control commission inspector, detective forensic polygraph examiner, jail administrative sergeant, detective sergeant, detective sergeant polygraph intern supervisor, internal affairs/professional standards sergeant.

He was promoted to the position of lieutenant on Dec. 16, 2013 by Sheriff Anthony Wickersham. He worked as lieutenant shift commander and court services lieutenant. He managed and oversaw the day-to-day operations as the Macomb Township Substation lieutenant commander.  He worked with Macomb Township on the construction of a $12.5 million public safety building project.  The lieutenant’s responsibilities also included the acting reserve unit liaison for the Macomb County Sheriff’s Bike Division. 

Promoted to the position of captain on Aug. 22, 2020,  he is currently the Uniform Services Division Commander.  He supervises all road patrol operations, including the Marine Division, Dive Team, Traffic Services, Court Services – Circuit Court and Transport, as well as all reserve units.

Captain Briney is a member of numerous civic and fraternal organizations. He taught interviewing classes for Macomb Community College Detective School. He was appointed to the Board of Forensic Polygraph Examiners, by Gov. Granholm’s Office, for the state of Michigan.  Briney has received several professional excellence citations as well as the Command Officer of the Year award for his work in the jail as part of the planning division managing six major capital improvement projects which totaled $1.8 million. He successfully coordinated a full-scale mock fire drill involving three responding agencies as well as relocating 200 inmates. In 2016, Lieutenant Briney was elected class president of Northwestern University’s 393^rd Class of Police Staff and Command.

Captain Briney’s educational background consists of:

• Bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Wayne State University – 1993
• Macomb Police Academy - 1996
• Forensic polygraph examiner’s degree from Maryland Institute of Criminal Justice - 2001
• Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command – 2016

steven.briney@macombcountymi.gov

Captain Robert Doherty was hired by Sheriff William Hackel in 1995 as a correctional officer. In 1997 Capt. Doherty was promoted to a deputy sheriff position. He was assigned to the midnight shift patrolling Macomb Township. In 2007, Capt. Doherty was assigned to the County of Macomb Enforcement Team.

In the summer of 2007, Capt. Doherty was promoted to the rank of sergeant 1, becoming the afternoon shift commander. A short time later, he was assigned to the detective bureau as an investigator. Capt. Doherty remained in the detective bureau becoming a full sergeant, team leader of the south end, and administrative sergeant.

In 2015, Capt. Doherty was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and reassigned to the midnight shift. From 2016-2019 he was assigned as the administrative lieutenant position which oversees the training division, is the civil service liaison, and oversees scheduling within the Sheriff’s Office. In 2020, Capt. Doherty was assigned as the jail operations lieutenant briefly before receiving an opportunity to become the lieutenant in charge of Macomb Township.  On Dec. 5, 2020, Capt. Doherty received a promotion to the rank of captain. He briefly became the jail administrative captain before moving to his current position as the administrative services captain.

Doherty has received numerous commendations, from the Sheriff’s Office, Fraternal Order of Police and Macomb Township officials.  He previously was a member of the Macomb County Gun Board, Child Death Review Board, Suicide Prevention Coalition, LPT, and the Macomb County Citizen Corp.

Capt. Doherty is a lifelong Macomb County resident. He attended Sterling Heights Stevenson High School. He continued his education at the University of Michigan majoring in general studies through the school of LS&A. He attended the Macomb Police Academy in 1997 and Northwestern Staff and Command in 2016.

robert.doherty@macombcountymi.gov

Captain Lori Misch was hired by the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in 1995 as a corrections officer. She attended the Macomb Police Academy and was then promoted to deputy sheriff in 1997.  She was assigned to Macomb Township where she was a community policing officer.  She was promoted to sergeant 1 in 2004 and to sergeant in 2006.  She was assigned as a supervisor in Macomb Township, detective bureau, youth bureau and training division.  She was promoted to lieutenant assigned as jail administrative lieutenant 2017-2021.  In 2021, she was promoted to captain, and is the current jail administrator.

Capt. Misch has served as a member of the MCSO Crisis Negotiations Team, Macomb County Mobile Field Force, and MCSO Honor Guard. 

Capt. Misch has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University.  She attended Center for Police Management and Leadership Studies Staff and Command and Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

lori.misch@macombcountymi.gov

Dispatch Director Angela Elsey began her career with the Sheriff’s Office in 2009 as an emergency dispatcher. Prior to being appointed director, she previously served as the afternoon shift supervisor, training coordinator and CAD administrator.

During her time as dispatch director, she has facilitated multiple projects including the completion of an offsite backup dispatch center, simulated training center, advanced technology implementations, communications center training program and several service consolidations. Angela is also the 911 coordinator for Macomb County tasked with maintaining a cohesive relationship amongst all nine Macomb County Dispatch Centers and serves to ensure that requirements and deadlines in the 911 statute are met. This includes reviewing state and local funding sources and expenditures received through 911 mechanisms and reporting on behalf of all 9 agencies to the State 911 Office.

Most recently, Angela successfully led the county-wide initiative to secure a local funding mechanism for 911 operations and is currently leading the transition of the entire county to a next generation 911 fiber optic-based network.

Director Elsey has received numerous awards, including 2014 Dispatcher of the Year, 2020 Command Officer of the Year, 2019 Sheriff’s Office Employee of the Month, 2020 Tyler Excellence Award and several professional excellence awards throughout her career.

She is the current the vice president of the Michigan Communications Director’s Association, serves on the State 911 Office Emerging Technology Subcommittee, and is an instructor for the MCDA’s New Director School teaching leadership and personnel management. Angela is a certified ENP (Emergency Number Professional), demonstrating a mastery of the comprehensive knowledge base required for emergency number management and standards. She attended Central Michigan University with a focus in broadcast and cinematic arts and Spanish.

angela.elsey@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Jeffrey Budzynowski started at the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in 1996 as a corrections officer. He was promoted to deputy sheriff in 1999 where he was initially assigned to road patrol then moving to the traffic bureau and motor unit. In 2003, he was assigned to the County of Macomb Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (conspiracy and narcotics). In 2006, Lt. Budzynowski was promoted to sergeant 1 and assigned to the detective bureau.  In 2007, he supervised a Tri-County Task Force which included officers from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, MDOC, and the U.S. Marshals.   During this time, he was deputized as a U.S. Marshal task force officer. In 2011, Lt. Budzynowski was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team where he supervised the Fugitive Apprehension and Narcotics Divisions.

In 2015, he was promoted to lieutenant and supervised the afternoon shift road patrol.  In 2016, he was assigned to the Uniform Services Division. In 2017, he was then assigned to the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team and oversought the narcotics, fugitive and computer crimes units within SET.  He was also responsible for the supervision of deputies assigned to task forces with the FBI, DEA and U.S. Marshals. In 2020, Lt. Budzynowski was assigned to court security command, where he is currently working.

Throughout Lt. Budzynowski’s career, he has served on the Macomb County SWAT (2001 – present).  He held various positions on the team as entry team operator, explosive breacher and assistant team leader.  In 2015, he was named the SWAT commander and holds this position to date. 

Lt. Budzynowski is a graduate of Macomb Community College (criminal justice) and Macomb Regional Police Academy.  He has attended Wayne State University and completed Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 2017.

jeffrey.budzynowski@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Gornicki currently serves as the detective lieutenant in charge of the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (S.E.T.) and oversees MCSO personnel assigned to special units dedicated to fugitive apprehension, narcotics, auto theft, and computer crimes (D.F.A.T., F.B.I., D.E.A., C.O.M.E.T., M.A.T.S., M.A.C.E.).

Lt. Gornicki was hired as a corrections officer in 1996 and promoted to deputy sheriff in 1998 after attending the Macomb Police Academy.  As a deputy sheriff, Lt. Gornicki was assigned to various patrol substations including the Marine Division, North-end County Patrol, Harrison Township, Mount Clemens, and served as a field training officer (F.T.O.).  In 2004, Lt. Gornicki received an assignment to the County of Macomb Enforcement Team (C.O.M.E.T.).

In 2006, Lt. Gornicki was promoted to the rank of sergeant-1 and thereafter assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau. In 2010, Lt. Gornicki served as the afternoon shift commander of the Macomb Township Substation and was promoted to full sergeant in 2011. In 2013, Lt. Gornicki was assigned to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Traffic Bureau while serving as the Macomb County Traffic Grant Administrator for the Michigan Department of Highway Safety Planning. In 2014, Lt. Gornicki received an assignment to the Office of Professional Standards where he was responsible for internal affairs investigations.  Lt. Gornicki received his promotion to lieutenant in May 2017 and was briefly assigned to jail operations before being assigned to court services in 2018. In 2020, Lt. Gornicki was assigned to the MCSO Detective Bureau (D.B.) and was responsible for overseeing D.B. supervisors, D.B. detectives, Youth Bureau, Friend of the Court investigators, as well as the polygraph operator.

From 2003 to 2013, Lt. Gornicki proudly served on the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team where he served as a team leader.  During his time on the SWAT team, Lt. Gornicki was involved with several high-risk incidents and received advanced training in areas of hostage rescue, close-quarter combat, as well as various urban and rural sniper tactics.  Lt. Gornicki attended both the FBI sniper and advanced sniper schools.

Lt. Gornicki has received several commendations over the course of his career from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office as well as from the Fraternal Order of Police. In 2006, he was awarded “Deputy Sheriff of the Year” by the B.P.O.E. of Mount Clemens - Lodge #2124.  Lt. Gornicki attended Oakland University, Macomb Community College, and Eastern Michigan University concentrating on law enforcement and police administration studies.  Lt. Gornicki is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

jeffery.gornicki@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Daniel Willis started his law enforcement career serving the people as a police officer in both the village of New Haven in 1992 and city of Richmond in 1993.

Lt. Willis was hired by Sheriff William Hackel in 1994 as a correctional officer. In 1995, Lt. Willis was promoted to a deputy sheriff position. As a deputy sheriff, he worked road patrol including the Traffic Division as a motor carrier, a diver on the Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USRT), the County of Macomb Enforcement Team (COMET), and Oakland Macomb Interdiction Team (OMIT).

In January 2004, Lt. Willis was promoted to the rank of sergeant 1 becoming the afternoon shift commander. While working afternoons, he continued to serve as a member of URST as team leader and was a member of the mobile field force and honor guard. He remained on afternoons until becoming a sergeant in 2009.

In 2011, t. Willis was assigned to the Macomb Auto Theft Squad (MATS) as a sergeant until moving to the Professional Standards Office in 2017.

Lt. Willis was promoted as served as jail operations lieutenant in 2018 until 2020 when he was moved to the training division as the administrative lieutenant.

Lt. Daniel Willis has received citations for professional excellence, a unit citation, several Sheriff Recognition Awards, and Officer of the Month from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). He is graduate of Macomb Community College and Macomb Regional Police Academy in 1991 and is a member of several civic and fraternal organizations. He completed Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 2020 and is currently finishing his bachelors in business administration at Baker College.

daniel.willis@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Melissa Stevens began her career with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office as a corrections deputy in 1998. She was promoted to deputy sheriff in 2003 after completing the police academy.  She was assigned to road patrol in Macomb Township on the afternoon shift from 2003 - 2007. 

In 2007, she was assigned as a detective, handling investigations for Harrison Township and Mount Clemens.  In 2011, she was promoted to detective sergeant and assigned to the north end team in the detective bureau.  In 2013, she was reassigned as the supervisor of the newly formed Major Crimes Investigative Unit which resolved many high-profile violent crimes.  

In 2018, she was promoted to lieutenant, assigned as the supervisor of the detective bureau and afternoon shift.  She is currently the supervisor of the Macomb Township Substation. 

melissa.stevens@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Matthew Pecha was hired as a dispatcher in 1996 and promoted to deputy sheriff in 2000.  As a deputy, he worked various assignments including road patrol, marine patrol, as a detective on a Conspiracy Crimes unit (C.O.M.E.T.), and as a K-9 handler.

After being promoted to sergeant in 2007, he worked as a shift commander, as a detective sergeant in the detective bureau and as a commander with the Marine Division.  Upon being promoted to lieutenant in 2018, he was assigned to command the afternoon shift, including the supervision of jail personnel, road patrol, and dispatch.  Lt. Pecha was then assigned to the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (S.E.T.) and oversaw the plain-clothes investigations of the Sheriff’s Office.  He is currently assigned as the uniform services lieutenant and assists in the supervision of patrol services.

Lt. Pecha earned his bachelor's of science degree in justice studies from Northern Michigan University, attended the Macomb Police Academy, and is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Staff and Command.

matthew.pecha@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Gary Wiegand was hired by the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in 1997 as a corrections officer. He was promoted to deputy sheriff in 2000, sergeant 1 in 2009 and full sergeant in 2013. He was promoted to his current rank of lieutenant in 2019. During his career with the Sheriff’s Office he’s been assigned to several patrol substations and specialized units including road patrol, Marine Division, detective bureau and undercover narcotics.

He was assigned to the Sheriff’s Marine Division for four years as a deputy sheriff and one year as a sergeant. He holds certifications as a boating accident investigator, Michigan boaters safety instructor and an ice rescue technician/instructor.

He was assigned to the County of Macomb Enforcement Team (C.O.M.E.T) and the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (S.E.T) as both a detective and a sergeant for a total of seven years. During that time, he worked fin conspiracy crimes, narcotics and fugitive apprehension, as well as being qualified as an expert witness in the field of “street level narcotics.”

Lt. Wiegand has more than 15 years of experience as a member of the Sheriff’s Underwater Search and Recovery Team (Dive Team).  He is a PADI certified master diver and currently the dive team Commander.

Lt. Wiegand has more than 14 years of experience as a member of the Sheriff’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) and currently serves as the SWAT team’s assistant team commander.

Lt. Wiegand has received several commendations over the course of his career from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office as well as from the Fraternal Order of Police, including Professional Excellence, Lifesaving and Command Officer of the Year.  

Lt. Wiegand’s educational background consists of:

• Bachelor's degree in economics and accounting  from Albion College - 1995
• Macomb Police Academy – 2001
• Advanced SWAT Operations from the Government Training Institute – 2009
• Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command – 2020

Lieutenant Gary Wiegand is currently assigned to the Marine Division.

gary.wiegand@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Ryan Ruttan is currently the criminal investigations lieutenant overseeing the Detective Bureau, Youth Bureau, polygraph examinations, school resource officers, F.O.C. investigators, and all crash investigations.

Lt. Ruttan graduated from Michigan State University with his bachelor of arts in criminal justice. After putting himself through the police scademy, he began his career in law enforcement with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. In 2002, Lt. Ruttan was hired into the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office as a correction’s officer.  During this time, Lt. Ruttan also worked at Capac Police Department part-time as a police officer to keep his police certification active. 

Once Lt. Ruttan was promoted to deputy sheriff, he was assigned to the traffic bureau, working OWI enforcement.  He also independently ran the abandoned vehicle operations, organizing/planning vehicle auctions at each tow company on these abandoned and forfeited vehicles.  After his assignment in the Traffic Bureau, he was assigned to work the Harrison Substation.  Lt. Ruttan then was assigned to the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (SET) working in plainclothes handling narcotic cases, managing undercover operations, coordinating confidential informants and conducting criminal surveillance. This led to an assignment as a task force officer with the U.S. Treasury Department IRS Criminal Investigation in Detroit, Michigan, where he investigated both federal and state crimes.  He was later assigned to the Mount Clemens Substation and then to the detective bureau for a number of years. 

When Lt. Ruttan was promoted to sergeant, he was initially assigned to midnight shift command. He was later reassigned back to the detective bureau as the administrative sergeant for a number of years, handling several large-scale criminal cases, later promoted to lieutenant of uniform services and oversaw dayshift road patrol, fleet, community policing, traffic bureau, K-9 Unit, mobile communications and special events.  Lt. Ruttan was a 11-year veteran Master SWAT Operator on the Macomb County SWAT Team.

Lt. Ruttan has received citations from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for Meritorious Service, in addition to Professional Excellence Awards from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office.  In 2017, he was Command Officer of the Year.  In 2021, Lt. Ryan Ruttan attended Northwestern University - School of Staff & Command and was a part of graduating class #494.

ryan.ruttan@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Kevin Gillespie started his career at the Macomb County Sheriff Office in 2000 as a corrections officer. He was primarily assigned to the work release program as well as the booking/intake area.

In 2003, Lt. Gillespie was promoted to the rank of deputy where he worked patrol in Macomb Township and on marine patrol. While assigned to Macomb Township, Lt. Gillespie also served as a field training officer. In 2007, Lt. Gillespie was assigned to the Oakland Macomb Interdiction Team (OMIT) as a DEA task force officer targeting large-scale narcotic activity in the tri-county area.

In 2012, Lt. Gillespie was promoted to sergeant 1 and then full sergeant in 2015. As a command officer, Lt. Gillespie has worked in corrections and road patrol as well as the crisis negotiation team.

From 2017 – 2020, Lt. Gillespie was assigned to the city of Mount Clemens as the Command/Liaison to oversee the day-to-day partnership between the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Mount Clemens. During his time in Mount Clemens, Lt. Gillespie implemented the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) approach to assisting people in crisis.

Over the past 21 years, Lt. Gillespie has been awarded with a meritorious citation, professional excellence, and two lifesaving awards.

Lt. Gillespie’s currant assignments include, jail administration lieutenant, Veterans Court liaison, crisis negotiators team leader and the MCSO CISM peer support team leader.

kevin.gillespie@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Justin Locke began his career with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in 2000 as a corrections officer. He was promoted to deputy sheriff in 2001 and was stationed in Macomb Township upon his completion of the FTO program. During his time as a deputy, he was assigned to various assignments such as road patrol, COMET surveillance, Traffic Bureau, and SET Narcotics.

In 2014, he was promoted to sergeant 1 where he returned to uniform duties on midnight and afternoon shift. He was then assigned to the Macomb Township Substation where he assisted with the daily operations and logistics of the deputies assigned to the station. In 2017, he was promoted to full sergeant and continued his assignment in Macomb Township until he was promoted to lieutenant.  Lt. Locke currently serves as the afternoon shift commander.

During his career, he has been assigned to various specialized units. He is a member of to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, while also serving as the mobile field force lieutenant and emergency vehicle operations instructor.

Lt. Locke earned his associate's degree in criminal justice from Macomb Community College and graduated from the Macomb County Police Academy in 2000.

justin.locke@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Jeffrey McPherson’s involvement with the Sheriff’s Office began early, at the age of 14 when he joined the Explorer program.  He later worked as seasonal help in the Training Bureau during high school, and later was hired full-time as a dispatcher in April 2002.  In 2004, Lt. McPherson was promoted to dispatch leader and in 2007 as a deputy sheriff assigned to Road Patrol.             

As a deputy, Lt. McPherson worked for several years in the Traffic Bureau, investigating traffic crashes, and focusing on enforcement to the county’s local and secondary roadways. After serving in the Traffic Bureau, he worked in the Harrison Township Substation on the afternoon shift.  In 2016, he was assigned to the Detective Bureau, primarily investigating cases in the city of Mount Clemens and Harrison Township.  

In 2018, Lieutenant McPherson was promoted to sergeant-1 and oversaw afternoon shift road patrol, dispatch and jail. In late 2018, he was assigned to the administration as the uniform services sergeant, managing the departments fleet, garage, special events, portable and mobile radios and in-car and body-worn cameras. In 2020, Lt. McPherson was promoted to sergeant and lieutenant in 2021.

Lt. McPherson was a member of the Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T. team for more than 12 years, achieving master operator and master sniper.  He is a former member of the mobile field force and currently oversees the agencies Explorer Post as advisor.  Lt. McPherson serves as the Sheriff’s Office liaison to the village of New Haven and Lenox Township.  

Lt. McPherson attended Macomb Community College, the Macomb Police Academy and the Northwestern University School of Staff and Command.  He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and has received numerous awards and commendations, including two for life saving.  Lt. McPherson was the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Command Officer of the Year in 2021.

jeffrey.mcpherson@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Santini began his career at the Mount Clemens Police Department.  He was hired as a dispatcher in 1995 and was promoted to a patrol officer in 1999.

Lt. Santini was hired in 2005 by the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned directly to road patrol duties.  As a deputy sheriff, he worked road patrol and undercover narcotics at the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (SET).

In 2015, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant 1, and in 2017 was promoted to full sergeant.  During his time as a sergeant, he was a midnight shift command officer and sergeant in charge of the SET narcotics unit.

In 2022, Daryn Santini was promoted to lieutenant and assigned as the afternoon shift lieutenant.

Lt. Santini is a lifelong resident of Macomb County.  He attended and graduated from Mount Clemens High School, Macomb Community College and the Macomb Police Academy.  He has also completed the Northwestern University School of Police Supervision as well as the MSP and DEA narcotic schools.

Lt. Santini is the recipient of several departmental citations, commendations and lifesaving awards.  He was awarded the Mount Clemens Elks Lodge “Deputy of the Year” in 2007 and the Macomb County Sheriff’s Deputy of the year in 2010.

daryn.santini@macombcountymi.gov

Lieutenant Eric Ehrler is currently the midnight shift lieutenant who oversees patrol, jail and dispatch operations.

Lt. Ehrler began his career in 1999 as a corrections officer.  After working in the Macomb County Jail for three years, he put himself through the Macomb Police Academy as he continued to work the afternoon shift and weekends. 

Once Lt. Ehrler was promoted to deputy sheriff in 2002, he was assigned to the Traffic Bureau, working OWI enforcement. After his assignment in the Traffic Bureau, he was assigned to work the Mount Clemens Substation for several years.  Lt. Ehrler then became a detective in 2010 handling all types of criminal investigations in the detective bureau.  He became the officer in charge of numerous high-profile cases which included violent criminal sexual conduct, homicide, child abuse, as well as criminal enterprise and racketeering.  In 2016, Lt. Ehrler was promoted out of the detective bureau and became a sergeant on the midnight shift.   

Shortly thereafter, Lt. Ehrler was reassigned back into the detective bureau as the North-End team leader overseeing a team of detectives and several school resource officers. Since then, Lt. Ehrler has worked in the professional standards division handling internal investigations and civil liability as well as becoming the administrative sergeant in the Detective Bureau until he was promoted to lieutenant in 2023.    

Lt. Ehrler has been a crisis negotiator on the Macomb County Sheriff’s Crisis Negotiation Team for the last seven years, a Macomb Police Academy instructor and has developed the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Vehicle Operations program which has 10 instructors.  He is also responsible for creating policy and developing the Vehicle Pursuit Review Board.  Lt. Ehrler has received awards for professional excellence, lifesaving and has successfully completed the Shield Institute – Command Level One course. 

eric.ehrler@macombcountymi.gov

Dispatch Operations Manager Elizabeth Bagos began her career with Macomb County Sheriff’s Office in 2010 as a 911 dispatcher. In 2018, she was promoted to dispatch supervisor, assigned to the midnight shift. Elizabeth has also occupied the positions of training coordinator and CAD administrator.

As the Dispatch Operations Manager, Elizabeth is second in command to the dispatch director and her responsibilities include operational oversight of the center, leading and coordinator projects, implementing procedural changes, and managing software implementations and upgrades. Elizabeth directly oversees the Dispatch Training Program, coordinates hiring events, dispatch candidate testing and manages continuing education for current dispatchers. As CAD administrator, Elizabeth is responsible for the overall health and maintenance of all dispatch software systems. She serves on the Tyler Technology CAD advisory board, leads the Tyler Technology/Macomb County user group, and is a Tyler Technology Michigan user group committee member.

In addition, Elizabeth serves on the State 911 Training Subcommittee for Michigan where she works with fellow members to ensure that requirements defined in the 911 statute are met amongst all public safety answering points throughout the state. Elizabeth also holds a CMCP certification (Center Manager Certification Program), a professional certification designed for 911 center managers and supervisors.

elizabeth.bagos@macombcountymi.gov

• 2022 Annual Report
• 2021 Annual Report
• 2020 Annual Report
• 2019 Annual Report
• 2018 Annual Report 
• 2017 Annual Report
• 2016 Annual Report
• 2015 Annual Report