Wayne County Sheriff Connection
News & Updates from The Wayne County Sheriffs Office
Spring 2024 Edition
In This Issue:
Message From Sheriff Washington
Hello Everyone! Like a lot of you, I am excited to see the warmer months. For the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, it brings increased outdoor activities, including the opening of our boating season, more citizens in our parks, festivals, parades, and other happenings. It means more activity for our Mounted Unit and our horses, the Marine Unit are holding boating classes to ensure safety on the water, and our S.C.O.U.T program (Sheriff’s Community Organized Urban Team) will continue to address Quality-of-Life issues for residents in the Wayne County. If you have a concern that we can assist with, give us a call at (313) 833-0864.
As you may have heard, yes, in the coming months, we are finally moving into the State-of-the-Art Criminal Justice Complex, located near I-75 and Warren Avenue in Detroit. We are joined by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, 3rd Circuit Criminal Court, the County Clerk’s Office, the Juvenile Detention Facility (JDF), the County’s Facilities Maintenance and Planning division, and representatives from the Michigan Department of Corrections (M.D.O.C.).
Our schedule for the foreseeable future is extremely busy and filled with important internal and external activities like those mentioned. In fact, I could not be more excited about the number of interested and qualified candidates who are applying to become a Sheriff’s Deputy! Our recruiting efforts have increased, and we are seeing larger numbers reflected in our graduating classes. This is due to a comprehensive effort internally by staff throughout the agency including our recruiters, our community outreach efforts, word-of-mouth from current deputies and staff, as well as the level of professionalism we exude as the largest agency of its kind in the State of Michigan.
I am excited the newly ratified contract, with increased salaries and benefits, will assist in our ability to attract more attention to our agency!
Ready to join our team? We are looking to fill more than 200 positions. As we continuously support the 43 cities and townships of the county, we want you or someone you know to join our team. The easy application can be found by visiting www.sheriffconnect.com/join.
Raphael “Ray” Washington
Wayne County Sheriff
Mission Statement
The responsibility of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is to maintain the highest standard of integrity and professional excellence and to protect the lives and property of Wayne County citizens while objectively enforcing local and state laws. It is our duty to serve our community and provide a secure, safe, and humane environment for inmates remanded to our jails. It is our mission to provide our staff and the public fair and equal treatment and protection, and to strengthen the public’s trust through continued transparency and accountability.
LATEST NEWS
VIDEO UPDATE FROM SHERIFF WASHINGTON
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is Hiring
There is no higher calling than to work as a professional deputy with the mission of protecting the lives and property of everyday citizens. It takes a special individual to accept the challenge and responsibility of working as a sheriff’s deputy.
PROMOTIONS
Demetrius L. Lynch – Police Lieutenant
RETIREMENTS FOR JANUARY
John Liedel
Nancy Newfer
Robert Keyes
RETIREMENTS FOR FEBRUARY
Deon Hargrove
Calandra Tyson
RETIREMENTS FOR MARCH
Henry Mitchell
New Hire Police Officers
Karen Smith-Part time-Police Officer
Franz Beauregard
Alidanil Hachem
Eric Hunter
Samuel Jefferson
Taija Jefferson
Kevin Johnson
Garry Knott Jr.
Brian Maye
Larmar Nelson
Dakota Nuttall
Shania O’Neal
Kevin Ramirez
Bradford Strickland
Jaden Welch
Johnny Wilkerson
Hussein Albadry
NEW HIRES
Terry Collins-Clerk
William Joiner-Project Consultant
Shawn McElroy-Project Consultant
UP-COMING EVENTS
THE WAYNE COUNTY JAIL DASHBOARD
WAYNE COUNTY JAIL DASHBOARD
The Jail Dashboard is an interactive tool that provides information from the Wayne County Jail’s management system. It is updated every day and provides summary information about the current inmate population including the demographic makeup of current jail inmates, the types of supervised facilities, how long inmates have stayed, their types of Bookings and Arrest Types, Housing availability, and counts of inmates released from County supervision. Wayne County Sheriff’s Office receives a lot of questions about the jail population. This tool was created in an effort to be transparent with the public about the characteristics of our supervised population and to answer some of the common questions we receive about our inmates.
The Wayne County Jail Dashboard is powered by generous grant support from the Hudson-Webber Foundation and the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.
Visit https://www.sheriffconnect.com/dashboard/ to view the dashboard.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Captain Rachel Davis - Criminal Justice Center Transition Team
Meet Rachael Davis
Catching up with Captain Davis
A 22-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and a critical member of the Criminal Justice Center Transition Team, we were able to catch up with the always moving, always on the go, and hard-working Captain Rachael Davis.
The Wayne County Criminal Justice Center construction project is a monumental endeavor. It is the largest construction project in Wayne County’s history and will be home to multiple criminal justice and supporting county stakeholders, including The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Detention and Administrative Offices, The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, The Wayne County Third Circuit Court, JDF Detention and Administrative Offices, representation by the M.D.O.C, and the Wayne County Clerk’s Office. The CJC spans over one million square feet, hosts 1,400 office spaces, 26 court rooms, and over 2,400 bed spaces for adult and youthful offenders.
Describe the purpose and make-up of the WCSO Transition Team, and your role within it.
To ensure that the best interests of each stakeholder and the communities we serve are met, each group identified staff members to represent them in the process by forming individual Transition Teams. In 2019, I was selected to become the Transition Team Coordinator for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. It has been my responsibility to manage the day-to-day CJC project interests of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office while working very closely with my teammate and partner Sgt. Art Elandt, with direct oversight of Chief Robert Dunlap and Sheriff Raphael Washington.
I must say that none of this amazing progress could have been accomplished without the hard work and dedication of both previous Transition Team Members and our brand-new Team Members who are too many to name. Nothing this significant can be done without contributions from a great team acting as one.
Knowing that we have recently received the keys to the facility, what does the timeline for moving in look like?
On March 18, 2024, the facility was officially turned over from the construction company to Wayne County. The Sheriff’s Office is providing site security to the facility both now during the transition and moving forward into full operation. Building turnover signaled the 6-month timeline in which the Sheriff’s Office and our criminal justice partners must vacate their current facilities and move into the CJC. There is an Activation Schedule which outlines when each stakeholder, and major operational service will begin. A move such as this requires the concerted effort of each stakeholder group to prepare their respective areas. Collaboration at the highest level was essential to ensure operational continuity, efficiency, and improved services for the community.
Tell us what has been one of the most challenging experiences that you’ve had to overcome in this role?
One of the most challenging experiences has been managing expectations, including my personal expectations and the expectations of others. I have come to realize that there is no such thing as perfection in a project of this size and nature, mostly because we all have different ideas of what that looks like. I believe that everyone involved in this project has had the very best intentions and I’m excited, with a tremendous amount of teamwork, collaboration, and utilization of finite resources we are now just a couple of months away from achieving full occupancy of a facility that will serve this great county for years to come. I wholeheartedly believe that the outcome of the CJC is infinitely more hospitable, welcoming, and functional than any of the antiquated infrastructure that we have become accustomed to.
What will be different about the new CJC that the public should know?
The major differences between the CJC and our legacy buildings will be the quality of service that each stakeholder will be able to provide, the environmental improvements that will be enjoyed by anyone interacting in the facility, and the convenience of having so many related services in one footprint.
What is something that individuals might be surprised to know about you?
I am an open book, those that know me best within the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office know that I am into fitness, officer safety, overall health and wellness, participating in educational trainings, teaching/coaching new officers, and of course, horses.
Lastly, what excites you the most about your career?
What excites me the most about my career is the unrivaled opportunity for growth, development, and change. I have been able to flourish in exciting and diverse roles ranging from Police Dispatch and LEIN Operation, Traffic Patrol and Enforcement, Police Mounted Unit Patrol and Instruction, Internal Affairs Investigations, Jail and Court Command positions, Inmate Classification Command, Law Enforcement Use of Force Instruction, and currently as the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Transition Team Coordinator. Each role has added to my knowledge, experience, and expertise in the field of law enforcement and leadership.
The overarching theme within my career has been the profound latitude to push beyond the limits of the things I believed myself capable of. Each specialty unit that I have been a part of required a unique skillset to be mastered and each one taught me how, with proper mentorship, determination, and grit, that my potential is limitless.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office has allowed me to expand my horizons both personally and professionally. Today, I am most excited about the ways in which I can assist other officers in finding and realizing their personal limitless potential.