Little movement on proposed experience qualification to serve as county sheriff

By GEORGIA HILL 

Capital News Service

LANSING –  The Michigan Sheriffs’ Association is looking to tighten eligibility requirements for county sheriffs.

Deputy Director Daniel Pfannes said the association backed a past bill to limit eligibility to run for the position to individuals with at least five years of experience as a police officer or local corrections officer.

The bill would have amended the state election law regarding requirements for sheriffs, who are nominated by political parties and elected to four-year terms. Their responsibilities include running the county jail, crime and traffic enforcement and operating marine patrols.

Currently, the qualifications require a candidate to be at least 18, a U.S. citizen and a registered voter in the county they’re seeking to be elected. 

“If you have at least five years of experience, you will have a better understanding of the role you will play as an elected sheriff,” Pfannes said. “It is a very important job, and adding this would keep qualified candidates in the mix.”

Although no legislation is currently pending, discussions continue about draft bills to impose those limitations on both sheriffs and county prosecutors. 

A bill backed by the Sheriffs’ Association was introduced in 2023 and passed by the House. It ultimately stalled in the Senate, where lawmakers expressed concerns that it could threaten the state’s electoral process, according to a report by Interlochen Public Radio.

While Pfannes did not note any specific instances of underqualified sheriffs or candidates, he said that the change would “help to improve the process that already exists.”

In a 2023 statement to the House Elections Committee, Pfannes pointed to an instance in Wayne County in which a convicted felon in his 20s, with no law enforcement experience, ran for the office. 

Pfannes argued that tightening qualifications would help prevent similar cases in the future.

Tim Bourgeois, the executive director of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, said, “When you’re running a complex organization, and folks you work with have great authority over people’s lives, the effort is to professionalize this process.” 

Bourgeois said that while the commission is neutral on the topic, conversations about improving qualifications are happening largely behind the scenes.