OAKLAND COUNTY, MI – Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is set to receive $2 million in federal funding to support its aviation unit, money that would be used to replace or upgrade aging helicopters used for local law enforcement and emergency response.
The funding was approved as part of H.R. 6938, a federal appropriations package signed into law last week, according to U.S. Rep. John James’ office.
The earmark is listed in the legislation as “Oakland County/Northern Border Patrol Helicopter,” a designation that prompted questions locally about how the aircraft would be used.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the funding is tied to the county’s aviation unit, which operates two helicopters that are about 25 years old and require frequent maintenance.
“They’re both in need of constant repair because of their age and because of their technology changes over time,” Bouchard said.
Bouchard said the helicopters are not dedicated to border enforcement and are primarily used for public safety operations in Oakland County, including search-and-rescue missions, missing-person cases and major incident response.
“It’s our aviation unit,” Bouchard said. “They do regular operations, so we assist any agency that has an urgent request or a special request, but obviously it’s primarily working in Oakland County.”
The unit also assists regional partners during large events or emergencies when requested, including deployments in Detroit, Bouchard said.
James’ office said the “Northern Border” language reflects the helicopter’s potential regional role, not a shift in the sheriff’s office mission.
In a disclosure letter posted on the congressman’s website, James’ office said the funding would be used to replace a 25-year-old helicopter nearing the end of its operational lifespan and described the aircraft as a regional asset.
“The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would be a regional asset that can assist other public safety agencies across southeast Michigan and along the Northern Border,” the disclosure letter states.
The helicopter would be based in Oakland County but available to coordinate with agencies across the region, James’ office said.
James’ office also said the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office submitted the funding request through the congressional appropriations process and that the $2 million has been awarded and obligated, though a timeline for distribution has not yet been provided.
Before the money can be added to the county budget, it will likely require approval from the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.
“I believe that the Board would have to approve accepting it so they could amend the budget,” Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown said, adding that because Congress approved the funding last Friday, “the Board hasn’t addressed it yet.”
It remains unclear whether the $2 million will be enough to fully replace a helicopter or whether it will instead be used to upgrade existing aircraft.
Bouchard said the department has long hoped to purchase new helicopters but has struggled to secure the full funding needed.
Bouchard also pointed to the aviation unit’s life-saving role, describing a past mission in which deputies used a helicopter to locate a suicidal man in a remote wooded area.
“Without the helicopter spotting this guy, he would have been dead by the time anybody found him,” Bouchard said.