Anthony Wickersham Begins First Full Term as Macomb County Sheriff

The start of the new year marked the beginning of the latest chapter in the law enforcement career of Anthony Wickersham.

Wickersham, 51, joined the Macomb County Sheriff's Department in 1986 as a correctional officer and has held every rank in the department including sheriff—a position he was appointed to in 2011.

The 46th Macomb County Sheriff ran for re-election in November and defeated Steve Thomas to win a full, four-year term.

"You really do appreciate what a candidate has to go through to get elected," said Wickersham, of his run for office which focused on his career in the department. "(Voters in Macomb County) believed I was a strong person to continue on as sheriff."

The election of Wickersham also marked the first time in 36 years someone with the last name besides Hackel was elected sheriff. William Hackel took office in 1977 and his son Mark, who is now the Macomb County Executive, took office in 2001.

Wickersham was appointed to succeed Mark Hackel as sheriff on Dec. 17, 2010, and now will begin his first full-term as the county's top law enforcement official.

As sheriff, he leads a department which operates the Macomb County Jail, transports prisoners to district courts throughout Macomb County, provides security to the Macomb Circuit Court and contracts police service to communities in the county.

There are also specialized units, including the marine division, auto theft, SWAT and reserves.

With a full term ahead of him, Wickersham is looking at all aspects of his department.

"As sheriff I am looking at ways to be creative in the approach to law enforcement," said Wickersham, who stated that he is looking at the possible reorganization of some units to address crime in both the contracted areas and on a countywide basis.

He stated that he will also be looking at ways to keep the beds available in the Macomb County Jail for judges and taking a "proactive approach" to reduce crimes in the communities served by the Sheriff's Office. 

Wickersham stated that he looks "forward to serving" and will enter this new phase of his career knowing "you are not going to make everyone happy."

"You do things for the right reason and it makes the job a lot easier," the Macomb Township resident said.