Michigan police assaults reach all time high in 2022

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Michigan police have seen an increase in officer assaults in recent years, according to state data.

"On a routine traffic stop, more people are like 'I’m not rolling down my window,' ‘I’m not going to cooperate,' ’I’m not talking to you.' Just, kind of, bizarre behavior over nothing," said Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard. "Around the country you see these minor encounters, or what would’ve been minor, escalate and become physically violent."

According to Michigan State Police, the highest number of officer assaults ever recorded occurred in 2022, with a total of 1,751 incidents.

Data reveals a steady rise in the number of assaults against officers since 2015. There were 931 police assaults in 2015, and by 2022, the figure nearly doubled.

"It’s saddening, and it’s frustrating because it’s harder and harder to get men and women to be a police officer," Bouchard said. "The demonization that's happened over the past three or four years, especially out of Washington, and the constant berating and attacking of police officers has hurt the morale and difficulties in hiring them. On top of it, it’s become increasingly dangerous."

The Michigan State Police 2023 crime statistics will not be available until the fall.