WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Alyshia Dyer was sworn in as Washtenaw County sheriff on December 3, marking a historic first for the county. She is the first woman—and the first openly pansexual person—to hold the position.
The ceremony took place at Washtenaw Community College, where Dyer was formally sworn in before a crowd of supporters.
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“This campaign wasn’t about me—it wasn’t about one person,” Dyer said. “It was about all of us coming together to imagine something better in Washtenaw County.”
In a closely contested August primary, Dyer, a Democrat, edged out opponents Derrick Jackson and Ken Magee by fewer than 400 votes, according to MLive. She ran unopposed in the November general election and takes over from outgoing Sheriff Jerry Clayton, who served since 2008.
According to her campaign website, Dyer is a Ypsilanti native who attributes her commitment to public service to her experiences as a juvenile runaway, including periods of homelessness. She began her law enforcement career in 2011, responding to incidents such as domestic violence and homicides.
Dyer has outlined several priorities for her term, including creating community policy teams designed to involve residents in developing new policies and addressing local issues. The teams are expected to launch early next year, with recruitment already underway.
She also plans to implement a countywide traffic stop equality ordinance, similar to one passed by the Ann Arbor City Council in 2023, which limits police stops for minor infractions.
“I think a lot of folks are starting to see, because of the work that got implemented in Ann Arbor, how important this is to establish community trust, especially in times when trust between the community and law enforcement can be challenging,” Dyer said.
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Additional goals include eliminating implicit traffic stop quotas and expanding mental health resources for officers.
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