Christopher R. Swanson

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Christopher R. Swanson
Sheriff swanson.jpg
Sheriff of Genesee County, Michigan
Assumed office
January 6, 2020
Preceded byRobert J. Pickell
Personal details
BornMedina, Ohio
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Michigan
OccupationLaw enforcement officer

Christopher R. Swanson is an American law enforcement officer from the state of Michigan. Swanson is the Sheriff of Genesee County, which contains the city of Flint. In this role, Swanson leads 269 officers, the tenth largest police force in Michigan.[1]

Background[]

Swanson was born in Medina, Ohio, and is an alumnus of the University of Michigan, where he received both his bachelor's degree and master's degree.[citation needed]

In addition to being a law enforcement officer, Swanson is also a licensed paramedic; the Office of Genesee County Sheriff is one of the only agencies in the State of Michigan with dual police officer/paramedics assigned to road patrol.[2]

Swanson is a three-time author, including a recent children's book that highlights memories from his own childhood.[3] In addition, Swanson has authored Tinman to Ironman [4] and Blood, Guts, and Things That Drive You Nuts. [5]

In 2014, while serving as the Genesee County Undersheriff, Swanson and fellow officers delivered water to the citizens of Flint during the Flint water crisis.[6][7]

On January 5, 2020, the longtime Sheriff of Genesee County, Robert J. Pickell, retired. Swanson, Undersheriff at the time, was appointed Sheriff.[8] Swanson was sworn in as sheriff on December 23, 2019.[9]

As Sheriff, Swanson has received national attention for a number of initiatives focused on serving the community and protecting the vulnerable.[citation needed]

George Floyd Protests[]

On May 30, 2020, during the George Floyd protests in Flint, Swanson received national attention when he removed his riot gear and marched with the protesters.[10][11][12]

Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST)[]

Swanson founded the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) in 2018, which is a specialized unit of officers from the Office of Genesee County Sheriff who combat crimes of human trafficking and drug offenses throughout southeast Michigan. Since inception in 2018, GHOST has arrested more than 70 individuals for crimes of trafficking, criminal sexual conduct, drugs offenses and other related offenses.[13][14]

Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education (IGNITE)[]

Upon taking office, Swanson instituted IGNITE in the Genesee County Jail, in an effort to turn a long term vision of criminal justice reform into reality. IGNITE has turned the Genesee County Jail into an educational facility where inmates go to school five days per week - two hours per day.[15] In 2021, Swanson was featured in the USA Today for his opinion piece on educational reform and IGNITE.[16]

Elder Abuse Task Force[]

Swanson also oversees the Elder Abuse Task Force, which was started by his predecessor Sheriff Robert J. Pickell in 2008. The Elder Abuse Task Force has investigated hundreds of crimes in Genesee County and placed those who have taken advantage of a vulnerable population behind bars.[17][18]

2020 Election[]

Swanson comfortably won election to a full term as sheriff. He defeated former Flint Police Chief Phil Hart in the Democratic primary in August, and defeated the Republican candidate, U.S. Army veteran Stephen Sanford, in the general election, receiving 65% of the vote.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Acosta, Roberto (2020-11-04). "Swanson wins race for Genesee County sheriff". Michigan Live. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  2. ^ "PARAMEDIC DIVISION". Office of Sheriff. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  3. ^ "The Majik Gopher : Christopher R Swanson : 9781947939820". www.bookdepository.com. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  4. ^ Swanson, Christopher (2014). Tinman to Ironman: 26.2 Proven Ways to Crush Your Failures and Transform Your Life Today!. ISBN 978-1629038438.
  5. ^ "Blood, Guts and Things that Drive You Nuts".
  6. ^ Carmody, Steve (January 7, 2016). "Genesee Co. reserve sheriff's deputies handing out water filters in Flint". Michigan Radio. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  7. ^ Croft, Jay (May 31, 2020). "Michigan sheriff joins demonstrators in 'parade'". CNN. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  8. ^ McCrary, Markie Heideman, Rachel. "Chris Swanson named interim sheriff of Genesee County". WNEM Saginaw. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  9. ^ Acosta, Roberto (2019-10-23). "Genesee County sheriff to step down after 20 years in office". Michigan Live. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  10. ^ Spelbring, Meredith (May 31, 2020). "'Let's walk': Genesee County Sheriff removes riot gear, joins protesters in march". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  11. ^ Kaplan, Talia (2020-06-01). "Michigan sheriff goes viral for walking with protesters: We have to start dialogue and make change". Fox News. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  12. ^ Padilla, Mariel (2020-06-01). "Michigan Sheriff Took Off His Helmet and Marched With Protesters". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  13. ^ "G.H.O.S.T. has arrested 17 alleged child sex predators since March". nbc25news.com. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  14. ^ "Sheriff arrests 17 alleged child predators in ongoing sting. What happened is horrifying. (op-ed)". Law Enforcement Today. 2020-09-02. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  15. ^ "'I've got a second chance at life': Genesee County celebrates IGNITE graduation of three inmates". mlive. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  16. ^ Swanson, Chris. "Jailhouse and schoolhouse: Education that gave me direction is doing the same for my inmates". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  17. ^ Acosta, Roberto (2020-07-01). "2 charged with murder in Flint elder abuse case". mlive. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  18. ^ "Sheriff: Elder abuse leaves 55-pound woman dead in Genesee County". News Break. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
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