A new far-left sheriff in a major Michigan county is pushing for the sheriff’s department to incorporate “environmental justice” policies, according to an interview conducted by The Daily Wire.
Sheriff Alyshia Dryer was sworn into office at the beginning of January, becoming Washtenaw County’s first female sheriff. Dryer told The Daily Wire that she is focused on protecting the community from “the negative environmental and human health impacts of pollution and climate change.”
Dryer said that under her leadership, she intends to dramatically change the department’s view on climate and environmental issues. She’ll start by creating an “Environmental Crimes Unit,” which would focus on “air pollution, water contamination, and hazardous waste management.”
Dryer noted that the sheriff’s office “historically hasn’t been necessarily a strong champion in this work.” She claimed that bringing down violent crime in the county is “connected” to fighting for environmental justice and it prioritizes officers’ “mental health and wellness.”
“It’s all connected. Looking at, number one, I talked a lot about officer mental health and wellness,” Dryer said. “Officers can’t effectively do their jobs if they’re not taking care of themselves. Looking at the environment, looking at corporate polluters, looking at the quality of life for residents, it has a really big impact on wellbeing.”
She went on to say the sheriff’s department needs to focus more on “creating better environments for the community.”
Washtenaw County, home to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, had the 10th highest crime rate among Michigan counties in 2021.
Between 2022 and 2024, Washtenaw County saw 1,813 instances of violent crime — this includes homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and sexual assault — and 2,545 instances of domestic crime that were reported.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office said that it is still committed to fighting violent crime, but that commitment will work in tandem with the “focus on corporate and environmental crime.”
