Technology, Communications & Innovation Division

CAPTAIN

Steven Schneider

Commander | Technology, Communications & Innovation Division

Captain Schneider is the Sheriff's Chief Technology Officer, supervising the Technology, Communications & Information Division, including the Technology and Emergency Communications Units, and Agency Accreditation Team. He fervently advocates implementing state-of-the-art technology systems and programs, driving change at a rapid pace. Since 2014, he has initiated various cost control programs, including auditing and inventory control measures, yielding significant savings for the Sheriff's Office. In addition, Captain Schneider created a new IT protocol that has improved efficiency, minimized confusion, increased staff productivity and reduced Help Desk/Service Center calls an average of 22%. He is also responsible for reporting all crime statistics for the Sheriff's Office, including the accurate and timely forwarding of these statistics to the FBI NIBRS Uniform Crime Reporting Unit. Through various initiatives implemented by Captain Schneider, the OCSO has seen the integrity of its crime reporting steadily improve.

Captain Schneider joined the Sheriff's Office as a Deputy I in 1996. He was promoted to a Deputy II in 1997 (first as a Jail Supervisor and then as a Road Patrol Deputy), to Sergeant in 2004, to Lieutenant in 2014 and to his current position as Captain in 2022.

With over 30 years in Law Enforcement and six years in private sector investigations, Captain Steve Schneider has a vast array of experience in several areas including: Weapons of Mass Destruction and Community Anti-Terrorism Training; Information Technology; Emergency Communications, Criminal and Civil Investigations; Corrections Management; Inmate Custody and Care; Business and Public Administration and Road Patrol Services. This expertise is the result of Captain Schneider's experience with two large private investigations companies and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the 16th largest Sheriff's Office in the United States.

Captain Schneider has received numerous awards, including Command Officer of the Year (2020), Meritorious Service Citations, Professional Excellence Citations and Distinguished Unit Citations.

Captain Schneider received his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (WMU) in 1989 and his Master's degree in Public Administration (CMU) in 2001. He is an adjunct instructor and guest lecturer for both private and public higher educational institutions and has taught law enforcement personnel, as well as private sector individuals, in a variety of relevant subjects. He has attended many 'Train the Trainer' courses covering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Awareness and was formerly a member of the Oakland County Incident Management Team (IMT). He has completed Federal Type IV Incident Management Team training, COBRA Live Chemical Agent training, Prevention and Response to Terrorist Bombing courses and Nuclear/Radiological training. Captain Schneider has taught Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Awareness classes for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. He is Board-Certified in both Homeland Security (CHPP) and Security Management (CPP).

The Sheriff's Office Technology, Communications and Innovation Division (TCI) is responsible for procuring, maintaining and managing all computer-related software and hardware, including (but not limited to) desktops, laptops, radios, cellphones, tablets, fingerprint/mugshot equipment, cameras and surveillance equipment and inmate communication devices. Proper use of these devices requires that all access be closely monitored to ensure privacy, security and safety for law enforcement personnel and Oakland County citizens and business owners.In addition, the division oversees the Emergency Communications Unit (Dispatch), the second largest dispatch center in the state of Michigan, and the largest full-service multijurisdictional dispatch center in the state.

TECHNOLOGY

Ongoing communication and collaboration between the TCI Division and the entire Oakland County Information Technology (IT) Department is extremely important for the smooth and safe operation of all devices. The top priority of TII is the secure transmission of crucial law enforcement information through several diverse applications and programs.

The Captain of the TCI Division is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) serving as a bridge between the Sheriff's Office and Oakland County IT, ensuring that the services IT provides align efficiently with the needs of the Sheriff's Office. By combining extensive law enforcement experience and IT expertise, the Captain and his team are responsible for the strategic implementation of new technology solutions that improve business efficiency while meeting Sheriff's Office standards and policy requirements. The Captain understands business strategy and can identify technologies that will enhance the goals and objectives of the OCSO.

Determining whether the OCSO will implement any new technology program or equipment is a lengthy and complex process. The TCI Captain is directly involved in this process from beginning to end—attending product demonstrations; developing a strong working knowledge of the products being considered; meeting with vendors; formulating proposals (including detailed cost analyses) and presenting them to Command Staff, the Sheriff's Fiscal Officer and the Board of Commissioners. Once a vendor is selected, the Captain maintains close contact with vendor representatives, contracted installers and OCSO Command Staff during the entire installation/implementation process. In addition, the Captain is prepared to answer any questions and address any issues that may arise before, during and after system deployment.

The TCI Division closely monitors the crime statistics reporting process for the Sheriff's Office, including the accurate and timely forwarding of statistics to the Michigan State Police (MSP) Criminal Justice Information Center and the FBI's NIBRS Uniform Crime Reporting Unit. Through various initiatives, the efficiency of the Sheriff's Office crime reporting procedures has steadily improved. Accurate statistics for the Sheriff's Office provide the public with transparency, while evaluating the effectiveness of law enforcement services provided and monitoring the overall severity of crime in Oakland County.

COMMUNICATIONS

The Sheriff's Emergency Communications and Operations Center provides all emergency and non-emergency call-taking and dispatching for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, nine local law enforcement agencies, and nineteen local fire/EMS agencies. Call-taking and dispatch services are also provided for the Oakland County Animal Control and the Oakland Community College Police. Every Dispatch Specialist is fully trained and certified in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), and Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD) and credentialed through the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED-Priority Dispatch).

The Sheriff's Emergency Communications and Operations Center serves as the "default call center" for the entire County. This means that if the phone company is unsure about which dispatch center to send a call, it is automatically routed to the ECOC. Upon receiving these calls, a Dispatch Specialist determines the location of the emergency and transfers the call to the appropriate law enforcement or fire agency. This process has proven to be a quick, efficient, and seamless solution for handling these 911 emergencies.

The Sheriff's Emergency Communications and Operations Center is equipped to provide assistance to other area 911 centers if a center is unable to operate due to a situation such as phone outages, etc. During those emergencies, the Sheriff’s ECOC is designed to accept re-routed 911 calls from those affected areas.

The Sheriff's Emergency Communications and Operations Center can communicate with any law enforcement officer, firefighter, EMT in Oakland County, as well as any other Oakland County dispatch center. These first responders also have the ability to communicate with each other and coordinate their responses using one of the nation’s most advanced inter-operable radio networks. The ECOC has two Michigan Public Safety Communications Systems (MPSCS), state radio consoles to provide regional interoperable communications for the metro-Detroit area and southeast Michigan. In 2023 Oakland County agencies transitioned onto the MPSCS system. The Next Generation ready Motorola CallWorks System was integrated into the Sheriff’s 9-1-1 center and has improved call routing and handling and is now providing statistical data identifying trends in peak call volumes to assist in the scheduling of personnel.

In 2015 Sheriff Michael Bouchard brought Text-to-911 services to Oakland County. Sheriff Bouchard saw the need for callers within Oakland County to have access to 911 services, whether by voice or text. This gives the citizens the option to “Call when they can, Text when they can’t”. Dispatch Specialists are able to receive text messages that are sent to 911 and communicate back and forth with the sender. There is now an option to send and receive text messages in multiple languages, which are automatically detected and translated using AI translation.

In 2022, the Sheriff's Emergency Communications and Operations Center managed over 516,000 telephone calls; 911 cellular calls now constitute over 84% of the total calls made to 911. The entire ECOC remains committed to providing the best service possible.