By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor

Oakland Community College Police Academy graduate Dylan Erskine’s interest in law enforcement was piqued at a young age by his brother-in-law. Erskine’s determination to follow his example was evident to those watching him excel in the academy.

The academy staff honored Erskine with the Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award. He graduated with an 89.88 percentile and was selected from among nine non-agency sponsored recruits in a graduating class of 66 on May 30, 2025.

Oakland Police Academy Director David Ceci said Erskine was chosen for his “Overall scores and well-rounded performance.”

The $500 Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award, which is sponsored by the POLC, is given twice yearly at the discretion of the police academy to graduates who have not been sponsored by any police agency. Qualifying cadets must pass the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certification test and meet MCOLES employment standards to become certified Michigan Law Enforcement Officers.

“My brother-in-law was a police officer at Auburn Hills and he’s the one that got me into wanting to be a police officer. He was a pretty big inspiration,” Erskine said of recently promoted Auburn Hills Police Sgt. Tyler Deering Manning. “My sister met him in high school and he’s been in the family for 10 years. When I was a lot younger, age 13, he was going into police work and I wanted to do what he was doing.”

While pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Erskine decided to get a jump start on his career. He was hired as an Auburn Hills Police Cadet.

“I just went to the closest department and worked there 1 year,” he said. “I was basically working the front desk, taking non-emergency calls. I would handle lockouts and some PDAs (property damage accidents). You get your foot into the door and get exposure to what the job of a police officer is, which is really helpful! After I received my bachelor's in Criminal Justice (in 2024), I went straight to the academy.” 

The 23-year-old was hired as a full-time Auburn Hills Police Officer in June 2025 and now works alongside his brother-in-law in the same POLC-represented department. He was especially proud to be named as the Richard R. Weiler Scholarship Award recipient. 

“It was very heartwarming for me to have that hard work get some recognition,” Erskine said. “I am very grateful for the award and I’m happy that I received it and I’m happy that I went through that experience and got through the academy. Every single day, I thought I should bring a lot of gumption. I wanted to be a sponge — to learn everything. I think that kind of came across to other people going to the academy. I wanted to be as well-prepared as I could for whatever agency I went to.” 

Erskine was really impressed with the academy and very thankful for the staff.

“It was actually wonderful. The instructors really cared about sending top products out the door and making sure we were really ready for what we were about to face,” he said. “They worked with us really well. I think a few people had family issues come up and the academy was fully understanding of that. I really appreciated that aspect.”