Captain Mike Bailey retired from the Oak Harbor Police Department on 09-30-23, after 28-years of service to the department, the City of Oak Harbor, and this community. During his distinguished career, Captain Bailey first served as a Reserve Police Officer and was then hired as a commissioned Officer. Mike served in patrol, detectives, on the tactical team and as a canine handler for the department.
Mike was a sergeant for five years and then in 2017 he was promoted to Captain and had been serving in that role until his retirement from law enforcement. Mike has been dedicated to this community and has participated in many duty and non-duty related events.
Mike was essential in the reorganization of the department in the past seven years and in the department becoming accredited through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs in November of 2020, which was the first time this department had achieved that recognition. He was instrumental in updating, modernizing, and professionalizing the department’s policies, procedures, and practices and was awarded the department’s Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding organizational abilities and accomplishments towards the department’s mission.
Captain Bailey was the command officer in charge of the Administrative Division, which included records, detectives, corrections, and many other areas of the department and he provided great mentorship and leadership for all staff. He also served as a Commander on the Skagit/Island County interagency investigative team and was recognized by other agencies for his collaborative efforts.
Mike plans on remaining active in the community and looks forward to other endeavors, following his successful law enforcement career. While Mike may be retired from law enforcement, he (as with other retired OHPD officers) will always be part of the law enforcement family and a big part of this department’s legacy of providing quality service to the Oak Harbor community.
As Chief of Police for the Oak Harbor Police Department, I have been fortunate to have had Mike Bailey, Bill Wilkie (who retired over a year ago) and now Tony Slowik, as Captains and in helping to provide leadership for the department, and I very much appreciate their service to the department and to this community.
Chief Kevin Dresker
Oak Harbor Police Department