Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott will help shape Michigan's community corrections policies after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to the State Community Corrections Board, effective Thursday, Aug. 6.

The appointment, reported by The Oakland Press, puts a local law enforcement leader in an advisory role over programs that keep offenders out of prison through community-based supervision and services. Piggott fills the board's city police chief seat, succeeding Eric Winstrom, who resigned. The term runs through March 31, 2027, and requires state Senate confirmation.

The board advises the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections on goals, eligibility criteria, program standards, funding procedures and evaluation for community corrections programs statewide. Michigan's Office of Community Corrections works to reduce incarceration by funding evidence-based programming in local communities. The state's fiscal year 2026-27 budget allocates $15.2 million for community corrections plans and services, a $1 million increase driven by rising program participation.

Piggott has led the Farmington Hills Police Department since Feb. 24, 2024, when City Council confirmed his appointment after he served as interim chief beginning in mid-December 2023. A 30-year veteran of the department, Piggott started as a police cadet in 1996 and rose through patrol, traffic safety, investigations, school liaison and command roles before becoming assistant chief in July 2021.

He starts immediately.

Over his career, Piggott has earned 46 citations and awards for exceptional police work, including the Farmington/Farmington Hills Area Optimist Club Police Officer of the Year in 2016. He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and a master's in business administration from Madonna University.

When he was named chief in a city statement in February 2024, Piggott said he was "excited to have the opportunity to further serve the Farmington Hills community" and pledged to build on "the Department's excellent foundation of community service and transparency."

No Senate confirmation hearing date has been announced. The Farmington Hills Police Department has not released a statement about the appointment.

Piggott's term expires March 31, 2027.