Sheriff seeking additional road patrol sergeant.

Sheriff Kim Cole

Sheriff seeking additional road patrol sergeant.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole is asking the Mason County Board of Commissioners to approve the addition of a road patrol sergeant. Cole said the additional sergeant position is not an increase in staffing size nor is it an increase in the sheriff’s office budget.

“In 2018 the taxpayers of Mason County approved a millage to increase the road patrol staff by four deputies,” Cole said. “There are often times when a shift sergeant is on vacation or sick leave, leaving that shift without a supervisor. With the increase in staffing and also with a lot of turnover in the past year, we have a lot of deputies on the road right now who are still on probation. Those deputies need to have an experienced supervisor on duty.”

Cole said in the last two years, the sheriff’s office has had a turnover of 10 road patrol deputies, including sergeants.

“These new deputies are good officers but they lack the experience. This can cause some decisions that would not otherwise be made. I want them to make the right decisions. Having a sergeant on duty all the time, or at least 90 percent of the time, would greatly reduce our exposure to liability.”

The matter will be brought in front of the county commission’s public safety and courts committee for consideration. The committee meets Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 12:30 p.m. in the first floor conference room of the Mason County Courthouse. Meetings are open to the public.

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