COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – While Branch County’s sheriff says he is glad the topic is being discussed, he is still not happy that progress doesn’t appear to be made in returning more deputies to the county’s road patrol.
A discussion of staffing for the Branch County Jail and the sheriff’s department road patrol was held by the Branch County Board of Commissioners at their Work Meeting earlier this week. Sheriff John Pollack said his goal was to get some dialouge started on staffing levels, but expressed frustration for what he says is no plan to bring deputies back.
Pollack said the lack of coverage by road patrol deputies on all shifts is a disaster waiting to happen.
As part of budget cutting by the county in 2012, the sheriff’s department road patrol was drastically cut. Pollack says the staff in the corrections department was recently returned to 2012 level of 19 officers, because over 350 hours of overtime per month was being logged by the trimmed back staff.
Pollack says while he is happy for the discussions with commissioners, he has no sense of what is next in the staffing and budget process.
