COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – With the Branch County Sheriff’s Department shorthanded because of retirements and one deputy being on long term sick leave, Sheriff John Pollack has been forced to temporary adjust the schedule for his five remaining deputies starting August 20, 2018.
Pollack says to give the five deputies some relief, they will focus on days that demand services the most which is Monday through Friday. With vacations, sick days, and pass days, they will at least have four deputies working instead of the zero to two they have while on the seven-day schedule.
Pollack says five deputies can not cover seven days.
While two persons have been hired to fill the positions vacated by retirements, they still need training which takes up to 12 weeks. Pollack say this will mean they will be this short until around October.Pollack says they have been working with the other police agencies in the County and the State Police.The Sheriff’s Department has had an issue with manpower ever since Branch County voters turned down a road patrol millage in 2012. County commissioners then followed through on their threat and cut the Sheriff’s budget, which caused the department to go from 23 road deputies to eight.
One position was later re-established by the Branch County Board of Commissioners in 2016, but commissioners have turned down other requests from Pollack over the last six years to add deputies.
