- Video shows President of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department Road Patrol Union, Larry Jacobson, and his concerns about the millage on the November ballot.
- The union recently stated on Facebook that they believe some members of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners have taken actions to undermine the police force.
- Find that post here.
- Commissioner Corey Kennedy states that he does not want to see a divide between the Sheriff's Department and the County Commissioners, and says the commissioners are in support of the millage.
- Sheriff Gary Schuette says that he's happy about the stance his deputies are taking and that they need to make their voices heard.
"It's going to seismically shift how we actually police," states the President of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department Road Patrol Union, Larry Jacobson. This shift is a concern law enforcement feels could come from possible staffing and budget cuts if voters say "No" to renewing an expired millage on the November ballots.
This upcoming millage is not to build a new facility, like previous millages. It is to continue to fund and operate the jail at-budget. This millage of .25 is going away after 25 years. According to Jacobson, those cuts could include the elimination of 12 full-time sheriff's department employees, the Chanter Road facility, and night patrol.
WATCH: More on that here:
He says, "You'd think, at some point, somebody would say, 'Hey, doesn't that expire in the next couple of years? Should that be something we're keeping an eye on?'" Adding to their concerns, members of the Road Patrol Union say they do not feel supported from the County Commissioners to get the millage passed.
A recent Facebook post, on the Jackson County Michigan Deputy Sheriff's Association POAM page, states: "Unfortunately, some members of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners have taken actions that undermine our police force. They have been aware of the poor conditions in the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for years yet have chosen to ignore these issues." Read the full post here.
Commissioner Corey Kennedy, District 3 and Public Safety Chair, responds, "It's certainly a public safety issue and the Board of Commissioners stand with the Sheriff's Office. It's unfortunate that some individuals have tried to put a divide between the commissioners and the officers, but it couldn't be farther from the truth."
Kennedy says he'll be supporting the millage in November. "The sad part, is it's fiscal reality. It's not Commissioners vs. Sheriff's Department," he adds. Gary Schuette also weighed in on the stance his deputies have taken. "Not feeling supported throughout that process has taken a toll on them," he says. According to Schuette, he supports the stance they're taking. "They need to make their voices heard. It's incredibly important from the standpoint of their safety."
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