The Otsego County Sheriff’s Department has three open spots for road patrol deputies.
However, Undersheriff Matthew Muladore said it’s been tough getting the right candidates to apply.
“The sheriff and I are still dedicated 100 percent to providing coverage for the citizens of Otsego County, but we did have to reach out to the Michigan state police post here in gaylord and let them know that there would be some shifts that we would need help filling and they’ve stepped right up to the plate,” said Muladore.
Otsego County Sheriff Matthew Muladore
The sheriff’s office is also obligated to transport mental health patients to the right facilities when needed.
“Whether it’s in northern Michigan, most of the time it’s in southern Michigan, once that bed space is secured by community mental health then we have to transport that subject to wherever the bed space is,” said Cpt. Brian Webber, Otsego Jail Administrator.
“With limited resources as is in northern Michigan, that limits resources that much more when we have to take two deputies off the road to make those transports happen,” added Muladore. “Last year we spent 852 man hours so basically that would be five and a half months. If a person worked every day, eight hours a day, they would’ve done mental health transport for five and a half months straight every day.”
The sheriff’s office hasn’t had a full staff of deputies since Nov., but now have several people ready to interview.
They’re hoping to fill the last few spots to help with the workload.
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