Lake County Sheriff’s New Pilot Program

Lake County Sheriff Rick Martin has started a new job recruitment program.

The program will allow the Sheriff’s Office to recruit local people while also maintaining their staff.

Sheriff Martin says there’s no longer as much interest in joining law enforcement as compared to when he started 25 years ago.

To maintain the positions available the program will hire local people by sponsoring them to go to academy for training.

The first member to enroll is Marshall Law who works courthouse security and as a reserve deputy.
“We’ve sponsored them and he’s started the academy this week. He’s kind of my prize out there to make sure that this program works. We’re confident that it will work,” says Martin. “Once he get’s out of his academy training. He will move into the road patrol with his FTO once he’s done with his FTO he’ll be out serving his community.”

Funding is provided in part by Michigan Works. Michigan Works ultimately reimburses part of the cost. Martin says they are also looking at other grant funding as the program moves forward.

“I’ve always looked for options to fund stuff,” says Martin. “Not having to ask for it because we don’t always have the money that we would like or we want to spend on different expenditures within the community. So we looked at different options, and one of the options was Michigan Works where they have an apprentice program where if you work somewhere and you’re trying to move up into a different division or a different position they’ll pay for part of that.”

There will be an application process for those interested. Martin says there are already several people who have expressed interest.

‘We’re going to look at it and hopefully we may be able to select somebody every one or two years and have it be funded by either Michigan Works or some other grant. So we’re really excited about the program.”